I own a 2017 ktm RC 390 and my brother has the 2017 1290 Super Duke R.. i must say i love watching your videos.. i already done a complete rebuild of the engine due to low oil pressure issues and overheating.. now i wanna inspect the wheels 🛞 and change the fork oil.. intesresting to see whats inside those front forks given its a 2017... 😂
I love maintaining my own bike and your videos have been super helpful! Thank you! Could you please do a video on changing the break pads for you 390 at some point of time!? Would love to see that!
Thanks Max. It's mostly the same things as for all the Dukes, but I will see what I can do. Of course the most cost effective method is to change it for a larger Duke - same bike, more power and speed.
Next video is on the front brakes. Assuming you have a gen 2 with the larger front disk then I'd suggest either the powerparts wave disk or if you really need an upgrade then the moto-master flame disks - they are designed for heavy off road use. Some people like to upgrade the caliper but I don't really see the point - its a four pot, so any gain is going to be marginal and gen 2 come with brembo sintered pads. Check out the Bagoros Performance cooling ducts - I'm really tempted I must admit.
Yes I have the gen 2, but I’m looking for just street use. I live in California so everything gets hot lol. I think the power parts break should be good, right? Ps. Can’t believe I’m talking to you right now😂 my idol
@@Funny_as_Duck Lol! We all learn from each other, the only difference between us is time and experience. Cali would make a big difference but unless you've experienced brake fade (and you'd know if you had) I wouldn't worry too much - the bike was developed and tested in India which is also pretty hot at times.
@@MotoMirius yes of course, because you need to leave that space between fork base and the spacer, and I didnt leave that space, but thank you thank you, for all your videos
Awesome video, as usual! I have the 2018 125 duke, I know you've upgraded to your 390 Duke, just asking did you decided to used Bridgestone's or Have they, move from the Michelin Radial. Because I was looking into the Bridgestone, my self? Because I hear that its a great tire.
I'm running Bridgestone as a replacement for the stock Metzeler. They work well, I've no complaints - but then I didn't with the Metzeler either. So long as you stick to a sports type tyre which is what the tyre manufacturers typically recommend for the bike then you should have no issues. If you want a longer lasting tyre, then you accept the limitations that comes with that.
Hi there, I am pondering installing a floating petal 320mm front rotor to my 2022 390 Duke. Did you find your rotor swap worth the cost and effort? Thank you
Hi, yes, there was very little effort and I am happy with the rotor. Some don't like the lever feel with these but I can't say that I really notice it.
No, you need to buy the adaptors from Abba for the bike you are using it on (can be used on most bikes with the right adaptors - my local tyre shop does all it's bike tyre changes with one so they use it 6 days a week, all day long - and the tyre guy only has one arm). It clips on to the ends of the bolts that hold on the swinging arm. It's a little fiddly to put on but easy enough once you know how it works.
Hi there, I drop this message here to ask for help or any advice about a big problem that I have on my Duke with Bagoros Performance items. I saw that you recommend a lot Bagoros Performance products so I ordered their plastic Front Spindle Sliders for my Duke 390 2022 which I bought new 2 months ago. My problem is with the M8 bolt that you screwed in this video at 17:50, the one provided in the kit became soft and quickly snapped right off. I estimate it snapped at around 17-18 nm. My torque wrench is 1 month old and of good quality, it works well and I am sure that I didn't overtighten it, as it really wasn't an effort, and my wrench is pretty short, I'm certain it's the bolt which was weak. I am furious, believe me, that they would include bad quality screws on a sensitive component such as a motorcycle fork. The official KTM manual indicates 25 nm for this specific bolt, there is probably a reason. Bagoros Performance don't even mention torque in their installation instructions, not very serious. Also the equivalent "Front Spindle Sliders" kit from KTM powerparts also indicates 25 nm, so I think that was a defective bolt that Bagoros Performance included. Would you have any tips to remove that broken piece of M8 bolt ? It has around 2mm sticking out of the thread, and there was lithium grease on the threads... It's probably unsafe to ride the motorcycle now...
