Thread Starter
#61
Living With KTM Duke 390 BS-IV (2017)
- Thread Starter sacbiker
- Start date
Where'd you get them? Dumb dealers here were unable to provide one despite multiple queries.
Thread Starter
#63
I got this from a Bajaj Service Center's Spare Parts outlet.
Excellent experience so far. Even if they don't have a part in stock, they will get it the next day from the main godown.
Despite being a small showroom and service center, they have 2 dedicated employees for spare parts.
Meanwhile, the local Yamaha is like a makeshift showroom. The billing lady there also deals with the spare parts. And the default answer is always 'no' for all parts.
Recently, I had to replace the front wheel bearings of my FZ. I got it from the Bajaj service center without any fuss.
Excellent experience so far. Even if they don't have a part in stock, they will get it the next day from the main godown.
Despite being a small showroom and service center, they have 2 dedicated employees for spare parts.
Meanwhile, the local Yamaha is like a makeshift showroom. The billing lady there also deals with the spare parts. And the default answer is always 'no' for all parts.
Recently, I had to replace the front wheel bearings of my FZ. I got it from the Bajaj service center without any fuss.
Last edited:
Thread Starter
#64
I noticed a lateral play on the rear wheel hub (where the sprocket is connected) while cleaning the chain.
I disassembled the rear wheel for diagnosis.
The shaft had some friction points. There was also some play in the shaft. All 3 bearings were in good condition with no play and rotating freely.
Rubber dampeners which act as the point of contact between the sprocket and rear wheel had seen better days, One of them was cracked into two pieces.
As usual, I went to the Bajaj service center to get these dampeners, but they only had the white dampener. I found out from mysparemarket that the white one is softer and meant for 20/250.
So, I went to KTM spare parts to get it. Surprisingly, they too only had the exact white dampener. They confirmed that it's what they are using on all bikes now.
White Dampener. JY131222
Price: 370 (for 6 pieces)
Black Dampener: JY131201
The shaft comes as a kit with one adjuster, 2 washers, and a nut.
Price: Rs.338
The shaft is a shared part with Duke 200.
Applied grease, installed the shaft with new dampeners in the hub, and adjusted the chain slack. They lateral play is gone now.
To be honest, the shaft replacement was sort of unnecessary.
Next in line was the gear shift linkage AKA tie rod.
It was worn out on the ball and socket side and constantly popped off while cleaning the bike.
The part number is different from the one that came from the factory.
Part: JP561403
Price: Rs.218
The rubber boot got cut and caused dirt to build up inside causing the clip holding the ball to fail.
My friend suggested getting the updated model found in the Husqvarna models.
This is apparently a better design. Although the rod for Husqvarna is longer due to its rear set footpegs, we can reuse the rod from KTM.
But, this part was not in stock.
A similar design is found on Duke 990 and other bigger bikes,
New tie rod installed.
BTW, the shifter lever is attached using a bearing for smooth operation.
My friend also confirmed that the durability of these toe rods is so poor. This is due to the design. The rubber boot does not fully seal the ball and socket mechanism.
Every time it rains or when the bike is washed, water gets trapped inside the rubber boot and there is no drainage. So it washes off the grease\oil from the surface.
Add to this the dirt build-up, it will wear out quite often.
I finished up the work by cleaning the chain and lubing with with 140W gear oil.
I disassembled the rear wheel for diagnosis.
The shaft had some friction points. There was also some play in the shaft. All 3 bearings were in good condition with no play and rotating freely.
Rubber dampeners which act as the point of contact between the sprocket and rear wheel had seen better days, One of them was cracked into two pieces.
As usual, I went to the Bajaj service center to get these dampeners, but they only had the white dampener. I found out from mysparemarket that the white one is softer and meant for 20/250.
So, I went to KTM spare parts to get it. Surprisingly, they too only had the exact white dampener. They confirmed that it's what they are using on all bikes now.
White Dampener. JY131222
Price: 370 (for 6 pieces)
Black Dampener: JY131201
The shaft comes as a kit with one adjuster, 2 washers, and a nut.
Price: Rs.338
The shaft is a shared part with Duke 200.
Applied grease, installed the shaft with new dampeners in the hub, and adjusted the chain slack. They lateral play is gone now.
To be honest, the shaft replacement was sort of unnecessary.
Next in line was the gear shift linkage AKA tie rod.
It was worn out on the ball and socket side and constantly popped off while cleaning the bike.
The part number is different from the one that came from the factory.
