PowerPig! KTM Duke 390 - October 2014

myst77 · Sep 21, 2023

Yea. got it sorted out. My manual mentions 1.5l, may be KTM updated it to 1.6L. I need to replace the monoshock as it started leaking. The previous owner did tell me that it will need replacing. New one is around 6k rs.

edit: I'm also from Kerala :)

myst77 · Oct 5, 2023

Now is there any workaround for the odometer to work without the abs? like any wire bypass or so on?

deville_56 · Oct 6, 2023

myst77 said:

No known tricks yet.

myst77 · Oct 7, 2023

I saw this thread on the rc-390 forum where they discuss about making the odometer work without the abs. Now have you done any valve clearance/ shim changes?

The problems i have been facing lately include:
1. bike sometimes won't crank if it is heated up. Saw low battery error code when i tried cranking it continuously.
2. today after refueling, the display showed low fuel level. But the thing is i refueled even before reaching the bottom two bars. The bike jsut didn't start and i had to wait 2/3 mins at the pump and then cranked again whic hstarted the bike and took sometime for the display to show the correct fuel reading. Strange.
3. Now the biggest problem is the speedometer occasionally showing zero and then showing correct speed. It happens mainly when opening the throttle or under 4k rpm. No abs warnig light. The frequency of zero showing up increases when the headlight is on.

Still looking for good FNG to diagnose the bike.

deville_56 · Oct 7, 2023

myst77 said:

Tried the resistor trick during the initial ABS failure time, it never worked.

Shim/valves taken care during engine rebuild. Did around 40k km after that. No slight sewing machine noise is there.

1. Had the starting issue with faulty engine head.

2. Can be the fuel sender (float) assembly fault or loose connection.

3. Had this issue ever since the bike was new. Raised issue at every service with KTM, which they blunt ignored. Even showed them video, they didn't do anything. Post ABS unit replacement, it has reduced to a great extent, rarely pops up now. I suspect it is poor grounding at ABS controller side. Later ABS controllers had extra ground wire.

myst77 · Oct 7, 2023

deville_56 said:

First of please bear with me, i know this is your ownership thread, and pouring my issues here. but you are the only fellow 390 owner i know with whom i discuss.

1. This is the first time the bike behaved like this, so i don't think there is any issue with the head. IIf i remeber correctly, the first gen dukes had some starting issues when then engine was hot.

2. The fuel pump was replaced by the previous owner from the showroom, so the chances of float or loose connection is there.

3. Is there anything i can do to check the abs grounding?

Also, is the 390's engine reliable in the long run if taken care of properly ( i mostly shift i at 6k rpm and barely redline it)? I bought this bike since it was a dream for me since my college days and spent over a year and over 8 months of searching. I have seen people rebuild their engines post 30k km.

deville_56 · Dec 6, 2023

myst77 said:

Clueless as to points 1 and 2. Any updates on that? Regarding grounding, try grounding the body and ABS controller body with an external wire.

Reliability-wise, it's mostly the cheaper quality gaskets and rubber parts that give way screwing things up.

JingalalaHoe · Dec 6, 2023

myst77 said:

This happens often on both my 200 and 390. Just ride away and you'll see the fuel level rise up slowly to the correct reading.

myst77 · Dec 11, 2023

deville_56 said:

1.On one instance the starter motor relay cable actually let out smoke from the starter motor side from where it connects ( the cable on my bike has a red covering, the smoke arised from there). Further investigation revealed that the nut that connects the cable to the starter motor was a bit loose and rusted. After tightening it there is no smoke, so i guess the loose connection may have overheated it. Will be cleaning the nut this weekend and bought the new starter relay cable priced at 460rs- Part number JG402236. The hesitation to start when hot seems to be there for the 2013 models as I confirmed it with a few previous owners of the machine. The only way to get it started is after 3 or 4 cranks.

2.As JingalalHoe said after 10 to 15sec it displays the correct level, so going to leave it like that.
3. Decided to live with it for now. The ocassionaly displaying zero kmph is still there.

deville_56 · Jan 17, 2024

January 2023 - Clutch Release Shaft Replaced Finally

Got the part from the KTM dealer. Ordered a different part number, from model year 2016-17, which was a bit longer.

Clutch Shaft Assembly - JY541251 - ₹ 110.00

Old versus new. Length is just half a centimetre long, but the difference felt due to the extra leverage is significant, clutch is way lighter now. The guy used to fix my Kinetic suggested cutting and extending for lighter clutch feel back in 2014. He used to restore 2 strokes, now is a SBK mechanic. Experience speaks. New part came factory rusted, Bajaj quality.

Retained the older spring. Rod part is exactly the same.

Cleaned up the engine side. No vapour leak.

Oil/dust seal and the hole covered with a washer.

This how the shaft is removed. Consulted two mechanics on installation process before finding the proper method from an Indonesian YouTuber mechanic, the former two suggested opening up the engine case for the same. [frustration]

Installed. Just the reverse of the video.

Happy ending.

myst77 · Feb 27, 2024

deville_56 said:

Ah, well have the same issue, but my airbox doesn't have that steel mount to where the screw sits, so the screw just grinds the plastic. Recently while checking the airbox I found a piece of the plastic at the bottom of the airfilter box. I'm pretty sure it fell inside either while tightening or removing the screw, as the holes are badly stripped and I can actually peel of the loose strands of plastic from the screw.

