New Bike

[guzz46]

Just got it two days ago, initial impressions are very good, I've done two rides on it so far, both around the hills, and it actually goes quite well, even obeying the 7.5k run-in rev limit, I don't know what 7.5k to 10k will bring but up to 7.5k there's a decent amount of pull if you fully open the throttle.
I can't really comment fully on the handling yet as it takes a while to get to know a bike properly, but even with my limited time on the bike it feels pretty good, hopefully I'll get some Dunlop A13H tyres on it next week with a higher profile 140/70 rear, hopefully they should be stickier than the stock ones, because they don't really fill you with confidence to push harder.

I don't know why the mixed reviews about the brakes? they feel plenty powerful to me, on the first ride they lacked some bite, but they improved a lot on the second ride, and they may improve more yet as they're still quite new, and I didn't use them much on the first ride, I was mainly using engine braking for the run-in procedure, but breaking hard from 70kmh they're powerful enough to lift the rear off the ground, so I don't know why that guy from MCN said he had to use the rear to help slow him down?
The only thing I think needs changing so far is an adjustable lever, being a two finger braker the stock lever comes in a bit too close to my knuckles for my liking, I always set my brake levers on their furthest setting.
I don't like the ABS though, when braking hard the lever pulses when you get down to speeds of maybe 30kmh-40kmh, I don't know if somethings wrong with my sensor, but it feels better when you turn ABS off, but I didn't really want ABS anyway.

For those weight saving junkies out there, the stock number plate holder weighs 0.98kg, the R&G number plate holder weighs 0.25kg, the rear foot pegs weigh 0.77kg each, so by removing the rear foot pegs and using the R&G tail tidy you will save 2.27kg, or 5 pounds.

 

[motoarch]

jealous .

 

[VAG944]

Nice!

Thanks for the write up, it's good to hear from real world riders.

 

[KennyFish]

Congrats, good to hear from real world rider pro's and con's. Can't wait for sometime in March when they arrive state side

 

[Treachery]

jealous .

Me too! Congrats guzz, and thanks for the pics. Could you PM me or post up the part number for that tidy? The US R&G source doesn't have a listing for anything for the RC390 yet.

 

[motoarch]

Evotech Performance Tail Tidy / Fender Eliminator Kit for 2014-2015 KTM RC 125/200/390 [bun001616] | Motostarz USA | Motostarz.com

here's one, not R&G though if that matters.

 

[guzz46]

LP0171 is whats on the instructions, I assume that's the part number, I think there's too much gap between the number plate light and the number plate on the Evotech tail tidy.

A word of warning, I checked the oil level the next day after my first ride and it was around about the low mark on a cold engine, so I started it up for a minute or two then checked it again and it was roughly 2mm over the low mark, the next morning I checked it again and it was roughly 2mm below the low mark on a cold engine (so far I've done 200km)
So I got some oil from the dealer (the mechanic said they no longer use mineral oil during the break-in period) and it took about 100ml to bring it up to about half way on a cold engine.
But while I was there I checked the oil level on two other RC's and they were both around the low mark, so they obviously come that way from the factory.

 

[Treachery]

Thx arch and guzz for the PNs.

Interesting about the oil level. No surprise that a green engine would burn or blow-off some oil during break in. Interesting that KTM's factory oil fill is synthetic, then? IIRC my Aprilia came that way, as do most cars these days. BMW still specifies dino oil for the first 5-10K miles, as their engines are notoriously slow to bed in.

 

[TZMike]

Congratulations! And thanks for the impressions so far.

 

[guzz46]

Scratch what I said about the oil, I went for a 50km ride and checked it when I got back and it was overfull, so I had to drain100ml back out, you must have to get the engine fully warmed up, I've never owned a bike that reads below the low mark when cold, to full when hot.

When doing a oil change it maybe best to measure.1.6 litres, I'm looking at the 100ml I just drained right now and it looks so insignificant, like a small mouth full.

Oh, and if you don't have a torque wrench it maybe a good idea to invest in one, the sump bung is only 15nm, which feels like nothing.

 

[Treachery]

The oil is checked via a sight glass, yes?

I had asked in another thread whether the bike was a dry sump, but if the capacity is only 1.6L, then my guess is not. There'd have to be an external tank, something like this:

On the front of the tank (where the funnel is) is the oil level sight tube on that bike. It had to be full hot before you checked the oil, and nearly perfectly vertical. Sounds like with the small capacity, the 390 is sensitive to all of that.

