Sanket Sarkar
Active Member
He's still running inKick-ass video Anant. Man, how tempting is the orange!
What speeds were you riding at?
Please start an ownership/review thread - would help us a lot
give him sometime 
KTM 390 Duke details confirmed
- Thread starter Praful
- Start date
give him sometime 
70standard
Member
Have completed 1500km on my Duke390. This is my take on the machine. As everyone knows, the waiting period for KTM's new release was agonizing and some people who had booked got fed up and cancelled their booking. I was one of the lucky ones, I got my bike within mandatory 90 days. This was probably due to the fact that I live in Kolkata where the bookings were few compared to other cities.
Was the wait worth it? Does the bike live up to the hype? My answer would have to be in the affirmative. But there are some negatives which I'd like to get out of the way first.
The build quality is overall good except where Bajaj is involved. The switch gear, Plastics, levers, and grips don't do justice to the rest of the bike.
One of the best features on the 390 is the swing arm. I love it, and so does the chain. Chain slapping on the swing arm was a problem on the D200 and the 390 shares this issue. I tighten the chain after every 300km, when I also clean and lube it. This solves the problem for me.
City ridding, especially in traffic is a pain. The heat becomes unbearable. Bajaj/KTM did come up with a fan mod(where at a stand still the fan blows the hot air forward away from the riders legs) but not very affective. On a positive note, now that winter has arrived, I'm loving the heat.
The 390's gearing is bloody Tall, which is ironic because I didn't buy the D200 as I felt the gearing was too short. In city ridding, 2nd gear can only be used when the bikes speed is above 20kmph. So I find myself slotting between 1st and 2nd constantly, add to this the weight of the clutch and my left hand aches like hell. I am planning to change the counter shaft sprocket from 15T to 14T. This should bring 2nd gear down to usable range. A lot of owners have reported oil and coolant leaks, but I have not faced this issue.
Enough of the negatives, let me tell you the good stuff.
The D390's Engine, Chassis, Gearbox, Suspension and Braking, complement each other perfectly. It accelerates like a 2 stroke but it has a wide power band, so the pickup feels more smooth and controllable, that being said the bike demands your full concentration and respect. Handling is confidence inspiring. It reminds me of when I rode the CBZ when it first came out, the CBZ back then was one of the best handling bikes introduced in India. The D390 just surpasses that easily. Cornering will bring a smile to your face. The suspension combined with Metzeler tires allow more entry speed into corners and the bike feels as if its on rails. The only problem i have with cornering is my toe scrapping the road.
The brakes with ABS and Metzeler tires are spot on, but the ABS on the rear wheel can be a little intrusive. The front wheel ABS has only cut in once, that was to save a cyclist who came out of no where.
I personally feel that the Duke 390 at the moment is the best bike for our Indian roads especially here in West Bengal. There are more powerful bikes available, but to me Useable power matters.
Not everyone likes the naked styling of the Duke, so the soon to be released RC390 should tick all their boxes.
Was the wait worth it? Does the bike live up to the hype? My answer would have to be in the affirmative. But there are some negatives which I'd like to get out of the way first.
The build quality is overall good except where Bajaj is involved. The switch gear, Plastics, levers, and grips don't do justice to the rest of the bike.
One of the best features on the 390 is the swing arm. I love it, and so does the chain. Chain slapping on the swing arm was a problem on the D200 and the 390 shares this issue. I tighten the chain after every 300km, when I also clean and lube it. This solves the problem for me.
City ridding, especially in traffic is a pain. The heat becomes unbearable. Bajaj/KTM did come up with a fan mod(where at a stand still the fan blows the hot air forward away from the riders legs) but not very affective. On a positive note, now that winter has arrived, I'm loving the heat.
The 390's gearing is bloody Tall, which is ironic because I didn't buy the D200 as I felt the gearing was too short. In city ridding, 2nd gear can only be used when the bikes speed is above 20kmph. So I find myself slotting between 1st and 2nd constantly, add to this the weight of the clutch and my left hand aches like hell. I am planning to change the counter shaft sprocket from 15T to 14T. This should bring 2nd gear down to usable range. A lot of owners have reported oil and coolant leaks, but I have not faced this issue.
Enough of the negatives, let me tell you the good stuff.
