RC390 Review

[corners]

Purchased a new RC390 OTD $6440 includes tax, title, license, setup and destination fees.

100+ miles on the bike the first day.

First impressions:

• Very rough and tumble compared to the Japanese bikes.
• Build quality is ok - but not great.
• Reminds me of riding a farm tractor - rough and powerful
• Parts availability is so-so, might have to wait a week for filters etc.. ordered from dealer.
• Seating is super-sport and there really are no clip-ons available, yet. (sore right wrist on long rides, perhaps a throttle lock would help after break in period).
• Cannot see out of the rear-view mirrors
• If you're not used to a single cylinder engine it will seem to run "rough"
• This bike is made for racing and riding it on the street will give you that impression
• The RPM is difficult to read when the instrument panel is in the glare of sunlight, but after more riding I can now adjust and know the scale pretty well.
• Can feel the engine/radiator heat on your legs in certain limited situations when at stand still and the wind is right and/or the fan is on
• Bar-end mirrors should be available and relatively easy to install
• Hopefully a replacement handlebar/clip-on comes to market, a few less degrees would make a big difference
  • This will require a custom machined bar but that shouldn't really be that difficult
  • Not sure if any manufacturers are looking into this
• There is a sweet spot where vibrations tend to dissipate
• If ride length is kept shorter (2-3 hours for me) the wrists will be ok
• The engine does seem to have more power than the Yamaha R3 I tested
• The engine pulls hard in all gears
• The more the engine "breaks-in" the smoother the entire bike/ride seems to get
• For me the fuel tank is of ample size (but I don't take extremely long rides)
• The fan will kick in but only when it's idling and very hot (other 300's have fan on them as well)
• For me the stock seat wasn't bad but it also wasn't the most comfortable after a couple hours, I'm sure the PowerParts Ergo seat will solve that problem

This really is a nice bike for the type of riding I do. (Mainly curvy country/back roads with a little city thrown in the mix.)

It is a blast to ride! I wouldn't have put 100 miles on it OTD otherwise!

Would love to do a track day with it.

I'm coming from a Street Triple 675R and just wanted a smaller bike to play around with.

Should be a fun riding season.

 

[Wa2fst]

Surprised you didnt mention the seat sucks. I got a filter in 3 days even tho im not due a change yet i wanted it now just incase. This will be my track bike after giving up my insane track built gsxr6. I dont think i will be dissappointed on the track on the street it has been fun for sure!

 

[Fasteddy]

Surprised you didnt mention the seat sucks. I got a filter in 3 days even tho im not due a change yet i wanted it now just incase. This will be my track bike after giving up my insane track built gsxr6. I dont think i will be dissappointed on the track on the street it has been fun for sure!

Power Parts Ergo seat is a must have item for non track use...

 

[corners]

Month and some change later....

1500+ miles on the bike...

This bike is fun! An absolute blast to run around the curvy country roads. Not so much fun in heavy city traffic, but that's not where I spend my time.

KTM is a rough and tumble bike. It's more of a DIY brand. The dealer, while nice, is perhaps not the best prepared (didn't stock the filters/oil needed for the first change, but easily available on the Internet).

Have done all maintenance myself, oil changes, radiator flush, etc...

First couple of oil changes will have some green gasket material / metal shavings but that's to be expected for a new engine.

Kept mineral oil in the engine until ~1500 miles and switched to synthetic oil.

It's amazing the difference a broken-in engine makes vs. the brand new OTD engine.

It's obvious the factory parts are meant for upgrade. The parts get the job done but do leave plenty of room KTM's Powerparts line.

The PowerParts seat is a must for street riding.

Looking into upgrading the chain and sprocket and installing a Quick Shifter.

The only complaint I have is that brakes are "soft" for my tastes, will need to look into tightening those up...

 

[Tito_gsx]

Month and some change later....

1500+ miles on the bike...

This bike is fun! An absolute blast to run around the curvy country roads. Not so much fun in heavy city traffic, but that's not where I spend my time.

KTM is a rough and tumble bike. It's more of a DIY brand. The dealer, while nice, is perhaps not the best prepared (didn't stock the filters/oil needed for the first change, but easily available on the Internet).

Have done all maintenance myself, oil changes, radiator flush, etc...

First couple of oil changes will have some green gasket material / metal shavings but that's to be expected for a new engine.

Kept mineral oil in the engine until ~1500 miles and switched to synthetic oil.

It's amazing the difference a broken-in engine makes vs. the brand new OTD engine.

It's obvious the factory parts are meant for upgrade. The parts get the job done but do leave plenty of room KTM's Powerparts line.

The PowerParts seat is a must for street riding.

Looking into upgrading the chain and sprocket and installing a Quick Shifter.

The only complaint I have is that brakes are "soft" for my tastes, will need to look into tightening those up...