Part: JP561403
Price: Rs.218
The rubber boot got cut and caused dirt to build up inside causing the clip holding the ball to fail.
My friend suggested getting the updated model found in the Husqvarna models.
This is apparently a better design. Although the rod for Husqvarna is longer due to its rear set footpegs, we can reuse the rod from KTM.
But, this part was not in stock.
A similar design is found on Duke 990 and other bigger bikes,
New tie rod installed.
BTW, the shifter lever is attached using a bearing for smooth operation.
My friend also confirmed that the durability of these toe rods is so poor. This is due to the design. The rubber boot does not fully seal the ball and socket mechanism.
Every time it rains or when the bike is washed, water gets trapped inside the rubber boot and there is no drainage. So it washes off the grease\oil from the surface.
Add to this the dirt build-up, it will wear out quite often.
I finished up the work by cleaning the chain and lubing with with 140W gear oil.
Ours came with the white ones from factory and replaced by the same by the dealer during first chain replacement and the second time by myself. These dampers are one of the most ignored parts in bikes.
This must be a recent development, I got black dampers from KTM showroom a year ago for my bike
Thread Starter
#67
A warning for everyone related to ethanol blended fuels.
A Duke 200 I know started miss firing randomly. We were not able to diagnose it for a long time.
It turned out to be water mixed in the fuel.
The water drainage hole of the tank was not blocked and the rubber seal of the tank cap was intact as well.
Ethanol is capable of attracting water/moisture. It can also bond with water molecules. This issue has been reported multiple times in other forums, especially for cars which have been left idle for sometime.
This can also occur if the reservoir tanks of the fuel station is not fully sealed.
So, if any one of you are facing any miss fire or jerk, make sure it is not caused by water in tank.
A Duke 200 I know started miss firing randomly. We were not able to diagnose it for a long time.
It turned out to be water mixed in the fuel.
The water drainage hole of the tank was not blocked and the rubber seal of the tank cap was intact as well.
Ethanol is capable of attracting water/moisture. It can also bond with water molecules. This issue has been reported multiple times in other forums, especially for cars which have been left idle for sometime.
This can also occur if the reservoir tanks of the fuel station is not fully sealed.
So, if any one of you are facing any miss fire or jerk, make sure it is not caused by water in tank.
Thread Starter
#68
I finally ordered an OBD cable that directly fits to the KTM obd port as I got tired of connecting individual wires manually all the time.
The cable itself was selling for ₹500-1K on Amazon and Flipkart. But, I got a deal on Flipkart for ₹500 with both cable and a ELM 327 knock off adaptor.
The cable I received at first was not working as 1/4 wire didn't have continuity. Requested a replacement and finally got a working one.
Life is so much easier now, especially when you need to use the OBD in different bikes.
The OBD adapter can be used to read and clear error codes as well as to log the sensor values of the bike to understand the health of the bike.
Photos
There is something else that I'd like to say in terms of the spare parts availability. KTM/Bajaj are miles ahead in terms of spare parts availability which we should be thankful for. I am waiting for more than 20 days just to get a Yamaha FZ16 timing chain. They say that the order has been already made and it's still not available. If this is the situation for a common commuter bike like FZ which they sold for more than a decade, one can only imagine the situation for FZ25 or R3. This is shocking since Yamaha is apparently the best amongst the Japs when it comes to spare parts availability.
I got some leads that the FZ uses the same timing chain as Discover 150S. If this is verified, I'd be able to get it from Bajaj.
The cable itself was selling for ₹500-1K on Amazon and Flipkart. But, I got a deal on Flipkart for ₹500 with both cable and a ELM 327 knock off adaptor.
The cable I received at first was not working as 1/4 wire didn't have continuity. Requested a replacement and finally got a working one.
Life is so much easier now, especially when you need to use the OBD in different bikes.
The OBD adapter can be used to read and clear error codes as well as to log the sensor values of the bike to understand the health of the bike.
Photos
There is something else that I'd like to say in terms of the spare parts availability. KTM/Bajaj are miles ahead in terms of spare parts availability which we should be thankful for. I am waiting for more than 20 days just to get a Yamaha FZ16 timing chain. They say that the order has been already made and it's still not available. If this is the situation for a common commuter bike like FZ which they sold for more than a decade, one can only imagine the situation for FZ25 or R3. This is shocking since Yamaha is apparently the best amongst the Japs when it comes to spare parts availability.
I got some leads that the FZ uses the same timing chain as Discover 150S. If this is verified, I'd be able to get it from Bajaj.
