[Samarth 619]

Originally Posted by DBS65

Good day
I own a 2023 Gen 3 duke 390. Yesterday was the first time I got an opportunity to go for a small ride on it for about 50kms.
I belong to Bhubaneswar and it's raining fire here with temperatures hovering around 43deg celsius.
I noticed a hefty amount of engine heat is being directed towards the riders' torso. It's not unbearable but uncomfortable for sure.
It is my first upgrade to a 400cc bike so fellow riders/ktm owners kindly enlighten me about this heat issue. In some bikes the heat is directed towards the riders' feet or legs.

I own the Gen 1 bike (1.5 Lakh kms+, overhauled once), but I don't remember the exact moment where I stopped noticing the engine heat.
For me, its like, not noticeable until the traffic gets miserably slow. Even on the console, I'm at 7-9 bars of heat mostly, nothing more.

Its an undergeared bike (sprocket kit from D250 fits direct) and I'm mostly in gear 3-6 now, as the 6th cog now manages 55 kmph easily.

However, it has never reflected towards torso, which is upwards. No, I never recall this happening, and its not normal I think. Ankles or below the knees is where you should be feeling the heat, that's it.
Try to grip the tank tightly with knees and see if it still reaches the torso.

Also, a tip I'm not sure if it will help in Gen 3, but try to remain in medium rpm's, above 3 krpm and below 6 krpm. Above 6 is also ok for heat, but low rpm's are a sure way towards more heat, and also, the radiator fans switch on quick.

[DBS65]

Hi Samarth

Thanks for your response. Yes I do grip the tank with my thighs. Usually as the traffic in my city permits I am in between 3k-5k range always. On freeways I haven't felt the same wave, unnoticeable.

[RD410]

Originally Posted by scarn

Tbh I find this stance a bit puzzling, given the insane power output of 45 bhp from 400cc single; it's only natural for vibrations to be present.

Exactly. Even with counter balancing, it's impossible to completely eliminate vibrations from a single cylinder engine. Especially if it's a super oversquare motor with high compression. KTM's, NS, RS, Dominar all are vibey and it's part of their character.

And most people don't know how to properly ride these machines, yet buy them for looks/show off. There are riders who keep short shifting, never use the power band and don't like to lean their machines. It's these kind of riders who buy these hardcore bikes and then complain that they're uncomfortable, not refined, laggy etc. It's one reason why so many of these end up in the used market so fast.

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by RD410

Exactly. Even with counter balancing, it's impossible to completely eliminate vibrations from a single cylinder engine. Especially if it's a super oversquare motor with high compression. KTM's, NS, RS, Dominar all are vibey and it's part of their character.

And most people don't know how to properly ride these machines, yet buy them for looks/show off. There are riders who keep short shifting, never use the power band and don't like to lean their machines. It's these kind of riders who buy these hardcore bikes and then complain that they're uncomfortable, not refined, laggy etc. It's one reason why so many of these end up in the used market so fast.

Completely agree with your points. There will be some amount of vibes on a 300cc+ single. And you need to compare apples to apples when comparing refinement levels. I can't think of another close to 400cc short stroke, high revving single that has significantly better refinement. Comparing it to a smaller capacity single or a twin is a futile exercise. The bigger that piston gets, the higher the vibes. I feel KTM has done enough to keep the vibes of the 390s in check at cruising speeds. The celebrated Japanese singles often top out at around 250-300ccs. I own a Suzuki 250 and it gets really buzzy at higher cruising speeds. Marginally buzzier than my old 390 at same speeds.

Coming to the second point, Indian lifestyle motorcycling market is relatively new and expanding rapidly. The buyers cross shop between a classic 350, Duke 390 and Himalayan 450 because they are confused. They are not quite sure about what they want from their motorcycle and end up with the wrong one because of positive reviews from media outlets or peer pressure.

[aniruddha_98]

Originally Posted by kedar3223

These bikes really do not have any hidden sour grapes that would compel the buyers to sell off their bikes. Some other genuine factors to sell off brand new bikes are reliability niggles or bad after sales(don't see any modern machines being highly unreliable. Some EV products might be included in this category.
Thoughts?

I beg to differ. I purchased a pre-owned 2015 Duke 390 in 2019, which belonged to a friend of a friend (and every common friend vouching for the good upkeep of the bike) and I have had nothing but headaches with that bike.

The number of random issues I've had with that bike is just way too much. Again, not specifically related to the abuse that previous owners do. It had issues that multiple SVCs couldn't diagnose for months, it had a new sprocket wearing down in a couple of thousand kilometres for no reason, and there's just so much more that will need a whole other thread to explain. Not like I was careless about the maintenance either. I was replacing parts left and right just as preventive maintenance, Spent a lot of money on that bike until I realised I'd spent way too much in the obsession to make it right. That's when I decided to sell it off. Maybe it was a lemon, or maybe a lemon in my hands, and would live better under someone else's care.

Mind you, I love the 390, and I specifically wanted the first gen even though I could have gone for the 2nd gen. During my ownership, I suggested multiple friends to buy KTMs, and they are living happily with their Dukes without any issues.

But I won't be buying one, new or pre-owned. I don't mind spending more for the service and maintenance as long as the bike doesn't become a headache to live with, when every morning you wonder what new issue is gonna come up today.