Thanks for review update. Do you have pics with power parts seat? The description says its raises seat 20mm, is this a benefit? Hows the texture and how it grips when sitting and leaning in corners? Regarding brakes: I agree they are soft from factory I ended up getting the EBC pads and the power and feel is definitely an improvement. I'm heading to the track next week to properly test!

 

[srt4evah]

I've read the reviews and they mention that the shock has terribly soft damping and that the brakes feel soft. Anyone ridden the R3 or Ninja for comparison sake regarding the shock and the brakes?

I'm torn between getting an RC390 for $6500, or picking up a used Ninja 300 for $3500 and adding an Ohlins shock, Racetech springs and emulators, full exhaust with a tune and clip-ons and rearsets. I love the RC390 but the reviews I've read were really disappointing with regards to the suspension and brakes.

 

[ArkansasDave]

Ninja won't be any better stock for suspension.

 

[ASM]

I've read the reviews and they mention that the shock has terribly soft damping and that the brakes feel soft. Anyone ridden the R3 or Ninja for comparison sake regarding the shock and the brakes?

I'm torn between getting an RC390 for $6500, or picking up a used Ninja 300 for $3500 and adding an Ohlins shock, Racetech springs and emulators, full exhaust with a tune and clip-ons and rearsets. I love the RC390 but the reviews I've read were really disappointing with regards to the suspension and brakes.

Kinda depends on what you are trying to achieve? Riding on the street? Tracking it? Yes, the stock brakes and suspension on the RC are not the very best but manageable for regular street riding in my opinion (disclaimer: I have a stock Duke 390 for street riding). For the track, story is certainly different.

Anyway, from a purely cost/benefit calculation, your choice would actually be fairly easy...take the used Ninja and add the aftermarket items...no matter how bad/good these items are on any stock bike, they can't compete with quality aftermarket ones. But this is surely from a monetary point of view...I personally wanted the RC and currently have it build for the track...could I have saved a couple of thousands by starting with a used Ninja/CBR (which arguably has the best stock brakes right now)? Sure I could have...but it wouldn't have been an RC 390...

 

[corners]

Thanks for review update. Do you have pics with power parts seat? The description says its raises seat 20mm, is this a benefit? Hows the texture and how it grips when sitting and leaning in corners? Regarding brakes: I agree they are soft from factory I ended up getting the EBC pads and the power and feel is definitely an improvement. I'm heading to the track next week to properly test!

The taller seat height is a benefit to me as I'm a tallish (6'1") rider. The Powerparts seat has a rougher texture (relatively speaking) and is very comfortable. It grips very well in the corners, IMHO. FWIW, I won't go back to the stock seat, not sure if Corbin makes a seat for this bike as of yet... Thanks for the tip on the EBC pads, I'll have to check 'em out.

 

[srt4evah]

Kinda depends on what you are trying to achieve? Riding on the street? Tracking it? Yes, the stock brakes and suspension on the RC are not the very best but manageable for regular street riding in my opinion (disclaimer: I have a stock Duke 390 for street riding). For the track, story is certainly different.

Anyway, from a purely cost/benefit calculation, your choice would actually be fairly easy...take the used Ninja and add the aftermarket items...no matter how bad/good these items are on any stock bike, they can't compete with quality aftermarket ones. But this is surely from a monetary point of view...I personally wanted the RC and currently have it build for the track...could I have saved a couple of thousands by starting with a used Ninja/CBR (which arguably has the best stock brakes right now)? Sure I could have...but it wouldn't have been an RC 390...

What I really want is a bike that has 300-400cc engine and has a suspension quality and brake feel like my 2012 ZX6R did. I don't need 100hp+ at all, more like 50 is fine for me, but I want that quality suspension and braking and I had thought the RC390 might be that bike before it came out. I'm just a street/canyon rider, always leaving the door open to become a novice track rider too, and I am pretty spoiled by the overall feel and finesse that my ZX6R had. I have a Monster 796 now and I really don't enjoy the way it feels, there's no finesse to it at all, it's very snappy throttle response and the suspension doesn't inspire confidence when diving through the twisties.

The RC390 would be #1 with a bullet in my book if there was a good aftermarket shock and front suspension available, but the Cup gear from what I read is priced out my comfort zone.

 

[ASM]

What I really want is a bike that has 300-400cc engine and has a suspension quality and brake feel like my 2012 ZX6R did. I don't need 100hp+ at all, more like 50 is fine for me, but I want that quality suspension and braking and I had thought the RC390 might be that bike before it came out. I'm just a street/canyon rider, always leaving the door open to become a novice track rider too, and I am pretty spoiled by the overall feel and finesse that my ZX6R had. I have a Monster 796 now and I really don't enjoy the way it feels, there's no finesse to it at all, it's very snappy throttle response and the suspension doesn't inspire confidence when diving through the twisties.