Thread Starter
#69
I am so done with using gear oil for chain lubrication. I use 140W gear oil, the thickest I could find.
For the 390, it never stays on the chain if you ride it like it's meant to be ridden. Plus, the rear wheel looks like crap from all the dust build-up on scattered oil.
The dirt was so thick and no amount of soap could remove it, I ended up losing some paint on the rear wheel while trying to scrub it with scotch brite. Never use it to clean anything else other than metal surfaces!
Finally, I poured petrol over it and managed to clean it somehow.
I was using Tribicor chain lube before and it looks like a paste.
I will only use chain lube from now on as the extended chain life (if any?) is not at all worth the trouble of re-lubing and cleaning the rear wheel frequently!
For the 390, it never stays on the chain if you ride it like it's meant to be ridden. Plus, the rear wheel looks like crap from all the dust build-up on scattered oil.
The dirt was so thick and no amount of soap could remove it, I ended up losing some paint on the rear wheel while trying to scrub it with scotch brite. Never use it to clean anything else other than metal surfaces!
Finally, I poured petrol over it and managed to clean it somehow.
I was using Tribicor chain lube before and it looks like a paste.
I will only use chain lube from now on as the extended chain life (if any?) is not at all worth the trouble of re-lubing and cleaning the rear wheel frequently!
Chain lubes are handy and easy to use, but won't extend the life. I got almost twice the life with thicker oil compared to chain lubes. Used almost all brands of chain lubes except the newer brands and 90 and 140 gear oils. I use thicker than 140 grade, which is hard to remove from hand when dirty, not to mention the wheels. But using diesel or kerosene, it comes off easily. The trick is to apply between each link on either side and leave it overnight and lasts easily for 700-1000 km without relube. Won't get washed off in rain like chain sprays. Wiping off the excess would leave less grim on wheels. Can be easily cleaned with a spray soak of diesel and pressure wash. Just replaced FZ's chain this Sunday, which ran 40k km on just the oil. Petrol is not the right solvent. Vim liquid will also work, but have to rub a couple of times with a sponge
Funny, my experience was total opposite. Using Motul C2 made the chain super gunky and accumulated lot of sand and crap. With gear oil, there is a very light coat of dust on the chain at max. I'm using savsol? 140W. cheapest of the 140W at 120rs for 500ml
I put 2 liiight strings of oil, one on each side from the inside then level it all using a clean dry toothbrush. I then level the outsides and wipe off excess with a cotton waste. I barely get any sling, even if I get some, it washes away easily with regular car shampoo without any rubbing. Which is total opposite if I use Motul C2.
I put 2 liiight strings of oil, one on each side from the inside then level it all using a clean dry toothbrush. I then level the outsides and wipe off excess with a cotton waste. I barely get any sling, even if I get some, it washes away easily with regular car shampoo without any rubbing. Which is total opposite if I use Motul C2.
Thread Starter
#72
The bike came with a TFT which was able to control music playback in phone and display incoming call details to answer or reject calls.
A few years ago, KTM removed the My ride app which was used for connecting to the TFT from app store which made this a useless piece of hardware, The phone never pairs with the TFT if we try to pair like a normal bluetooth device.
Today, I tried eDubugger app which used a console tool for Bluetooth devices. It can send and receive commands to bluetooth devices.
I was able to connect and pair with the TFT.
Now, whenever the bike is turned on, it will automatically connect to the phone and display incoming calls and music details. But contact names are not shown, instead some random characters are shown.
It is possible to tinker with this and find some commands to send to the TFT which displays the notification pop up and then use that to show the navigation alerts from Google maps while using Google maps for navigation. A companion app has to be made for Android to make this possible. I really wanted to experiment but it needs the TFT to be powered on for a long time and it's only possible if I remove it from the bike and supply it with the required power.
For now, I can control music (which I don't really use) and most importantly I can disconnect calls while I am riding without touching the phone. Oh, and the TFT also shows the phone's battery level.
Thread Starter
#73
The bike was washed and polished today. For some time, rust spots on handle and crash guard were bothering me. I thought of doing a quick paint job for making it look not so bad.
Didn't have hard sandpaper to remove the rust completely
Quickly cleaned and sprayed with matt black.
Fuel X update.
Bike is consistently giving 27kmpl with very little use of 6th gear as the bike is mostly used in semi urbanised typical Kerala roads.
The radiator fan turns on only when the bike if ridden in 1st and 2nd gear at slow speeds in traffic.