But the heart's desire for characterful bikes doesn't end, so I'm going with Aprilia RS457 now after I get some decent ownership reviews of first lot owners. Fingers crossed

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Samarth 619

I own the Gen 1 bike (1.5 Lakh kms+, overhauled once), but I don't remember the exact moment where I stopped noticing the engine heat.

Wow man! Respect!!!

Cheers, Doc

[dwanderlustdrv]

- Aux lights mandatory: I got Maddog Alpha aux let's installed on my Duke 200 in prep for long rides including Pune to Ladakh and they have served me very nicely. Here's a link to a video detailing all the accessories I've installed on my bike:

https://youtu.be/wegboZTBhJ0?si=7nDQKgKBY2S1tEtb

I also have the Zana Top rack on top of which I have the CarbonRacing 36 top box. It's great in the city but after a mishap, I don't recommend it for touring. The rack is fine but the bolts holding the rack broke! Imagine that happening on a long distance ride! So since then, soft luggage only for long rides!

[yatesh.92]

Dear members,

I’m planning to order powerparts accessories for my gen 3 model. Spoke to the service center and they said that they don’t sell those accessories. Alternatively, I’m considering sourcing them from Europe. Spoke to a close friend cum neighbour as well who’s based in Copenhagen, Denmark. He’ll be coming to Pune in July and has agreed to get the parts in case they unavailable at service center in Pune. However, his only worry is, the customs guys at Mumbai airport shouldn’t bother him.

Folks on this thread, have any of you tried sourcing the parts this way? Ever faced trouble at Mumbai airport? For reference I’m attaching pics of the parts I’m planning to order

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by dwanderlustdrv

I also have the Zana Top rack on top of which I have the CarbonRacing 36 top box. It's great in the city but after a mishap, I don't recommend it for touring. The rack is fine but the bolts holding the rack broke! Imagine that happening on a long distance ride! So since then, soft luggage only for long rides!

This is always a risk with hard luggage. If it breaks, you are stranded. Happened to my Studds box in 2004. Nothing happened to the box. But the Bullet alloy grabrail it was clamped to broke off. Luckily the Army MES guys in Ramgarh bought a local solid steel grabrail (that they use on Army Bullets) and fitted my box back. And I could continue my ride. If not, I would have to chuck the box and transfer its contents into my main duffel bag.

As a contingency measure therefore I always suggest hard luggage riders to carry a spare duffel bag and a 4 or 8 hook octopus bungee, that can be used to transfer the luggage to and secure it to your bike in an emergency. The hard luggage costing tens of thousands would of course need to be chucked by the roadside when you move on. Or if you're lucky, find a transport guy nearby and ship it back home while you continue your ride. Best case.

Cheers, Doc

[kedar3223]

Has anyone seen the new blue colour on the Duke 250 in person? Is it similar shade of blue to the 390? Asking as a friend a is looking to swap the drl of his 390 with the headlight cowls of the 250.

[ridewthedevil]

Originally Posted by kedar3223

Has anyone seen the new blue colour on the Duke 250 in person? Is it similar shade of blue to the 390? Asking as a friend a is looking to swap the drl of his 390 with the headlight cowls of the 250.

I've seen it up close. The headlamp panel is the same colour as the 390s tank extension, but in matte.

[kedar3223]

Originally Posted by ridewthedevil

I've seen it up close. The headlamp panel is the same colour as the 390s tank extension, but in matte.

That's awesome. The Duke 390 in the below mentioned video sports the exact same mod. Looks way cleaner compared to the DRL.

https://youtu.be/aUD1xvUxrsI

[ridewthedevil]

Originally Posted by kedar3223

Has anyone seen the new blue colour on the Duke 250 in person? Is it similar shade of blue to the 390? Asking as a friend a is looking to swap the drl of his 390 with the headlight cowls of the 250.

My house help just bought the Duke 250 in the new colour scheme. Looks really good!

[amyntor]

Hello everyone, I'm looking to buy a pre-owned 2024 390 Duke. I have a deal lined up and I'm going to check out the bike tomorrow. It was registered in January 2024 and has run 13,000 kilometres so far. The owner says the brake pads (with sintered pads on the front) and fluids, air filter and oil filters are replaced. He also replaced the stock Metzeler tyres with Apollo H1 Alpha recently.

I'd appreciate any advice from the owners on what to watch out for. I already read the guide to buy pre-owned bikes post here on Team-BHP. So, I'm looking for the Duke specific nitty gritties.

[skviknaraj]

Originally Posted by yatesh.92

Dear members,

I’m planning to order powerparts accessories for my gen 3 model. Spoke to the service center and they said that they don’t sell those accessories. Alternatively, I’m considering sourcing them from Europe. Spoke to a close friend cum neighbour as well who’s based in Copenhagen, Denmark. He’ll be coming to Pune in July and has agreed to get the parts in case they unavailable at service center in Pune. However, his only worry is, the customs guys at Mumbai airport shouldn’t bother him.

Folks on this thread, have any of you tried sourcing the parts this way? Ever faced trouble at Mumbai airport? For reference I’m attaching pics of the parts I’m planning to order

These parts are small compared to an Helmet. I got myself a riding jacket, helmet, riding shoes and some protectors from Europe in my luggage. It should not be a problem.

However, have your friend remove them from the original carton box. If asked he can always say that he is upgrading his bike here in India and he got them for personal use.