Sorry to hear that you've had an issue with that screw - I agree certainly should not break. Torque rating suggests that it's a standard untreated bolt, and the price of the KTM screw reflects that. The stub should unwind if you can carefully grip it with locking pliers, otherwise you will have to resort to more extreme methods such as extractors if you use them, heat perhaps but not my choice on this or drilling. Worst case you will need to replace the axle but it shouldn't come to that. I wouldn't recommend riding - it should be OK for low speeds as the axle is clamped on the other side, but it would be at your own risk.
@@MotoMirius Hi again, I did a long reply this afternoon but I don't know why it is now deleted, long story short I managed to get it out, by using a dremel with diamond disc and a flat screwdriver, thank you so much !
@@HellGatefr2 Hi, I saw you'd posted but then it disappeared. Good work on getting it out. Certainly reach out to Bagoros on this because it won't be intentional on their part and will let them know they may have an issue with their supplier of bolts.
@@MotoMirius Hey there, well we'll see if they answer, also I thought about getting a 12.9 grade bolt but stripping the threads of the fork is probably something to avoid haha. I don't exactly understand the mechanical process which resulted in the fail of that 8.8 Bagoros bolt. Today when just tried to screw the original bolt at 25nm directly to the fork it rapidly feels secured and the torque wrench clicks at 25 nm with no issues... But then I took another 8.8 bolt and while screwing it on top of the big nylon slider, and into the fork, it just screws in and I can't feel much resistance past maybe 17nm even though I'm still turning, maybe the nylon's elasticity is doing something ? That is exactly how I broke the first bolt, and I believe I was going to break that second one the same way if I kept turning, even though I really couldn't feel much resistance ! At the moment I got this 8.8 bolt screwed in with lithium grease to 15 nm which is still pretty firm, on top of that nylon slider and called it a day, hopefully that isn't unsafe to ride if after 1 ride or 2 it hasn't moved at all. The reason I am using lithium grease in there is simply because it came this way from the KTM dealer. Do you think it could be a good idea to remove the grease from all the threads and just mount it dry at 15 nm or so, with a good amount medium threadlock ? On another topic, even though my experience with Bagoros has been very mixed feelings, I have only good things to say about their Premium tail tidy, a really quality product, so all is not lost ! See you around mister
@@HellGatefr2 There is huge debate around whether torque should be measured with grease or not. Some manufacturers specify, others do not. You are not screwing into the forks, you are screwing into the spindle. This bolt is a relatively low torque application. It's function is not to hold the front wheel in place - that is done by the bolts on the other side of the wheel, this bolt just stops sideways movement of the lower fork leg. Bolts break - this is normal. It doesn't happen often but some will have a manufacturing flaw - suppliers like Bagoros or KTM don't individually test each and every bolt - testing if any is focussed on graded applications where the strength of the bolt is critical.
I've watched your on debaffling and stubby stock exhaust of duke 390. My question is will it sound good and perform good with out removing the catalytic converter?
Any modification will change the exhaust sound. Removing the cat will make the bike very loud. So it depends what you think good sounds like. I run without a cat but I use a baffle. There are people who think loud = good but this is rarely the case. Louder is normally good but often very loud is just a very poor sound. Think of all the really high performance vehicles out there - they sound great and they are all loud, but none of them are very loud. Don't expect massive performance improvements on a bike like this - KTM does not sell bikes that are not already optimised for performance so changing just one thing does not have a big effect and sometimes changing just one thing can reduce power
Difficult question. The bolts from KTM are terrible quality, but many of them aren't easy to find replacements for. In addition to that you need to check the rating of the bolts - there are different grades depending on how strong they have to be - the bolts that hold the calipers on for example are probably grade 8. I've seen people swap them out for stainless for cosmetic reasons, but stainless is typically weaker than steel and finding a grade 8 stainless or titanium bolt of the right grade and dimension can be difficult - and you do not want your calipers breaking free from the forks when you are emergency braking, or just jamming the front wheel randomly when a bolt snaps. There are some specialist suppliers such as probolt who make it easier to locate what you need.
