[luvtandon]

Hello

Posting this on behalf of a friend.

I own a 2015 KTM Duke 390 and have covered almost 50000 km riding across India, with almost nil local commute.

I have taken good care of my bike, getting it serviced before the due duration / kms from day 1. All services have been done by ASC and there are no modifications in the bike. The tires, sprocket set, spark plug, brake pads, wires have been changed at regular intervals as per the requirements. The only modification in the bike is the change of Metzeler to IRC/Michelin tires of the same technical specifications.

Now the issue is that I am unable to find any specific instructions for service at this juncture. There is no oil leak, the engine oil is almost same quantity at service intervals and no loss in power. I generally ride at the max speeds of 120 kmph with majority of the travel between 90-100 kmph. The only difference I find is the sound of the engine which is different from the one it was few years back. That's about it.

Now I wanted to know what care should I take going forward as I do not intend to change the bike and want to ride the next 50k km on the same bike. The ride duration ranges from 500 to 7000 km. Few co-riders have suggested change of rings and clutch plates as a precaution, but in absence of any signals, I am a bit wary to get the bike engine work done. To add to it I find the ASC engineers capable enough to handle all issues but am still unsure whether I need some engine work or not.

Should I stick to regular engine service or should I get some other work done before next long ride is the question. What other symptoms I need to keep an eye for? As such the bike is performing well and as stated no loss in power or mileage.

Thank you.

I will be really obliged if we can shed a light and properly guide my friend.

regards,
Luv

[SnS_12]

I really don't see any need to change the clutch plates if its working fine. Also, since the bike doesn't see any city commute the chances are they still have a good life left.But, to be on the safer side considering the kms your friends plans to do it can be opened and checked and replaced if needed. On the rings as there is no consumption of engine oil and no white smoke, so the rings are not leaking either, so better to leave it like that. Its best to avoid opening an engine and trying to fix/change something that's not broken. But that all depends on the quality of parts and the way a motorcycle is used. Maybe checking the valve and cams clearance would be something to look at?

P.s - ensure your friend gets any engine internal work done by an experienced mechanic even if its the authorized service center. Off late haven't heard good things about KTM service centers.

[condor]

Wow ! 50k of mostly long distance riding ! Wishing you many more happy trips on the Duke.



Do you have any threads here on your trips ? If not, do share some pics here from your trips - it would make the thread more interesting.

[DeepakMenon]

50K on Duke 390 is impressive, I also have a 390 which my wife rides and its around 20K now, I love the bike


On the service point below are my two cents keeping in mind that the mantra is "Preventive" now. Best done DIY in my opinion

1. Though Clutch wont need a change, however you should open and check
2. Change the clutch cable
3. Renew all your Brake fluids
4. Renew your front suspension fluids, this is generally ignored and we wait till a leak. Change it you will see a difference
5. Replace or Re-grease your pivot points, bearing in swingarms, Triple clamp etc
6. Wheel Bearings
7. Compression check, compare to baseline in manual

I have ignored other normal schedule things as they need to be done eitherway, the trick now is to check everything in the list every 10K, just check, visual will also do

No need to change Rings, unless point 7 above is failure


Enjoy, learn wrenching

[ashwinprakas]

1. If the front end has not been overhauled before then this might be a good time to go for a total front end rebuild, costs around 600~1000/- on my motorcycles(ex-labor), yours might be a bit more expensive.

2. Same goes for the rear end, suspension and bushes would need to be changed, same would be the case of swing arm bushes/bearings, don't forget the wheel bearings while you're at it.

3. All control cables, brake-lines, pads and other such consumables would need to be replaced and maintenance clearances need to be set including for tappets.

4. Compression test should be done to determine cylinder health, if below recommendation then go for a complete rebuild, no questions asked.

5. Check timing chain free-play and change either tensioner -OR- tensioner and chain-kit with guides as the situation demands. While the head is open do change the valve stem oil seals and goes without saying that the head gasket needs to be new. If you're going through all that trouble wouldn't hurt to change the rings as well.

6. Clutch, 50k would be a good time to change it, do change springs as well, even the basket if you feel like it. While case is split inspect the pump strainer and change mechanical seals, also do check the balancer, on the other side do change the shifter spindle seal.

7. Change all manifolds and pipes, do make sure to change the Air Filter Box gasket as well.

Now you could carry on just fine without changing any of the above mentioned parts, but I presume the reason you asked is because you expect the motorcycle to run as reliably as it did for another 50k km's as well, hence the detailed list.

Cheers and Ride Safe.
A.P.

