[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by sriramv.iyer

I am not the best guy to answer this - Running my 390 bone stock, and not planning to change anything.

Sriram, quick query. Since you are not planning on getting a windscreen fitted & knowing that you like to ride quick, how bad is the wind blast & post what speeds does it become a bother. The general consensus from the other D390 owners is around 120kmph.

[sriramv.iyer]

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

Sriram, quick query. Since you are not planning on getting a windscreen fitted & knowing that you like to ride quick, how bad is the wind blast & post what speeds does it become a bother. The general consensus from the other D390 owners is around 120kmph.

Abhinav, I do agree that wind blast is an issue - It doesn't bother me till about 140 kmph. However, cross winds do bother if it is windy since the bike is light. I have no issues with crosswinds on my GT650N.

In D390, During brief periods where I cross 140 kmph, I usually crouch to avoid the wind blast.

The higher tolerance to windblasts may be attributed to my weight

[VedderTheFixer]

Thank you so much for the information over the months Sriram !

I need to bug you with one question though, im planning a ride to Leh in June & am about to book a Duke 390 in January. After having gone through the thread, there's just one thing that's on my mind and it's the same old heating issue.

Considering the mountainous terrain to be covered, and the likes of Rohtang La, do you think it would be wise to do this ride on a 390? There will be quite some first gear riding, plus clutch usage too. Wont this lead to overheating & shutdown?

Please give me your thoughts on this, right now this is disturbing me no end .

And congrats on the purchase, i bet you're a full blown accelerator activist now .

[NitinMakhija]

Originally Posted by VedderTheFixer

Thank you so much for the information over the months Sriram !

Considering the mountainous terrain to be covered, and the likes of Rohtang La, do you think it would be wise to do this ride on a 390? There will be quite some first gear riding, plus clutch usage too. Wont this lead to overheating & shutdown?

Please give me your thoughts on this, right now this is disturbing me no end

There are Riders who have been to Leh, Ladakh & other places of Himalayas on Duke 390. You can post this question in "Dukes on Pune" & will surely get a response on feedback about Duke's performance on such terrains.

IMO, you shouldn't worry. In such cold, not much chance of engine heating.

[sriramv.iyer]

Originally Posted by VedderTheFixer

Thank you so much for the information over the months Sriram !

I need to bug you with one question though, im planning a ride to Leh in June & am about to book a Duke 390 in January. After having gone through the thread, there's just one thing that's on my mind and it's the same old heating issue.

Considering the mountainous terrain to be covered, and the likes of Rohtang La, do you think it would be wise to do this ride on a 390? There will be quite some first gear riding, plus clutch usage too. Wont this lead to overheating & shutdown?

Please give me your thoughts on this, right now this is disturbing me no end

And congrats on the purchase, i bet you're a full blown accelerator activist now

Thanks for your kind words. Glad to know the log is useful

Of late, I have not been driving in very bad traffic conditions, and I haven't seen the Duke 390 overheat at all. Also, I have NEVER seen the D390 overheat in open roads. It absolutely hates traffic

That said, I did have a talk with the Service personnel in KTM couple of weeks ago on taking Duke to Leh / Ladakh (I am definitely NOT planning to do it as of now :-) ) - He said during a recent ride, most of the so called adventure / cruising / offroading bikes had to retire hurt (he was so happy when he mentioned the Impulse had a major breakdown). All D200 finished the trip. So, I believe 390 is a very good option to take to Leh / Ladakh! (Unless the driving to Ladakh is similar to riding in bad traffic)

And since the weather is also cold over there, engine overheating shouldn't be a worry.

Originally Posted by NitinMakhija

IMO, you shouldn't worry. In such cold, not much chance of engine heating.

+1

[Jaycee]

Originally Posted by VedderTheFixer

im planning a ride to Leh in June & am about to book a Duke 390 in January. After having gone through the thread, there's just one thing that's on my mind and it's the same old heating issue.

Heating is not an issue, however the soft rubber and the alloy might be. I got 4 punctures in the last two weeks and I almost always try to stick to the divider on the road to avoid nails and all. From what I've read the alloys won't be able to take that level of torture en route to Leh. You just might want to check it up with a good SVC. Probably changing the rubbers and the rims to the conventional ones, once you start the journey upwards of Chandigarh can be a good option. But then again how would some other tires hold up on this high torque machine would remain to be seen.
My two cents. Hope it helps.

[Cyrus_the_virus]

Originally Posted by Jaycee

I got 4 punctures in the last two weeks

Quick question. How soon does the tires deflate and can a normal roadside puncture wala fix it?