The pinch bolts are the last thing that is done; after everything else is done and the suspension has been flexed so that the fork tubes have been settled into place. Doing them before the axle bolt is a major mistake which can result in wheel misalignment and and in worst case cause the bike to crash.
No. Torque is applied against the leg, not against the axle. The brake caliper is aligned and positioned by the machining of the fork leg, not by the position of the wheel or disk. It's common to replace the caliper after putting the wheel in place, but is a matter of convenience in reassembly, nothing more.
I have the front tire up & I’m spinning it & I can hear the brake pads rubbing against the brake disc did I tighten something to tight? It sound like steel scraping steel
It is normal for the brake pads to lightly brush against the disk - and any dirt stuck to the disk. Check the pad are properly seated and if that looks OK just pull the calliper off and check it to see if anything has moved. The bolts are supposed to be tight, so that should not be the issue.
this question is not relevant to the topic in this video, but I have to ask anyway. Do you know anything about the oil consumtion on the KTM Duke 125 2011? Does the bikes use a bit of oil over time?
Some do, some don't. I suspect that if used hard (like mine) they do tend to use a little. But I also get a little smoke on startup so I'm going to be replacing the valve stem seals at some point and see if that changes things. Overall though I don't think I've ever owned a bike that didn't use a little oil - but if you are regularly topping it up then something probably needs fixing.
Hi Callum, Abba sell two different stands (I suggest starting with their website not ebay) the superbike stand and the skylift. I have the superbike stand with the upgrade front lift (because I already had the stand). Then there are adaptors to fit the stands to individual bikes. My tyre dealer actually uses the superbike stand which they use on on a lift (the bike tyre fitter only has one arm) - and they have bikes on there all day long, so it's a robust bit of kit.
Thank you so much for this great video and for putting all the specs at the bottom. Saved me a ton of time.
Glad it helped! Thanks!
Perfect timing for your video as I have to install the front stunt pegs ✌️ .. Again, a perfectly well explained and articulated video 🙏
Glad it was helpful! Skäl David
Super helpful! I like the extra info you give, ie. floating fork connection, etc.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks.
Really well detailed video! A big thank you from Canada for sharing your knowledge! 👍
My pleasure! Thanks!
Your videos are super helpful especially the basic maintenance ones like these!
We subscribers, want more :)
Thanks, always a pleasure to oblige! Skäl David
Well shown David 👍🏻 all simple stuff. I hope you’re well.
Thanks Dave, time to cover off some simple stuff. All good here, hope you and your family are well too!
I own a 2017 ktm RC 390 and my brother has the 2017 1290 Super Duke R.. i must say i love watching your videos.. i already done a complete rebuild of the engine due to low oil pressure issues and overheating.. now i wanna inspect the wheels 🛞 and change the fork oil.. intesresting to see whats inside those front forks given its a 2017... 😂
Thanks and glad you like them, good luck with that!
I love maintaining my own bike and your videos have been super helpful!
Thank you!
Could you please do a video on changing the break pads for you 390 at some point of time!? Would love to see that!
Thanks, much appreciated and sure, I'll add them to the list! Skäl David
I lovee all your videos!!! But can you pls do a video showing things that you can do, to increase the top speed/power of the duke 125🙏🙏🙏
Thanks Max. It's mostly the same things as for all the Dukes, but I will see what I can do. Of course the most cost effective method is to change it for a larger Duke - same bike, more power and speed.
I’m gonna need to use this video soon for reference. I need new breaks but I also want to upgrade to the quick cooling breaks
Next video is on the front brakes. Assuming you have a gen 2 with the larger front disk then I'd suggest either the powerparts wave disk or if you really need an upgrade then the moto-master flame disks - they are designed for heavy off road use. Some people like to upgrade the caliper but I don't really see the point - its a four pot, so any gain is going to be marginal and gen 2 come with brembo sintered pads. Check out the Bagoros Performance cooling ducts - I'm really tempted I must admit.
