This topic started out with a few RE owning brothers, who shared the RE Himalayan Odyssey with me in 2014. #REHO2014. Few of them wanted to opt out for reasons of reliability and some wanted to tour quicker and faster and were exploring bikes in the sub-3L INR category. Here is a part of that conversation.
The KTM 390 is fantastic touring bike in the sub-400 category. The international terminology for off road is like the road on Morey Plains or Gata Loops and the long U turn after that via Whiskey nalla.... Off roading in Indian terms is what scramblers or dirt bikes do. AND There is not a single dirt bike manufactured in India. So for all practical purposes if you take a 390 and start bashing it around then you will damage your sump, and your radiator and you will blow your front shock seals. No one will tell you that if you come off a jump thats about 4' off the ground and land poorly without throttle on, then you could blow your rear shock too. Which no one will tell you costs about half that of a used 390.
Having owned a CI for the last decade or the Classic series, you probably dont know what off road riding is. Trust me. You have owned and diligently maintained your bike, and this habit will ensure that you will maintain your KTM in the same way too. I mean this with complete humility and not trying to imply that you cannot ride on that stretch to the lake ( was it Tso Kar?)where we stayed for one night off the Sarchu area, if you are asked to.
KTM 390- the plus points of the bike- fantastic tires, fantastic cornering (see my blog on leaning and cornering), brakes- you will discover the meaning of brakes. Reliability- is very good and you will learn to lube the sprocket and chain far more religiously than you did on your RE. There have been niggling issues with the heat, and you will soon learn the traffic patterns that tend to disrupt your ride. Besides, I think that this particular issue has been well resolved in the 2016 and now he 2017 model.
Anyone reading this and contemplating a switch to the 390, this is what you will do- mentally first. Take that KTM and run it around gently till the first service. and from the service center take it for a GQ ride. 6000KM. in 12 riding days and 4 days for a service and general bike check up and maybe some local sight seeing.
Can any RE do this? NONE.
Buy the bike if you are a gentle rider and someone who wont use the 170 top speed, wont crash- and wont go jumping sand dunes. Ignore the blown front shock seals as you can carry a dozen of them or get them any where in the country. I agree the seals are prone to giving way under abuse- BUT trust me thats like saying the Scorpio can overturn if you take corners fast. Why the hell would you drive it like that- be it the KTM or the Scorpio.
On date the most spirited ride is the KTM 390. And with its increased capacity fuel tank- it makes a quick ride to anywhere. Adjustable rear shock- amazing. really nothing you can ask for.
That brings me to the Dominar.
The gearing is relaxed- probably the state of ECU tune? Maybe the gearing ratios are easier- so this bike touches 120 in a breeze and stays there for hours. It needs a push to go toward the 140 mark. and higher I could not take it, road and time ran low.
This results in few things, an engine with a lower compression ratio and therefore a cooler engine, a more relaxed run, and then a better mileage. It had issues of cutting out (strangely like earlier versions of the 390 - 2013?) which to the best of my knowledge have been fixed with a recent ECU software upgrade on the Dominar
.
Where it suffers is as follows: Brand value, a Harley or a Superbiker would buy the KTM as s second bike, but would seriously NOT look at a Dominar. I know as I am caught in that conundrum. I dont need speed at my age and for my kind of riding, but then the Dominar- would be like wearing a fake Rolex and travelling by autorickshaw. (Somehow I expect you to make sense out out that analogy.)
Going forward what?
1. The Dominar strangely I hear is coming out with an ADV version, that should be something worth looking out for.
2. The KTM modified version for tougher roads- but not an ADV bike is expected soon
3. My opinion will be- the Suzuki VStrom 650- if you can afford it by Diwali is the launch and later delivery-- possibly Jan 2018- This is a long term buy with many financial strings from buying to ownership costs. Thats another topic.
The KTM 390 is fantastic touring bike in the sub-400 category. The international terminology for off road is like the road on Morey Plains or Gata Loops and the long U turn after that via Whiskey nalla.... Off roading in Indian terms is what scramblers or dirt bikes do. AND There is not a single dirt bike manufactured in India. So for all practical purposes if you take a 390 and start bashing it around then you will damage your sump, and your radiator and you will blow your front shock seals. No one will tell you that if you come off a jump thats about 4' off the ground and land poorly without throttle on, then you could blow your rear shock too. Which no one will tell you costs about half that of a used 390.
Having owned a CI for the last decade or the Classic series, you probably dont know what off road riding is. Trust me. You have owned and diligently maintained your bike, and this habit will ensure that you will maintain your KTM in the same way too. I mean this with complete humility and not trying to imply that you cannot ride on that stretch to the lake ( was it Tso Kar?)where we stayed for one night off the Sarchu area, if you are asked to.
KTM 390- the plus points of the bike- fantastic tires, fantastic cornering (see my blog on leaning and cornering), brakes- you will discover the meaning of brakes. Reliability- is very good and you will learn to lube the sprocket and chain far more religiously than you did on your RE. There have been niggling issues with the heat, and you will soon learn the traffic patterns that tend to disrupt your ride. Besides, I think that this particular issue has been well resolved in the 2016 and now he 2017 model.
Anyone reading this and contemplating a switch to the 390, this is what you will do- mentally first. Take that KTM and run it around gently till the first service. and from the service center take it for a GQ ride. 6000KM. in 12 riding days and 4 days for a service and general bike check up and maybe some local sight seeing.
Can any RE do this? NONE.
Buy the bike if you are a gentle rider and someone who wont use the 170 top speed, wont crash- and wont go jumping sand dunes. Ignore the blown front shock seals as you can carry a dozen of them or get them any where in the country. I agree the seals are prone to giving way under abuse- BUT trust me thats like saying the Scorpio can overturn if you take corners fast. Why the hell would you drive it like that- be it the KTM or the Scorpio.
On date the most spirited ride is the KTM 390. And with its increased capacity fuel tank- it makes a quick ride to anywhere. Adjustable rear shock- amazing. really nothing you can ask for.
That brings me to the Dominar.
The gearing is relaxed- probably the state of ECU tune? Maybe the gearing ratios are easier- so this bike touches 120 in a breeze and stays there for hours. It needs a push to go toward the 140 mark. and higher I could not take it, road and time ran low.
This results in few things, an engine with a lower compression ratio and therefore a cooler engine, a more relaxed run, and then a better mileage. It had issues of cutting out (strangely like earlier versions of the 390 - 2013?) which to the best of my knowledge have been fixed with a recent ECU software upgrade on the Dominar
.
Where it suffers is as follows: Brand value, a Harley or a Superbiker would buy the KTM as s second bike, but would seriously NOT look at a Dominar. I know as I am caught in that conundrum. I dont need speed at my age and for my kind of riding, but then the Dominar- would be like wearing a fake Rolex and travelling by autorickshaw. (Somehow I expect you to make sense out out that analogy.)
Going forward what?
1. The Dominar strangely I hear is coming out with an ADV version, that should be something worth looking out for.
2. The KTM modified version for tougher roads- but not an ADV bike is expected soon
3. My opinion will be- the Suzuki VStrom 650- if you can afford it by Diwali is the launch and later delivery-- possibly Jan 2018- This is a long term buy with many financial strings from buying to ownership costs. Thats another topic.
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