The RC390 would be #1 with a bullet in my book if there was a good aftermarket shock and front suspension available, but the Cup gear from what I read is priced out my comfort zone.

Small cc bikes are all made to a price point as they basically target the entry-level rider. Then crazy people like me come along who see the potential as a track/race bike and start swapping out half the bike in order to upgrade components. Aftermarket suspension is always expensive in my eyes, certainly being expensive means a different thing to each of us. The WP suspension on my RC was about the same price as the Öhlins/JRI combo on my GSX-R...so I guess I am used to the overall price tag.

As I said before, getting a used Ninja and update suspension, brakes etc. will provide you with that 300-400cc bike that will feel close (or even better) than your ZX6R and you essentially spend about the same money as you would for the stock RC. If you don't want to spend more than $6,500, that is probably your best bet in getting what you are looking for.

Whether it will be as satisfying as having the RC (which you seem to favor in general) is certainly a question only you can answer. I am a visual guy and for me how things look always comes first (nearly every bike on the market can out-ride me anyway so specs are somewhat meaningless)...unfortunately, that usually means I am drawn to the most expensive item in the store...

 

[srt4evah]

Small cc bikes are all made to a price point as they basically target the entry-level rider. Then crazy people like me come along who see the potential as a track/race bike and start swapping out half the bike in order to upgrade components. Aftermarket suspension is always expensive in my eyes, certainly being expensive means a different thing to each of us. The WP suspension on my RC was about the same price as the Öhlins/JRI combo on my GSX-R...so I guess I am used to the overall price tag.

As I said before, getting a used Ninja and update suspension, brakes etc. will provide you with that 300-400cc bike that will feel close (or even better) than your ZX6R and you essentially spend about the same money as you would for the stock RC. If you don't want to spend more than $6,500, that is probably your best bet in getting what you are looking for.

Whether it will be as satisfying as having the RC (which you seem to favor in general) is certainly a question only you can answer. I am a visual guy and for me how things look always comes first (nearly every bike on the market can out-ride me anyway so specs are somewhat meaningless)...unfortunately, that usually means I am drawn to the most expensive item in the store...

Yeah, you pretty much understand what's on my mind with regards to the small bikes. I had originally expected the RC390 to be a $7000-8000 bike, so I understand that at a $5499 MSRP I get why it doesn't have top flight suspension and brakes out of the box.

For me it's not about how much I spend, money's not the issue, but I'm really big on getting the most value for my money. You say the WP suspension on your RC was expensive, did you upgrade from the stock WP suspension? I'm not 100% up to date on what's available, but if there's an upgrade suspension kit already available for the RC that might change my mind again. I know there's the Cup parts, but I thought they were not available yet and also I remember seeing the price was pretty far out. An Ohlins shock for the Ninja 300 is under $800, so that's what's on my mind as far as relatively what a good suspension upgrade should cost (or half of a good upgrade, the rear half).

I definitely favor the RC390 over the Ninja 300 stock for stock, but it's just that the 300 has more options for upgrading on the market right now. It looks way better and it has that thing for which there's no replacement, 77cc of it.

 

[ASM]

YYou say the WP suspension on your RC was expensive, did you upgrade from the stock WP suspension? I'm not 100% up to date on what's available, but if there's an upgrade suspension kit already available for the RC that might change my mind again. I know there's the Cup parts, but I thought they were not available yet and also I remember seeing the price was pretty far out. An Ohlins shock for the Ninja 300 is under $800, so that's what's on my mind as far as relatively what a good suspension upgrade should cost (or half of a good upgrade, the rear half).

Yes, I upgraded to the WP CUP suspension. At the time I bought the bike this was pretty much the only option. Chad (who is building my bike) and I were looking at other options but Öhlins didn't have anything at the time and we even talked to Mike Fitzgerald (a.k.a. Thermosman) who also said WP was the best choice at the time (having Mike build one probably would have tripled the value of the bike)...so that's what we went with.

At this time, there appear other options available (like JRI shocks - just search the forum) so you may want to look into this direction. While the aftermarket starts to put out more and more options, we are still in the early adopters phase...and that's usually pricey and limited...

 

[ArkansasDave]

You can get jri double clicker and gp 25 mil cartridges for $2k which is less than what I've seen the cup suspension for and it's probably just as good.

My friend used to race a ninja 300 full decked out and set some amazing laps. He now races in the cup series and says the ktm is hands down a way better bike. I'm getting a ktm and upgrading it rather than getting a race prepped 300 for less.

 

[gbabyracing]

I think you'll find that the JRi package is much better that the cup WP product.

 

[RoninJames]

For an economical rear shock option check out the thread for the 99-02 R6 stock swap. Formula390 and a couple other guys have experimented and found that the shock from the R6 fits the RC.
There are a few guys who have swapped and are currently getting the spring rates sorted so they find the proper spring to replace on the R6 shock. Formula390 is going to rebuild a few and have them for sale as well ready to bolt on the RC.