Overall FuelX only makes sense if you use your bike in city or if you ride at slow speeds. If you normally cruise on highways it won't make much difference.
Shell Advance Ultra update
1370km completed. The gear shifts are not as precise as Motul when ridden hard. It's fine if the bike is not close to the redline. But if the bike is ridden aggressively, gear shifts are not so precise and I got false neutrals in a few cases. The color is dark brown already. The level is consistent since I topped it 500kms back. Yet, the consumption is definitely not as much as Motul 7100.
I am planning to use Castrol Power1 Ultimate 15W50 or Castrol Power1 Ultimate Superbike 10W50 for the next oil change despite getting mixed reviews from others.
It is sad that major oil manufacturers are delaying the launch of API SP motorcycle oils in India. Servo is the only manufacturer to have an API SP oil for motorcycles.
Even Motul has launched API SP versions of 7100 in international markets.
Most manufacturers have made their car oils API SN plus in India.
I'm only going to use a Fully Synthetic oil from a reputed brand which has its presence outside India. There is no hate for local brands like Servo. But we all know how consumer laws work in India and how brand take its customers for a toll. Internationally it doesn't work like that in the Europe and the US. If it's found out that there was something wrong with the oil, it could lead to a class action law suit. Therefore, they spend a lot in R&D and quality control and other tests to make sure that their products perform as how they advertise.
This is not fool proof. Most manufacturers sells the same international model in India with different standards.
The best bet is to stick to those manufacturers who have their own manufacturing plant in India. I don't care what the brand value is or what they claim, if the product is manufactured by a third party, their claims have to be taken with a pinch of salt.
For eg, Motul 7100 is manufactured by Atlantic Lubricants, the same company which manufactures Yamalube oils in India.
As I mentioned before, the 7100 got API SP internationally in 2023 itself.
Yet, they are selling the API SN version here in India. This means that the manufacturing process of this oil in India is entirely different from that of how it is made in other countries. (France and Vietnam).
This is common in packed food items. They use cheaper ingredients in India which are unhealthy. If you eat a KitKat from India vs one from Middle East or from the US, you'll understand how they fool us.
Didn't have hard sandpaper to remove the rust completely
Quickly cleaned and sprayed with matt black.
Fuel X update.
Bike is consistently giving 27kmpl with very little use of 6th gear as the bike is mostly used in semi urbanised typical Kerala roads.
The radiator fan turns on only when the bike if ridden in 1st and 2nd gear at slow speeds in traffic.
Overall FuelX only makes sense if you use your bike in city or if you ride at slow speeds. If you normally cruise on highways it won't make much difference.
Shell Advance Ultra update
1370km completed. The gear shifts are not as precise as Motul when ridden hard. It's fine if the bike is not close to the redline. But if the bike is ridden aggressively, gear shifts are not so precise and I got false neutrals in a few cases. The color is dark brown already. The level is consistent since I topped it 500kms back. Yet, the consumption is definitely not as much as Motul 7100.
I am planning to use Castrol Power1 Ultimate 15W50 or Castrol Power1 Ultimate Superbike 10W50 for the next oil change despite getting mixed reviews from others.
It is sad that major oil manufacturers are delaying the launch of API SP motorcycle oils in India. Servo is the only manufacturer to have an API SP oil for motorcycles.
Even Motul has launched API SP versions of 7100 in international markets.
Most manufacturers have made their car oils API SN plus in India.
I'm only going to use a Fully Synthetic oil from a reputed brand which has its presence outside India. There is no hate for local brands like Servo. But we all know how consumer laws work in India and how brand take its customers for a toll. Internationally it doesn't work like that in the Europe and the US. If it's found out that there was something wrong with the oil, it could lead to a class action law suit. Therefore, they spend a lot in R&D and quality control and other tests to make sure that their products perform as how they advertise.
This is not fool proof. Most manufacturers sells the same international model in India with different standards.
The best bet is to stick to those manufacturers who have their own manufacturing plant in India. I don't care what the brand value is or what they claim, if the product is manufactured by a third party, their claims have to be taken with a pinch of salt.
For eg, Motul 7100 is manufactured by Atlantic Lubricants, the same company which manufactures Yamalube oils in India.
As I mentioned before, the 7100 got API SP internationally in 2023 itself.
Yet, they are selling the API SN version here in India. This means that the manufacturing process of this oil in India is entirely different from that of how it is made in other countries. (France and Vietnam).
This is common in packed food items. They use cheaper ingredients in India which are unhealthy. If you eat a KitKat from India vs one from Middle East or from the US, you'll understand how they fool us.