The D390's Engine, Chassis, Gearbox, Suspension and Braking, complement each other perfectly. It accelerates like a 2 stroke but it has a wide power band, so the pickup feels more smooth and controllable, that being said the bike demands your full concentration and respect. Handling is confidence inspiring. It reminds me of when I rode the CBZ when it first came out, the CBZ back then was one of the best handling bikes introduced in India. The D390 just surpasses that easily. Cornering will bring a smile to your face. The suspension combined with Metzeler tires allow more entry speed into corners and the bike feels as if its on rails. The only problem i have with cornering is my toe scrapping the road.
The brakes with ABS and Metzeler tires are spot on, but the ABS on the rear wheel can be a little intrusive. The front wheel ABS has only cut in once, that was to save a cyclist who came out of no where.
I personally feel that the Duke 390 at the moment is the best bike for our Indian roads especially here in West Bengal. There are more powerful bikes available, but to me Useable power matters.
Not everyone likes the naked styling of the Duke, so the soon to be released RC390 should tick all their boxes.
sudhir222
Motoholic
No, cant really wait!He's still running in
I am getting brainwashed everyday or maybe I want to
anantkrishna
Kick Some Dirt !
Okay guys here is my short review on the D390 and a small comparison between my long term love AVL350. I know a lot of RE riders have either bought it as their second bike in the garage or looking to get one soon.
First the good bits -
1. The bike is fast. The best way I can describe to power delivery is that it feels like an AVL500 below 7500rpm and like a RD350HT post that ! A perfect blend between the both. The bike distorts your sense of speed. You dont realise how fast you are going untill you look down. To give you an idea, it does 80 on the 2nd gear before hitting the rev limiter and 150kph is easy on the 5th gear with 6th still to go! So you have to keep a constant check on your right hand for safety of others on the road.
2. Brilliant Handling. After coming of an enfield which felt like a badly cooked noodle around corners and we still use to grind pegs on it, this has been a revelation on how far motorcycle technology has progressed in this department. I am sure there would be way faster bikes than the D390 between the 40s-80s, Vincent Black Lightning, Triumph bonneville 650, Kawasaki 750 Mach IV to name a few, but I am sure none handled around corners like this one. I am sure the mass centralization with the underbelly exhuast adds to the whole handling package too. To put things in perspective, I can brake later and and get on the throttle much sooner around corners than any RE I have ever ridden without any drama.
The metzelers are brilliant, they inspire confidence even in rains, the hard part is telling your brain that its okay, you can lean it further even in the most damp conditions. Now at 16,500 rupees a pair, it is certainly not cheap but the levels of grip are phenomenal at the price. After riding on Indian or Malaysian make enduro tires all my life this has been my first proper road tire.
3. Precise Braking. I like how Bosch has designed this ABS system, the system on both wheels is independent of eachother and the system is hydraulic dominant unlike some other expensive motorcycles. This means that even if there is a malfunction in the ABS system, the braking will still work. I felt that the initial bite is not as hard as the one in the D200 but the braking is very progressive and predictable. The ABS on the rear brake is actuated without much effort, the front needs a handful at decent speeds for it to come into action.
4. Cost of Ownership. Thanks to bajaj, the service and spares are cheap, infact I can safely say its more economical than owning a RE. We all have a spill sometime or the other, but this bike wont blow a hole in your pocket getting it fixed. So you are getting an international motorcycle with desi cost of ownership. The most expensive part on this bike is the Endurance WP USD forks at rupees 22,000 for the set.
5. Mile muncher. You can cover large distances comfortably due to its amazing cruising speeds, at 120kph it feels exactly how an AVL500 feels at 60kph. You can keep it at that all day long. So you reach your destination sooner with more time to spare.
6. Reliability factor over the enfield. I dont think I need to elaborate further on this. You can travel lighter with lesser spares and tools. Most importantly peace of mind. 'Start button dabao aur bhagao !'
Now, the not so good bits -
1. It is NOT an 'Adventure' tourer. I would pick any RE or Karizma or Impulse to go offroad touring on over the D390. The awful tank range, the metzelers and the aggressive streetfighter seating position makes it difficult to stand on the pegs and ride, ofcourse there are popular mods available in the market for those looking to take it offroad like the 19" front spoked wheels, sump guard, crash 'resistant' forward pegs, spoked rear wheel hubs, higher and wider handlebars, etc. It does make the bike more offroad friendly but at the cost of loosing out on its brilliant road handling capabilities and also all this involves some extra money.
