[sriramv.iyer]

Originally Posted by 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.

Akhilash, it all depends on what your friend wants - Duke is 80% as fast as GT650N, much lighter and relatively less vibey at higher revvs.

GT650N is a proper big bike - Looks big, heavy, super fast, torquey motor but very vibey at higher revvs.

If your friend wants a big bike experience, he can definitely upgrade to GT650N - He needs to live with the excess weight and vibrations at higher revvs.

Both are fantastic bikes in their own way

For your friend:
5' 5'' - Duke 390 is better, GT650N should be tall - Your friend should check this out

Moderately Built - GT650N is HEAVY. Parking in tight spaces might be tough. You need someone pretty strong to move this around when the vehicle is not moving. But, this heavy bike is awesome on highways. Doesn't break a sweat at high speeds.

Touring Long Distance - GT650N has the edge

Cornering - Duke has THE definitive edge. (Only because Duke 390 has superlative cornering ability - GT650N is pretty good)

But all these decisions are matters of heart. You can't go wrong with either of these

[trumpcard]

I have a ques guys, Just picked up a pre owned duke 390 around 7 months old! Now the owner himself was a bike lover with others in his garage but I think I was duped because of my own ignorance ( this being my first bike ever) the bike has the abs and warning/status(triangle) light on, this means there is some error with the abs system!
Am I right?
What should I do next? Any idea about the expected costs to be incurred?
Sorry for the noob questions! This is my first two wheeler purchase.

[Added_flavor]

Originally Posted by trumpcard

I have a ques guys, Just picked up a pre owned duke 390 around 7 months old! Now the owner himself was a bike lover with others in his garage but I think I was duped because of my own ignorance ( this being my first bike ever) the bike has the abs and warning/status(triangle) light on, this means there is some error with the abs system!
Am I right?
What should I do next? Any idea about the expected costs to be incurred?
Sorry for the noob questions! This is my first two wheeler purchase.

The ABS light will glow each time you start the bike. It is supposed to switch off once the vehicle is in motion.

It might be a minor issue with a sensor or a fuse or if you aren't lucky it might be something major. Please get it checked in the A.S.S. Generally, the ABS on the Duke has proved to be very reliable and not many issues have been reported. So I think it's a minor issue.

[trumpcard]

The abs light and the yellow triangle are constantly on even when the bike is in motion!

[Sojogator]

Originally Posted by trumpcard

The abs light and the yellow triangle are constantly on even when the bike is in motion!

More probability of a bad sensor than a bad ABS unit IMO.
Also, if the bike is under warranty, shouldn't this be done for free ?

[trumpcard]

Originally Posted by Sojogator

More probability of a bad sensor than a bad ABS unit IMO.
Also, if the bike is under warranty, shouldn't this be done for free ?

The bike is 8 months old! I hope it's not something major!

[sriramv.iyer]

Originally Posted by trumpcard

The abs light and the yellow triangle are constantly on even when the bike is in motion!

That should not be the case - You should take your bike to service center for diagnostics.

[blue_pulsar]

Originally Posted by Sojogator

More probability of a bad sensor than a bad ABS unit IMO.
Also, if the bike is under warranty, shouldn't this be done for free ?

I think, as per Bajaj policy, warranty is applicable only for first owner. trumpcard is the second owner here, if I'm not wrong.

[Sojogator]

Originally Posted by blue_pulsar

I think, as per Bajaj policy, warranty is applicable only for first owner. trumpcard is the second owner here, if I'm not wrong.

I think another fellow bhpian has done changes under warranty as a 2nd owner.
I see no reason to not respect the warranty as it is on the machine and not on the person like an insurance. I am sure even if they deny initially, they would succumb if a little talking was done the right way.

[trumpcard]

Well thanks for all the prompt replies and suggestions everyone, Reinserting the fuses for the abs module surprisingly solved the issue!
Anyways brought the bike to the KTM service center for a professional checkup and everything is A-ok as per the service engineer! *knockwood* on that!