Will the filter actually prevent these strands that fall to the bottom during the tightening and removal process from going into the intake? From the looks of it the filter does cover the intake.

deville_56 · Mar 4, 2024

myst77 said:

Ah, well have the same issue, but my airbox doesn't have that steel mount to where the screw sits, so the screw just grinds the plastic. Recently while checking the airbox I found a piece of the plastic at the bottom of the airfilter box. I'm pretty sure it fell inside either while tightening or removing the screw, as the holes are badly stripped and I can actually peel of the loose strands of plastic from the screw.

Will the filter actually prevent these strands that fall to the bottom during the tightening and removal process from going into the intake? From the looks of it the filter does cover the intake.

Yeah, filter would take care of that.

deville_56 · Apr 27, 2024

March 2023 - Yet Another Screwup

I was checking on the condition of the air filter, but it was suspiciously clean.

Poked fingers inside throttle body and voila.

No clue on the air filter side.

Removed throttle body.

Engine side of the TB. Seems a common issue amongst Dukes/RCs. Cleaning for the second time, previous instance wasn't bad like this.

AF side.

After just a spray of TB cleaner.

After full clean.

Ancillary parts of TB. Air pressure sensor. Bosch make, very similar unit in Kwid/Redi-Go.

Full dirty.

After cleaning.

Idle control motor.

Had some dirt inside. Clean them as well.

Where it sat.

All set to install, minus the idle control.

Condition of intake valves.

Replugged the air filter box crack.

deville_56 · Aug 6, 2024

May 2023 - Oil Change

Bought Shell Advance Ultra 15W50 - ₹ 810.00/L after discount from Ex-Jawan.

Different age and different price.

Oil Filter - JG571014 - ₹ 79.00

Now comes with Husqvarna branding as well. Also used in Triumph 400s.

Strainers and drain cap. All cleaned after draining oil. Forgot buying replacements this time as well.

Soaked.

Installed.

Filled.

Service reset.

Level corrected. 1700 ml to be precise.

Hardest job while cleaning. Get a bike with minimum spokes.

Done and lubed.

deville_56 · Feb 3, 2025

July - October 2023 - Never Ending Stint with Rogue Garages

This time Club 7.

Piggie was running fine, but when returning late at night from the office, gave up suddenly with a neutral effect with the bike not moving. I thought it was the clutch since it was nearing EOL. The closest garage was Club 7, a recently opened SBK and premium bike garage with good mouth publicity and decent reviews on Google Maps. Called them up and no one picked as to be expected as it was beyond their working hours. Pushed the bike a good 2-3 km and they were still open. They diagnosed it as a blown clutch and gave a week estimate for the job.

Then, it all started, weekly visits after unanswered phone calls, they'd never pick up, maybe 1 out of 10 tries. This continued for 103 days and on the 104th day they diagnosed it as a rounded drive axle, which means the bike was unattended for all these days. The claimed delay was the unavailability of spares, which we offered to procure all these days. Got the bike the very next day. They insisted on rebuilding the engine and didn't do the clutch replacement which we asked them to do.

At the time of delivery, the bike had no fuel and even the reserve was out, which they claimed was a gauge error as it was sitting so long and didn't assist in getting fuel and kept saying it got enough fuel to reach the gas station, luckily it did. First filled for ₹ 200 to check their claim and it was wrong as we already knew.

The bill was even funnier. Charged for washing twice, which they said was something vague.

Parts:
Oil - ₹ 1,700.00
Oil Filter - ₹ 80.00
Head Cover Beading - ₹ 300.00
Sprocket Seal - ₹ 100.00
Drive Shaft - ₹ 200.00
Packing Kit - ₹ 900.00
Coolant - ₹ 800.00 (Used regular dark green coolant, even if it is Motocool or Radicool, not gonna cost more than ₹250.00)
Petrol - ₹ 200.00 (Drained even more worth petrol and got balls to bill it)
Brake Fluid - ₹ 100.00 (Price for 250 ml, top-up would take less than 100 ml and the reservoirs were never opened)

Labour:
Labour - ₹ 6,000.00
Tank and throttle body cleaning - ₹ 800.00 (draining what was in there and TB not touched)
Wash - ₹ 200.00
Battery Charging - ₹ 100.00 (Twist)
Washing - ₹ 200.00 (Twice)

Total - ₹10880.00

The replaced shaft.

The issue starts one by one. The coolant was spilling from the coolant cap when the fan kicks in and then through the expansion tank overflow when the engine was shut down. Called them immediately and picked up after a couple of calls and asked us to bring the bike all the way back. Evident that the bike wasn't even tested (or even started) after work. This is when we found the expensive coolant.

Bought Motul Inugel Expert from nearby Bajaj SVC - ₹ 223.00

Cycled a few times and the issue persisted.

The culprit seemed to be the radiator cap. Bought one from Prime Motors, a nearby Bajaj spare and service. Common part for most Bajaj and KTM bikes. The issue was sorted out.

Radiator Pressure Cap - JG601235 - ₹ 153.00

The old one seemed aged. They could've checked this while filling the coolant, at least. Suspicion for a swap is behind the head as the bike has been sitting there for quite a long time.