2. The ABS wont work with any other profile tire other than stock. This is because the ABS sensor reads off a small notched disk off the wheel, the disk has 48 notches on it and each notch corresponds to an imaginary point on the outer circumference of the wheel. So any change in circumference sends an error code and disables the ABS. The 9M Bosch ABS cannot be reprogrammed for the newer wheel diameter. So if you want the ABS to work, either buy Metzelers or any tire with a similar profile.
3. Its too high tech. It has ten sensors and eight actuators. Some of the sensors are crucial for engine operation, some aren't. Now if something goes wrong on a tour, you have no option but to load the bike on a truck and ship it to the nearest KTM showroom, unlike an air cooled engine which can be fixed by a roadside mechanic or by yourself when the need comes. To name a few, we have -
(a) Throttle position sensor.
(b) Coolant temp sensor
(c) Temp & Manifold pressure sensor TMAP
(d) Lambda Sensor O2
(e) Ignition Pulse Sensor
(f) Vehicle Down (roll over) sensor
(g) ABS Sensors
(h) Crankshaft Sensor
(i) Gear Position sensor
(j) Oil pressure sensor
(k)
4. Its a pain to ride it slow in traffic, coming off an enfield, it is even more evident. If RE was a stoned bull, this one is a bull on red bull. Its happiest when its moving fast. It demands all your attention.
5. The riding position is a bit cramped for anyone 5.11 and above.
6. Its equivalent to a torture chair for the pillon unless your girlfriend/wife is a petite one, forget about it. Fat friends are a complete no go.
7. Its an a-hole magnet, anywhere you park it, the orange wheels and frame attract so much attention, there is always someone who will want to fiddle around with the bike when you aren't around.
Anyway, is it worth 2 lakhs of my hard earned money ? YES ! Totally ! Go for it I would say ! Nothing comes close to smiles per miles factor !
First the good bits -
1. The bike is fast. The best way I can describe to power delivery is that it feels like an AVL500 below 7500rpm and like a RD350HT post that ! A perfect blend between the both. The bike distorts your sense of speed. You dont realise how fast you are going untill you look down. To give you an idea, it does 80 on the 2nd gear before hitting the rev limiter and 150kph is easy on the 5th gear with 6th still to go! So you have to keep a constant check on your right hand for safety of others on the road.
2. Brilliant Handling. After coming of an enfield which felt like a badly cooked noodle around corners and we still use to grind pegs on it, this has been a revelation on how far motorcycle technology has progressed in this department. I am sure there would be way faster bikes than the D390 between the 40s-80s, Vincent Black Lightning, Triumph bonneville 650, Kawasaki 750 Mach IV to name a few, but I am sure none handled around corners like this one. I am sure the mass centralization with the underbelly exhuast adds to the whole handling package too. To put things in perspective, I can brake later and and get on the throttle much sooner around corners than any RE I have ever ridden without any drama.
The metzelers are brilliant, they inspire confidence even in rains, the hard part is telling your brain that its okay, you can lean it further even in the most damp conditions. Now at 16,500 rupees a pair, it is certainly not cheap but the levels of grip are phenomenal at the price. After riding on Indian or Malaysian make enduro tires all my life this has been my first proper road tire.
3. Precise Braking. I like how Bosch has designed this ABS system, the system on both wheels is independent of eachother and the system is hydraulic dominant unlike some other expensive motorcycles. This means that even if there is a malfunction in the ABS system, the braking will still work. I felt that the initial bite is not as hard as the one in the D200 but the braking is very progressive and predictable. The ABS on the rear brake is actuated without much effort, the front needs a handful at decent speeds for it to come into action.
4. Cost of Ownership. Thanks to bajaj, the service and spares are cheap, infact I can safely say its more economical than owning a RE. We all have a spill sometime or the other, but this bike wont blow a hole in your pocket getting it fixed. So you are getting an international motorcycle with desi cost of ownership. The most expensive part on this bike is the Endurance WP USD forks at rupees 22,000 for the set.
