KTM Duke 390 (2016) - Long Term Ownership Review


Joined
Oct 28, 2021
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Bengaluru
Got done with a pretty quick ride to Chennai on Friday morning and back on Saturday afternoon. Bike performed flawlessly and was a treat to ride, I was getting around 220-230 kms to a tank which was very good. Bengaluru-Walajah is piece of cake while Walajah-Chennai is marred with diversions and patchy roadwork. Since I left at 3 AM on Friday, was able to maintain a healthy 80kmph average till Sriperumbudur. Since, weather is getting hotter, doesn't look like I'll be riding anymore till monsoons arrive. Just leaving with 2 clicks in order not to hijack Vijesh's awesome thread.

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The stats are of the return journey and total distance covered, door to door.

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Thread Starter #94
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Some bad news. The oil level was getting low very often. There was oil smoke also coming for the last few thousand kms. So decided to get the cylinder checked with the hope of just worn out piston rings.

The damage
1. Piston and Cylinder Scarred heavily.
2. Crankshaft one end scarred
3. Balancer Shaft bearing gone.

This might have been due to my negligence on a ride last January. Rode 30-40 kms on low oil level before topping up.
This along with the age and mileage of the bike has compounded the issue. The estimate is approximately Rs. 40,000. Could have minimised the damages by atleast half, had I checked a few thousand kms before.
 
Joined
Oct 28, 2021
Messages
46
Likes
38
Location
Bengaluru
Some bad news. The oil level was getting low very often. There was oil smoke also coming for the last few thousand kms. So decided to get the cylinder checked with the hope of just worn out piston rings.

The damage
1. Piston and Cylinder Scarred heavily.
2. Crankshaft one end scarred
3. Balancer Shaft bearing gone.

This might have been due to my negligence on a ride last January. Rode 30-40 kms on low oil level before topping up.
This along with the age and mileage of the bike has compounded the issue. The estimate is approximately Rs. 40,000. Could have minimised the damages by atleast half, had I checked a few thousand kms before.
That is quite some damage to the engine and the wallet as well. Hope to see the bike come back from open heart operation and hit the roads once again.
 
Thread Starter #96
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Jul 23, 2020
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Update
Engine rebuild is complete and the break in period, 1000 kms of frustration starts.

Changed the clutch assembly also since it was at its EOL.
The pending works are Front tyre, fork oil seals and fork razors. The exhaust core is broken, but am in two minds to replace it. There is only an additional sound and no other issue. Confirmed the same with the SA. The SA is recommending to replace it as soon as possible or never replace it at all.

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Joined
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April 2022
Odo - 62624 Kms


The front tyre is completely worn out. There are also some cracks developing. Since the rear Apollo is performing great, ordered Apollo Alpha H1 from amazon for Rs. 3999. Slightly older stock(2021) as per the seller. No issues as they will wear out before they will age.
View attachment 295902
Is the wear on the front tyre even on the both the sides? How long did the front last for you Vijesh.
 
Thread Starter #101
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No. the wear is not even because most of my miles are highway cruising. Front tyre was changed when odo was 42580 kms. So 20k kms, but should have changed 3-4k kms back itself. So it should be 15-16k kms. I usually replace the tyres as a pair. so have been using front for 8-10 k kms only.
 
Joined
Oct 28, 2021
Messages
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Location
Bengaluru
No. the wear is not even because most of my miles are highway cruising. Front tyre was changed when odo was 42580 kms. So 20k kms, but should have changed 3-4k kms back itself. So it should be 15-16k kms. I usually replace the tyres as a pair. so have been using front for 8-10 k kms only.
15K kms is just about right for price and grip on offer. So it looks like I would have at least 10K kms more to go on my current set. BTW, my rear tyre seems to pick up a lot of nails and small pebbles, both of them on the center tread.
 
Thread Starter #105
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Jul 23, 2020
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Coimbatore
Still some works on the bike pending, like fork oil and oil seals, fork razor. It's also time for an oil change. By the time I get them done, will be held up with family functions. So mostly no trips for now. But I have been itching for a decent ride for a very very long time.
 

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