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KTM 390's

inthewoods said:
And is this bikes going to be a better track day bike than the new R3?
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We aren't really sure right now. The R3 is a ~330cc I twin with a diamond type steel frame and conventional forks. The RC390 is a 375cc single, with a steel trellis frame and upside down forks.

Both are relatively modern fuel injected designs. Power output from the engine appears to be similar; both target A2 license in the UK.

It remains to be seen what the potential of each engine is; the RC390 seems to support generous over-rev, but it's entirely possible that the engine is tuned much more aggressively than the R3 offering the R3 much more room for gains, even within the restrictions of the AFM prod class.

Frame and geometry wise, the RC390 appears to be sportier than the R3; it features a steeper rake angle, a sturdier frame, much better forks, and lower handlebars than the R3. We're pretty sure the RC390 comes with cartridge internals standard, the R3 comes with traditional piston damping rods; similar to the Ninja 300.

With that said, you can buy production legal drop-in cartridge kits for the Ninjette, R3, and RC390 if you wish, so the internals aren't as big a deal as they should be. The RC390 has 2mm thicker upside down forks, which are an advantage. Both bikes have a 3" rim up front, and fit a 110/70/17" front tire.

On the rear end, the RC390 has an aluminum swingarm and a 4" rear tire, but does not have a linkage for the shock. The R3 has a steel swingarm and a slightly narrower rear rim, and fits a 140mm tire standard. This isn't a huge disadvantage since neither bike is powerful enough to really benefit from large tire sizes, and availability on 140mm tires has been improving.

ABS is standard on the RC390 but not available on the R3. AFM rules have been updated to permit removal of the ABS system.

Other than that, the R3 is $500 cheaper.

As for the Ninja 300? It's major advantage is that it's out, right now. The ergonomics are less aggressive than the R3, it's forks are a bit thinner, and the frame is a very very old design.
 
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inthewoods said:
And is this bikes going to be a better track day bike than the new R3?
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Burning1 gave a nice summery. I can add something from my experience and that is large displacement singles are hard on rods and cranks. Is the KTM suited to track duty? Hard to tell but bottom end maintenance will probably take the fun out of running a single cylinder bike for a full season of racing.
 
russ69 said:
Burning1 gave a nice summery. I can add something from my experience and that is large displacement singles are hard on rods and cranks. Is the KTM suited to track duty? Hard to tell but bottom end maintenance will probably take the fun out of running a single cylinder bike for a full season of racing.
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It's hard to say. I think most people expect the R3 and Ninja 300 to be more reliable bikes. KTM doesn't have the Japanese reputation for reliable machines. KTM for their part claims that this engine is designed for road use, and can be run WFO reliably.

It's a learners bike. If it stays on the market for a while and sells well, we can probably expect good engine availability as riders crash and insurance companies salvage title these things. To the best of my knowledge the RC and Duke both use the same engine. The real key is that the engine has to survive longer than the chassis on average... Most GS500s die because the owner lets the oil level get low, and in that community a good engine is worth more than the rest of the bike.

For what it's worth, the Ninja 250 had some major engine reliability problems. My wife lost a rod bearing on hers, and I've heard the same basic story from a lot of track riders. Part of that may be that the engine is high strung, and part of that may be the lack of a tipover sensor.
 
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I'd love to have a reliable lightweight fuel injected bike that can do it all, including dirt. Something like a CRF250L but with more power and comfort. Or a Weestrom minus 150 pounds or so. Or maybe a Japanese KTM 390 Duke with more range than 140 miles. :)
 
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If I buy one of these it will be a track only bike. We will see if it lasts a season revving it's nut out. Back in the day we raced Suzuki & Rotax singles, 8-10 times a year. The Rotax was tough.
 
I think a couple former riding buddies of mine have already bought theirs, or at least put the money down. I was having lunch with one who said they'd already 'bought' three of them, all for track use. I assumed they had already been delivered, but guess I was wrong.
 
Burning1 said:
For what it's worth, the Ninja 250 had some major engine reliability problems. My wife lost a rod bearing on hers, and I've heard the same basic story from a lot of track riders.
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Back in the dark ages, spinning the big end bearing was pretty common when racing the Ninja 250. I think they got that pretty well sorted out though. I'm sure somebody here knows better but, I *think* a big chunk of the fix was cutting a few threads off the oil drain plug so, it wasn't blocking an oil pickup as much at heavy lean angles.

I can't wait to check on the RC390 though!
I do have some reliability concerns with a big thumper over the kawi/yam twin but, at least it's a little bit simpler motor. I'm also not in love with that tiny KTM tank for street duty. I think the 390's aesthetics will when me over in the end though. :)
 
I got tired of waiting so I bought something else. I was looking for something light and simple but I ended up with something heavy and complex.... Time will tell if I made the right decision I guess.
 
I found the parts fiche for the R3. It comes with damper rods, not cartridge internals. I'd recommend spending the $500 savings on cartridges; it makes a huge difference.
 
rick said:
Back in the dark ages, spinning the big end bearing was pretty common when racing the Ninja 250. I think they got that pretty well sorted out though. I'm sure somebody here knows better but, I *think* a big chunk of the fix was cutting a few threads off the oil drain plug so, it wasn't blocking an oil pickup as much at heavy lean angles.
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This was still an issue on my wife's 08.
 
Lots of smoke and rumors but not confirmed yet. There's a chance even the India models will have it but not the US ones. Good news is we wont have to wait TOOO long to find out for sure.
 
I am interested in this bike too add it next to the grom
 
Dealer says early April. No spec sheet yet, so no confirmation on slipper clutch.

I will say that I dug through the Fiche and didn't see any sign of a slipper in the 2015 US Duke. No guarantee that info is accurate, however.
 
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