[Sid13]

Guys, im planning to change my two wheeler by mid of next year and strongly considering 2017Duke 390 as well. Other options would be BMW G310R and may be the RE Himalayan (That would be if I prioritize hardcore touring). Compared to Beamer we are all clear that duke is more powerful and probably technologically more advanced with a better info display, ride by wire, better swingarm etc. However refinement would be a strong aspect that could drive my decision and I dont fancy frequenting A.S.S. Although beamers reliability doesnt have real life examples at the moment, I somehow feel it would be more refined and reliable than KTM. I am looking at long term usage with minimum four years ownership. There are plenty of KTM users here. How is refinement and reliability of KTM compared to Yamahas or Hondas (I currently own a first gen R15). While at that lets ignore the price difference of around 1 lakh (Yamaha R3 vs Duke 390) or the extra power numbers KTM has. Looking forward to your valuable inputs

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by Sid13

How is refinement and reliability of KTM compared to Yamahas or Hondas (I currently own a first gen R15).

Refinement depends on how you define it. If you mean vibrations in the foot pegs and handlebars, then yes the D390 does have a fair bit of vibes in the low rpm's but once you are in the higher RPM range you should not face this. But the engine & exhaust note might not be to everyone's taste and might make the bike sound harsh and un-refined. You might find your current R15 more refined that the D390.

Coming to your bike hunt, I noticed that you mention the Himalayan as mainly touring. In fact if you look closely, it is a good bet for the pot holed city roads and off roads compared to long tours on the GQ kind of roads. So all 3 bikes you have short listed can be used comfortably as a city run about. If you are not in a hurry better to wait for the G310R and the adv. version of the G310R as well and then take a call between the 3 bikes.

[Sid13]

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

Refinement depends on how you define it. ... If you are not in a hurry better to wait for the G310R and the adv. version of the G310R as well and then take a call between the 3 bikes.

Thanks for the inputs. As you mentioned comparatively stronger vibration on foot pegs and handle bars, harsh engine sound etc could be factors that put me off especially after riding r15 for so many years. Also coming to reliability part, I have noticed D390 owners complaining about minor oil leaks which requires ASS intervention no matter however minor it is. May be it owes to the high compression ratio etc. However for me thats an issue not supposed to occur. My R15 and before that CBZ never ever leaked oil. Such things would put me off heavily.

About considering Himalayan, I would not consider it unless I have serious touring in mind. I consider Himalayan too old school if its majorly for city and tarmac rides. Similarly i wont consider G310 and D390 or the adventure version of G310 suitable for serious touring in India. By the look of it adv version of G310 has only minor changes with increased GC etc.

[sriramv.iyer]

Originally Posted by Sid13

However refinement would be a strong aspect that could drive my decision and I dont fancy frequenting A.S.S. Although beamers reliability doesnt have real life examples at the moment, I somehow feel it would be more refined and reliable than KTM. I am looking at long term usage with minimum four years ownership.

KTM is not refined. If that's the thing driving your decision, you should look to CBR / N300 or R3. (I have owned R15, and I vouch for refinement of CBR and R3's engine. Have ridden N300 a bit too, and I found it refined too)

There is no other A.S.S problem with KTMs except that the service centers get crowded nowadays.

It is super fun to drive, but I do miss refinement of my Japanese bikes.

Being a large single cylinder, I am unsure of the refinement levels of G310 too. If that's the driving criteria you should consider R3 / N300 (I wish they came with ABS)

[Sid13]

Originally Posted by sriramv.iyer

KTM is not refined. If that's the thing driving your decision, you should look to CBR / N300 or R3. (I have owned R15, and I vouch for refinement of CBR and R3's engine. Have ridden N300 a bit too, and I found it refined too)

Thanks for the inputs. Along with refinement reliability is also something that im worried about. For example how frequent you have to visit S.C excluding your routine periodic maintenance(irrespective of the serious or nature of the issue/situation)? Only a long term owner can comment on that. As far the options you have put forth, CBR im not considered as it wouldn't be a worthy upgrade from R15 as I believe I might grow too familiar with power increase too soon. ie the increase is not substantial in comparison to other options. Regarding R3 and Ninja, two reasons for not considering. I want a relaxed riding posture. Compared to R15 R3 might have relaxed posture, still wont be as much as Duke or G310. Also ABS is a valuable addition considering our road situation. Do not want to overlook that.