Thread Starter
#74
The horn of the bike was acting glitchy. From 2017 onwards, KTM upgraded the switch console of the 390 to have tactile feedback for the horn and pass buttons.
The low and high beam switches are also integrated into the pass button.
Off late, the horn stopped working when pressed normally, it needed a little more pressure to work.
I removed the left switch console and cleaned it. It was so tricky as each switch is held on with its own set of screws.
The switch console itself is not fitted to the handle directly. There is a stay/clamp which screws onto the handle and the switch console sits on top of it. This is an interesting design since the switch console's position can be adjusted to suit us.
This is the joystick-like control to operate the TFT. It's a sealed waterproof unit. I sprayed silicone spray on the rubber.
The plastic switches always used to make sounds when pressed. I applied grease on contact points and the noise has gone down.
The indicator switch.
The pass/ high beam switch.
Finally, the problematic horn switch. I poured a few drop of hand sanitizer into it and pressed it few times to remove the dirt deposit inside. Later I applied grease to the hinges and filed the contact points using a small metal piece.
There is a zip tie which holds wires together. I didn't have a black zip tie like the one which came from the factory.
It's possible to change the color of backlight of switches from inside by adding a colored plastic or by even colouring
Result
Video
The low and high beam switches are also integrated into the pass button.
Off late, the horn stopped working when pressed normally, it needed a little more pressure to work.
I removed the left switch console and cleaned it. It was so tricky as each switch is held on with its own set of screws.
The switch console itself is not fitted to the handle directly. There is a stay/clamp which screws onto the handle and the switch console sits on top of it. This is an interesting design since the switch console's position can be adjusted to suit us.
This is the joystick-like control to operate the TFT. It's a sealed waterproof unit. I sprayed silicone spray on the rubber.
The plastic switches always used to make sounds when pressed. I applied grease on contact points and the noise has gone down.
The indicator switch.
The pass/ high beam switch.
Finally, the problematic horn switch. I poured a few drop of hand sanitizer into it and pressed it few times to remove the dirt deposit inside. Later I applied grease to the hinges and filed the contact points using a small metal piece.
There is a zip tie which holds wires together. I didn't have a black zip tie like the one which came from the factory.
It's possible to change the color of backlight of switches from inside by adding a colored plastic or by even colouring
Result
Video
Thread Starter
#75
Something I have been noticing with the bike lately. The clutch slips when I do clutchless upshift continuously for a month or so. The clutch will start slipping on high torque load like quick acceleration. If I continue using the bike fore a few days WITHOUT clutchless upshifts, the slipping goes away and the bike works flawlessly.
I rode a day with more clutch usage and the clutch slippage went away even on full blown acceleration to redline.
I first noticed this around 4000 km ago. Now it's back again. The current set of clutch plates are around 15000 km old. At 10500 km, I had to change the original set of clutch plates as the clutch couldn't hold the friction above 4000 rpm.
I found out that the clutch plates are shared Dominar 400.
But, I'm going to get this work done from the KTM SVC as they did it the last time. And twice, the clutch center bolt came off back then. They finally did something and made sure it didn't come loose again. I don't even know if they applied super glue to the threads.
So, I don't want to risk opening it up somewhere else and messing it so the they won't take responsibility. Even if I do at the service center, they wouldn't take any responsibility if something was messed up the last time. But, I think since the slipper clutch had been around for nearly 10 years now, technicians in KTM should be familiar with working on it.
So, I'm planning to get this work done at KTM.
But this also means that I'll have to fill Motul 7100 in the bike again.
I rode a day with more clutch usage and the clutch slippage went away even on full blown acceleration to redline.
I first noticed this around 4000 km ago. Now it's back again. The current set of clutch plates are around 15000 km old. At 10500 km, I had to change the original set of clutch plates as the clutch couldn't hold the friction above 4000 rpm.
I found out that the clutch plates are shared Dominar 400.
But, I'm going to get this work done from the KTM SVC as they did it the last time. And twice, the clutch center bolt came off back then. They finally did something and made sure it didn't come loose again. I don't even know if they applied super glue to the threads.
So, I don't want to risk opening it up somewhere else and messing it so the they won't take responsibility. Even if I do at the service center, they wouldn't take any responsibility if something was messed up the last time. But, I think since the slipper clutch had been around for nearly 10 years now, technicians in KTM should be familiar with working on it.
So, I'm planning to get this work done at KTM.
But this also means that I'll have to fill Motul 7100 in the bike again.