I personally bought a used Ohlins shock for an 02 R6 in great condition and am just waiting on my bushings to install and test it.

The money you spend here is a fraction of what you would spend on the WP, or penske. for example stock R6 shocks can be picked up on ebay for about $25, then figure in new spring and recharge/oil as needed and you are still only looking at under $500 conceivably. i grabbed my used ohlins for 300. if it needs a spring then thats another 100-150 prob... still a WAY cheaper option.
the benefit of both the oem R6 and the ohlins is rebound damping. plus the ohlins has a threaded preload adjuster.

its still a work in progress, but the shocks FIT which is the most important part.

 

[srt4evah]

For an economical rear shock option check out the thread for the 99-02 R6 stock swap. Formula390 and a couple other guys have experimented and found that the shock from the R6 fits the RC.
There are a few guys who have swapped and are currently getting the spring rates sorted so they find the proper spring to replace on the R6 shock. Formula390 is going to rebuild a few and have them for sale as well ready to bolt on the RC.

I personally bought a used Ohlins shock for an 02 R6 in great condition and am just waiting on my bushings to install and test it.

The money you spend here is a fraction of what you would spend on the WP, or penske. for example stock R6 shocks can be picked up on ebay for about $25, then figure in new spring and recharge/oil as needed and you are still only looking at under $500 conceivably. i grabbed my used ohlins for 300. if it needs a spring then thats another 100-150 prob... still a WAY cheaper option.
the benefit of both the oem R6 and the ohlins is rebound damping. plus the ohlins has a threaded preload adjuster.

its still a work in progress, but the shocks FIT which is the most important part.

Really, so any shock that fits the 99-02 R6 fits without modification? Correct rod length and everything?

*edit* found the thread about the R6 shock, and the JRi's and Ohlins. Seems like in the last 2-3 weeks a ton of options have opened up, might have me on an RC 390 instead of a used 300. No rush on my part, so I'll be watching and waiting to see what develops! =]

 

[psych0hans]

I'm torn between getting an RC390 for $6500, or picking up a used Ninja 300 for $3500 and adding an Ohlins shock, Racetech springs and emulators, full exhaust with a tune and clip-ons and rearsets. I love the RC390 but the reviews I've read were really disappointing with regards to the suspension and brakes.

Here is your answer. Get the 300, I owned one, you can't go wrong with it. Save $3,000. Spend $3,000(should be enough) and get the mods you want.

Ohlins Rear - 900
Cartridge Drop ins - 800
Full Exhaust and Tuner(AreaP+FuelMoto) - 850
Brembo Master(RCS15) - 350
Other small shit - 100
Total - 3000

You have Spent $6,500 and now you have a BRILLIANT Track tool. Yes, you still need to spend on Clipons, rearsets, SS brake lines and a race fairing kit, but you get my drift... 2 Cylinders is better than one, and having a slipper clutch is Brilliant as well. Good luck with your choice.

If you do buy the 300, the most awesome forum for those bikes is ninjette.org. Have a look.

 

[onethump]

From what i've read so far the RC with CUP parts is faster on the track the a decked out 300 Ninja, but I guess i'm biased. I used to own a Ninja 750, which was their Superbike at the time. Other then the stupid amount of power (which got me into trouble with the police way to many times, but hey, I was young) this bike is pretty amazing.

 

[srt4evah]

Here is your answer. Get the 300, I owned one, you can't go wrong with it. Save $3,000. Spend $3,000(should be enough) and get the mods you want.

Ohlins Rear - 900
Cartridge Drop ins - 800
Full Exhaust and Tuner(AreaP+FuelMoto) - 850
Brembo Master(RCS15) - 350
Other small shit - 100
Total - 3000

You have Spent $6,500 and now you have a BRILLIANT Track tool. Yes, you still need to spend on Clipons, rearsets, SS brake lines and a race fairing kit, but you get my drift... 2 Cylinders is better than one, and having a slipper clutch is Brilliant as well. Good luck with your choice.

If you do buy the 300, the most awesome forum for those bikes is ninjette.org. Have a look.

Yeah that's pretty much exactly what I've been looking at (except thinking M4 full exhaust + Area P Tuner). The advantage of the RC is that it has a bigger engine, and a small weight advantage plus the weight distribution is slightly better (reportedly more over the front end). I'm still curious about the aftermarket developments for the RC 390, but I might just go the Ninja route and pick up a used RC 390 in a couple years when the slipper clutch is standard and the parts availability has increased.

I could basically unload my Monster 796 for more than it would cost me to fully kit out the Ninja, and I'm pretty sure I would enjoy the Ninja far more than I enjoy the 796.