5. Mile muncher. You can cover large distances comfortably due to its amazing cruising speeds, at 120kph it feels exactly how an AVL500 feels at 60kph. You can keep it at that all day long. So you reach your destination sooner with more time to spare.
6. Reliability factor over the enfield. I dont think I need to elaborate further on this. You can travel lighter with lesser spares and tools. Most importantly peace of mind. 'Start button dabao aur bhagao !'
Now, the not so good bits -
1. It is NOT an 'Adventure' tourer. I would pick any RE or Karizma or Impulse to go offroad touring on over the D390. The awful tank range, the metzelers and the aggressive streetfighter seating position makes it difficult to stand on the pegs and ride, ofcourse there are popular mods available in the market for those looking to take it offroad like the 19" front spoked wheels, sump guard, crash 'resistant' forward pegs, spoked rear wheel hubs, higher and wider handlebars, etc. It does make the bike more offroad friendly but at the cost of loosing out on its brilliant road handling capabilities and also all this involves some extra money.
2. The ABS wont work with any other profile tire other than stock. This is because the ABS sensor reads off a small notched disk off the wheel, the disk has 48 notches on it and each notch corresponds to an imaginary point on the outer circumference of the wheel. So any change in circumference sends an error code and disables the ABS. The 9M Bosch ABS cannot be reprogrammed for the newer wheel diameter. So if you want the ABS to work, either buy Metzelers or any tire with a similar profile.
3. Its too high tech. It has ten sensors and eight actuators. Some of the sensors are crucial for engine operation, some aren't. Now if something goes wrong on a tour, you have no option but to load the bike on a truck and ship it to the nearest KTM showroom, unlike an air cooled engine which can be fixed by a roadside mechanic or by yourself when the need comes. To name a few, we have -
(a) Throttle position sensor.
(b) Coolant temp sensor
(c) Temp & Manifold pressure sensor TMAP
(d) Lambda Sensor O2
(e) Ignition Pulse Sensor
(f) Vehicle Down (roll over) sensor
(g) ABS Sensors
(h) Crankshaft Sensor
(i) Gear Position sensor
(j) Oil pressure sensor
(k)
4. Its a pain to ride it slow in traffic, coming off an enfield, it is even more evident. If RE was a stoned bull, this one is a bull on red bull. Its happiest when its moving fast. It demands all your attention.
5. The riding position is a bit cramped for anyone 5.11 and above.
6. Its equivalent to a torture chair for the pillon unless your girlfriend/wife is a petite one, forget about it. Fat friends are a complete no go.
7. Its an a-hole magnet, anywhere you park it, the orange wheels and frame attract so much attention, there is always someone who will want to fiddle around with the bike when you aren't around.
Anyway, is it worth 2 lakhs of my hard earned money ? YES ! Totally ! Go for it I would say ! Nothing comes close to smiles per miles factor !
Last edited:
vamsi2390
Active Member
anantkrishna
Kick Some Dirt !
Thanks for the vote sudhir ! I have put up my initial thoughts. We were doing between 120-170 in the video in the safest way possible.Kick-ass video Anant. Man, how tempting is the orange!
What speeds were you riding at?
Please start an ownership/review thread - would help us a lot
sudhir222
Motoholic
Jeez, I mean FCUK!!! I thought you were running inThanks for the vote sudhir ! I have put up my initial thoughts. We were doing between 120-170 in the video in the safest way possible.
You exactly read my mind Anant - comparision with the AVL and D390.
I heard a few grumbling about the headlight not being really sufficient at high speeds. Did you get a chance to test it?
Wonder what's the alternator output would be like!
anantkrishna
Kick Some Dirt !
Coming off a CDI enfield which has a candle stick for headlight I find it brilliant ! but yes there are few people investing in LED options too.Jeez, I mean FCUK!!! I thought you were running in
You exactly read my mind Anant - comparision with the AVL and D390.
I heard a few grumbling about the headlight not being really sufficient at high speeds. Did you get a chance to test it?
Wonder what's the alternator output would be like!
The alternator specs are 12V, 238W.
sudhir222
Motoholic
Yeah, I too remember the days when I felt 35W was way too bright
With that power, there is enough juice left for an additional light or an upgrade of bulb, just in case one prefers.
We are all ears for further updates from you mate! Wish you an era of fantastic ride with this machine.
