KTM 390 Duke ABS [2013-2016]

- i was struggling between re gt 535 and this bike initially. But, buying this bike was pretty awesome. Got it in 12th day since booking, tough i wasn't in hurry (was told to wait for atleast a month). - king of highways, no doubt. Crosses 100kmph within seconds. I liked how it zoom passed many bikes. Have ridden this machine 765kms in a day and comfort was unexpected (in a good way). - this mean machine is famous for its power & looks. Honestly, it attracted me with its looks. Performance wise it is preferable for highways as in mumbai traffic i have experienced atacama heat. I have also ridden it in chocked up traffic with shorts & slippers on, and trust me you don't want to experience hellfire. - service cost cost is on moderate side in terms of cost. Replacement of tyres in 12000-15000kms will cost you around rs.16500 - rs.19000. After completion of free services it costs you around rs.3700/- to 5000/-approx.Only problem i faced is the screw from the engine guard broke thrice, i tried replacing it with good quality s.S. One but even that comes loose (it depends on bike to bike as my friend with duke 250 didn't faced this problem at all) - pros: looks, power & comfort - cons: mileage (19-22 in city congestion & 22-27 on highways), tft screen - it turns off suddenly sometimes. Also it is pretty costly.

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Well let me start with negative points.1) engine vibration- right from start, all the time you sit on it. 2) sound- horrible, if you stay in a busy neighborhood, you will be ashamed to start the bike.3) engine heating - it will burn your thigh and knee area, if you get stuck in traffic. Also engine shuts down sometimes because of heating. Pretty embarrassing.4) my own bike has starting problem from very first day. Even after servicing parts.5) seat is rock hard. Up to 60-70 speed you will feel almost every pebble on the road. Shock-absorber is non existent up to those speeds. So barely you can sit on it little more than an hour.6) there is some issue with fuel pumps. They do not last long and they will cost around 4000 rs. Now about positive points 1) mind boggling acceleration. If you are not strong and fit, this is not the bike for you. In traffic signals, when light goes green, few times i twisted the throttle to full and every other bikes, cars faded away, every time. 2) gearing ratio is ok. Although first gear is too short, almost never used it. In third gear you can leave the throttle, eat pizza and roam around the city at ~25 kph. Cruising is possible fourth gear at 40 kph , in fifth gear 50 kph and in 6th gear 60 kph.In 6th gear from 60 to 100-110 kph vibration is minimum, you can cruise for long hours (only the hard seat will not let you), although not as good as a perfect cruiser but manageable.3) if you can ride a bicycle then with this you can hit the corners like motogp racers (that is the feeling you will have). This is the thing, i guess the bike is made for,4) the engine braking along with actual braking is decent enough and it saved my life few times. 5) mileage - !!! yes it is mileage. In city i consistently got 26 kpl. And in highway tour, which i have made only one, i have got more than 37 kpl. But this is from calculation, not exact reading (reading gave 32 kpl in last 100 km, in that i believe 40 km was inside city and rest on highway).This is a damn good engine for touring. That is what exactly bajaj did, they made dominiar 400 with this engine.Just an advice- if you own a car or a bike, you need to treat it as a living being and take care accordingly.

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Actually i have been owning this bike for more than one year . I am using this as a daily ,touring and etc. It have been my best companion in my life.This is a such a great beast with more power. This have been my first bike in my life. For a beginners this may not be their first step. I am happy that i have spend money for worthy motorcycle.

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