Am I correct in seeing that the bike does not come from KTM with rear spools? Small expense, but at least I know to get 'em in advance.

 

[guzz46]

Yes its a sight glass, I'm no mechanic but it looks like a wet sump to me, also in regards to the spools, I just found some studs that fit, I just unscrew them when I'm finished.

 

[Treachery]

Hey, buzz- that "housing" that includes the sight glass and the filler cap: Can you tell if it's separate from the block? Plastic or metal? It sorta looks like a cleverly disguised oil tank, which would match dry sump.

On the spools...dude... don't make us take up a collection.

 

[guzz46]

It's part of the engine block, metal, oh and I'm from NZ, the home of the Britten motorcycle, home of the number 8 wire mentality hence the make shift spools.

I just got some new tyres fitted, the 140/70 rear adds an extra 5mm clearance under the hero blobs, I also adjusted the rear sag for my weight, it's now on the 7th (out of ten) stepped adjuster, it came from the factory on the third stepped adjuster which felt quite comfortable, it added another 6mm of clearance under the hero blobs, so in total the foot pegs are at least 10mm higher now, I haven't had a chance to test the changes yet, hopefully tomorrow I'll get to scrub-in these tyres, they feel softer using the old finger nail test.

 

[Treachery]

Those are some aggressive looking tires! One question I hadn't asked--how's she sound?

 

[guzz46]

It doesn't sound too bad, its a bit quiet, it would sound a lot better with an open exhaust, the only problem is I like how the standard exhaust is integrated into the fairing.

 

[Treachery]

It doesn't sound too bad, its a bit quiet, it would sound a lot better with an open exhaust, the only problem is I like how the standard exhaust is integrated into the fairing.

Yeah, I do too. Singles don't always sound that good with more open exhausts; there have been thumper classes at the races that I've wanted to watch with earplugs in. I think the worst was the Kawi EX-500 though.

 

[VAG944]

I really like the stock exhaust placement too but it does sound a bit.........weak! I was thinking, back a few years (Roland Sands!?!? maybe!!?) there was a few guys here in the US trying to get 450cc motorcross bikes converted into road race bikes F450 Moto......I don't know if they ever took off? But they sounded pretty cool.

 

[Treachery]

I remember those. Apparently it didn't take off to any great extent, but the bikes were way cool. IIRC he did a Yamaha, a Honda, and a Kawasaki. A Suzuki? Never heard one run though.

 

[guzz46]

There was a guy here a few years ago who put a 450 motorcross engine in a Honda RS125 frame.

An update on the oil level, a couple of days ago I had it on a front & rear paddock stand over night while I was getting my tyres fitted and in the morning the oil level was about half way, but last night it was on the side stand, and in the morning it was barely registering in the site glass even when holding the bike upright for over a minute, so for some reason it must take ages for the oil level to level out again, but right now on a hot engine its at the full mark.

The ride was shorter than I expected as I didn't have as much gas as I thought I did, but when I filled up at 215km it took 7.5 litres, and most of that riding has been hard on the gas around the hills, but those tyres felt pretty good from the get go, they have that tacky feel when you touch them, which the others didn't, I'm still getting used to the bike, and new tyres again, and a 10mm or so raised rear end, so I feel like I'm not even getting close to its full potential on the road, two years on a motard isn't helping my transition either, the pegs do feel higher off the ground now, I still haven't REALLY cranked it over yet, but I don't think I'll be needing rear sets for the road, plus removing the hero blobs will give you another 10mm clearance.

The brakes are getting even better, KTM must of made some changes to them from the launch bikes surely, because I would be shocked if someone jumped on my bike and thought the brakes weren't powerful enough, braking hard from 60kmh-70kmh can easily lift the rear off the ground, its almost too easy in fact, and on the ride today there's a particular corner I really like, there's a short straight about 300 meters long with maybe a 60kmh-ish (on a bike) hair pin corner at the end, coming into that corner from roughly 110kmh-120kmh in one of those how late do I dare brake moments the rear end was light as a feather fish tailing around, it was a bit unexpected as I didn't think I got on the brakes that hard, I still haven't touched the rear brake yet, and probably never will.

The battery cover vibrates a bit at a certain RPM, around about 4k I think, I might look at putting a thin foam strip there to stop it, As you can see from the pics, the 140/70 is definitely the better fit, its uses about the same amount of rubber as the front now, no more chicken strips, KTM probably put the 150 on there for aesthetics.