[IshaanIan]

Wow I have only done 24k kms on my RC390 and have already gone through one complete engine rebuild I suppose if you aren't pushing the bike hard (which I do on a daily basis), then it should be alright. Nevertheless, as others have suggested, go for a compression test and take it from there. If engine needs to be opened, then don't approve anything less than a complete rebuild or you will regret it later. Check the health of your forks and rear shock as well. If all is well, then you might want to try replacing your front fork oil with that of the new Duke 250s fork oil as it makes the front forks less squishy

[nitro.1000bhp]

Check and adjust valve clearance (very very important) ..Some service centers will suggest changing the whole head but don't buy that., They are either being lazy or they don't know how to or they may lack the necessary tools. Only do this if there is a head leak.

Open and clean injectors and change fuel filter and air filter .

Change all fluids..Engine oil , brakes , coolant, fork oil.

Check the health of both brake discs. If they're thinner than required change them.

Check all bearings and grease them up if dry.

Check for play..Swing arm , brake levers, pedals etc. Change the shafts if worn out.

Remove fuel tank and give it a thorough rinse with fresh fuel, flush out all the gunk and let it dry

Check battery health. Change if it is poorly.

This is all I can think off and you should be good to go.

Cheers,
Happy miles.

[scorpian]

Just make sure you don't self invite new issues by having some incompetent mechanic work on your bike.
Most of the time these mechanics tend to create more mess then rectify leading to more issues which were non existent in first place.
I also believe in preventive maintenance but after my last stint and the mechanic making a mess i regret it and now i just either do it myself or sit with the mechanic and make sure he does the job perfectly.
Trust me the feeling of a perfectly fine bike running bad after repairs is not a good one.

[luvtandon]

Thanks everyone for the prompt reply, have conveyed the advise. He has already done some of the preventive maintenance and has started preparation for the rest of the suggested one's. Will get back with his feedback asap.

regards,

Luv

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by luvtandon

I will be really obliged if we can shed a light and properly guide my friend.

Adding my two cents and following along the age old adage, why fix if ain't broken. If you're willing to carry out a few test procedures, on a bike that's perfectly normal I'd suggest you try these.

1. Do a compression check. A compression check would help identify the life of the piston/rings and also the valve train.

2. Secondly, greasing the bearings if you haven't checked them in a while. Swingarm bushings, wheel bearings, T stem, can be considered greasing as 50k in a Duke 390 is equivalent to 1 lakh kms for every Duke owner out there. Just reliability factors you know.



3. Make sure your inline fuel filter, spark plug, sprocket kit, checked and replaced if required. That's all there is to it. For now.

Since you've maintained your bike pretty much well, these are normal procedures that can be followed irrespective of kays clocked. Congrats on you successful Golden Jubilee. If you can share a picture of your motorcycle and odometer that'd be great. We'd love to see this bike.

Cheers!
VJ

[Romins]

Happy to hear your friend's Duke is doing good after 50k odo. Here are some manuals -owner's and repair - for Duke 390. Some of those checks can be done by the owner. Hope this helps.

Owner's manual

Repair Manual

[vikrantshete]

I have not experienced KTM service but in general the service centres are keen on replacing parts ASAP... as a precautionary measure because event they make a few bucks in it. I don't think they would miss out on suggesting repairs/replacements..

[yamaniac]

Can anyone shed some light on touring on a 390 please? I am planning for a Mangalore to Bhutan ride on the 390. Love everything on the bike except that it's a pain to sit on the saddle for more than 30 mins.

I have heard of air cushions and wonder if it is a good bet for such a long ride?

[Sikkimese4x4]

Originally Posted by yamaniac

Can anyone shed some light on touring on a 390 please? I am planning for a Mangalore to Bhutan ride on the 390. Love everything on the bike except that it's a pain to sit on the saddle for more than 30 mins.

I have heard of air cushions and wonder if it is a good bet for such a long ride?

It's a good bike to tour, but you have to get at least a 1 inch handlebar risers and gel seat or an air seat. I have toured almost 2k kms in one week on the 390 in 2016.

[ast.ggn]

Originally Posted by yamaniac

Can anyone shed some light on touring on a 390 please? I am planning for a Mangalore to Bhutan ride on the 390. Love everything on the bike except that it's a pain to sit on the saddle for more than 30 mins.

I have heard of air cushions and wonder if it is a good bet for such a long ride?

I would suggest you to undertake couple of short trips, say 500-800 kms, before setting off on a long ride. That will give you a fair idea of capabilities/ short comings of the bike and you can plan accordingly.

I guess you are referring to 1st gen Duke. Second gen is quite comfortable for touring as per my experience. Not Himalayan/Adv 390 like comfort but still good I would say. I have never used air cushions but general feedback is positive.