[sriramv.iyer]

Originally Posted by Jaycee

Heating is not an issue, however the soft rubber and the alloy might be. I got 4 punctures in the last two weeks and I almost always try to stick to the divider on the road to avoid nails and all. From what I've read the alloys won't be able to take that level of torture en route to Leh. You just might want to check it up with a good SVC. Probably changing the rubbers and the rims to the conventional ones, once you start the journey upwards of Chandigarh can be a good option. But then again how would some other tires hold up on this high torque machine would remain to be seen.
My two cents. Hope it helps.

I haven't got a single puncture so far, even on bad roads - May be I am just lucky this time! Given that these are tubeless tyres, any roadside guy should be able to fix it with the kit. (DIY should also be easy)

I have heard that the alloys may be an area of concern, but not unless people ride fast on potholes. A good point to note, though!

Originally Posted by Cyrus_the_virus

Quick question. How soon does the tires deflate and can a normal roadside puncture wala fix it?

I check my tyre pressure once a week. I don't see a much of a leak to warrant a concern. As mentioned above, anyone can fix it

Btw, I got an invite to KTM Duke 390 Orange Tour - Too bad I'll be missing it due to professional commitments. Apparently, this is happening first time in India (as per what I heard from KTM Mekhri Circle) - It is exclusive to D390s too. If you are interested call the showroom where you got your 390 from

[Jaycee]

Originally Posted by Cyrus_the_virus

Quick question. How soon does the tires deflate and can a normal roadside puncture wala fix it?

In my case it did not deflate immediately. In fact I rode with the nail for quite some time. I did not even know the nail was there until I parked the bike and glanced at the tires and happened to find the nail.

[ebonho]

I rode with a big huge metal shard stuck inside my rear tyre and bent flush with the tyre, all the way from Lonavala back to Pune and got the puncture repaired the next day (the ride day being a Sunday). The pressure had fallen from 29 psi to 25 psi over that distance and time.

[Jaycee]

My question is do tyre sealants really work? I'm yet to find a very convincing answer to this question.

[Cyrus_the_virus]

Originally Posted by ebonho

I rode with a big huge metal shard stuck inside my rear tyre and bent flush with the tyre, all the way from Lonavala back to Pune and got the puncture repaired the next day (the ride day being a Sunday). The pressure had fallen from 29 psi to 25 psi over that distance and time.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Jaycee

I check my tyre pressure once a week. I don't see a much of a leak to warrant a concern. As mentioned above, anyone can fix it

What I meant to ask was how soon does it deflate once punctured. Anyways, got the answer above, thanks!

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Cyrus_the_virus

Thank you!

What I meant to ask was how soon does it deflate once punctured. Anyways, got the answer above, thanks!

Moral of the story Cyrus is to resist the urge to finger the offending nail etc. and leave it exactly as it is, and ride. The nail acts like a plug and disturbing it in any way will make the tyre deflate catastrophically.

[sriramv.iyer]

My next milestone with the Duke comes at an even slower pace! Finally crossed 2000 kms. I am really hoping 2014 bodes well for my rides!
Attachment 1184364

Last few months with Duke is actually changing my personality! (I sincerely hope not!) - I have lost some weight, actually being more aggressive (in a good way) wrt goals, much faster (not just on roads etc)

I understood the man / machine interaction when I was riding my friend's bullet (CI/350). It used to be so meditative that I never had an urge to wring the throttle when someone overtook brashly.

Fast forwarding to Duke 390, life looks like a race. The best part is I have stopped racing with others. I only race with me. I set the pace, I set the goals. I am no longer disturbed by rash riders overtaking me or challenging me. (They bite the dust eventually )

GT650N seems heavy. I have ridden a little over 4000 Kms in 2 years! I enjoy the rider with GT650N better, and I am able to carve corners better. But, there is no soul / character associated with the bike like you can associate with D390.

I am just hoping it is some other event that caused these changes and not the D390!

I was planning to replace the 650N with Daytona 675 (one naked and one super-sport). But, Triumph priced it totally out of the league! (Should be 13L OTR, Bangalore) while I was mentally prepared to go up to 10L).

While D390 has taken its long-termer place in my garage, still looking for the super-sport one. Need to do it quick since I believe that riding these machines to their decent capacity (ruling out full capacity) requires age to be on our side!

How about converting the GT650N to GT650R? Has anyone attempted that?

[Akhilash95]

A friend wishes to upgrade from a Duke 390 to a GT650N. He is 5 5', moderately built And loves cornering.
Usage- 20km daily commute + occasional weekend rides 600km.

Is it a worthy upgrade? He's been offered the GT650N for a pretty good price and the bike has done only a couple of thousand kilometres on the odo.

Your opinion will help put an end to his dilemma.