Yes I have the gen 2, but I’m looking for just street use. I live in California so everything gets hot lol. I think the power parts break should be good, right? Ps. Can’t believe I’m talking to you right now😂 my idol
@@Funny_as_Duck Lol! We all learn from each other, the only difference between us is time and experience. Cali would make a big difference but unless you've experienced brake fade (and you'd know if you had) I wouldn't worry too much - the bike was developed and tested in India which is also pretty hot at times.
The Last detail of the spacer 😮 i Was looking for that
Did you find it?
@@MotoMirius yes of course, because you need to leave that space between fork base and the spacer, and I didnt leave that space, but thank you thank you, for all your videos
Hi, great useful video. Can you do the rear tire change as well that would be great thanks.
Do you mean rear wheel removal or rear tyre change - the latter will be very dependant on what tyre change system you have.
Awesome video, as usual! I have the 2018 125 duke, I know you've upgraded to your 390 Duke, just asking did you decided to used
Bridgestone's or Have they, move from the Michelin Radial.
Because I was looking into the Bridgestone, my self? Because I hear that its a great tire.
I'm running Bridgestone as a replacement for the stock Metzeler. They work well, I've no complaints - but then I didn't with the Metzeler either. So long as you stick to a sports type tyre which is what the tyre manufacturers typically recommend for the bike then you should have no issues. If you want a longer lasting tyre, then you accept the limitations that comes with that.
Great Video!
Do you know the diameter of the front axle at the thinnest point?
Thanks!
Hi there, I am pondering installing a floating petal 320mm front rotor to my 2022 390 Duke. Did you find your rotor swap worth the cost and effort? Thank you
Hi, yes, there was very little effort and I am happy with the rotor. Some don't like the lever feel with these but I can't say that I really notice it.
Hi David
In the process of buying Duke 390 2021 model,
Is there any removal of bolts to use the abba stand, as shown in this video
No, you need to buy the adaptors from Abba for the bike you are using it on (can be used on most bikes with the right adaptors - my local tyre shop does all it's bike tyre changes with one so they use it 6 days a week, all day long - and the tyre guy only has one arm). It clips on to the ends of the bolts that hold on the swinging arm. It's a little fiddly to put on but easy enough once you know how it works.
Hi there, I drop this message here to ask for help or any advice about a big problem that I have on my Duke with Bagoros Performance items.
I saw that you recommend a lot Bagoros Performance products so I ordered their plastic Front Spindle Sliders for my Duke 390 2022 which I bought new 2 months ago.
My problem is with the M8 bolt that you screwed in this video at 17:50, the one provided in the kit became soft and quickly snapped right off. I estimate it snapped at around 17-18 nm. My torque wrench is 1 month old and of good quality, it works well and I am sure that I didn't overtighten it, as it really wasn't an effort, and my wrench is pretty short, I'm certain it's the bolt which was weak.
I am furious, believe me, that they would include bad quality screws on a sensitive component such as a motorcycle fork. The official KTM manual indicates 25 nm for this specific bolt, there is probably a reason. Bagoros Performance don't even mention torque in their installation instructions, not very serious. Also the equivalent "Front Spindle Sliders" kit from KTM powerparts also indicates 25 nm, so I think that was a defective bolt that Bagoros Performance included.
Would you have any tips to remove that broken piece of M8 bolt ? It has around 2mm sticking out of the thread, and there was lithium grease on the threads... It's probably unsafe to ride the motorcycle now...
Sorry to hear that you've had an issue with that screw - I agree certainly should not break. Torque rating suggests that it's a standard untreated bolt, and the price of the KTM screw reflects that. The stub should unwind if you can carefully grip it with locking pliers, otherwise you will have to resort to more extreme methods such as extractors if you use them, heat perhaps but not my choice on this or drilling. Worst case you will need to replace the axle but it shouldn't come to that. I wouldn't recommend riding - it should be OK for low speeds as the axle is clamped on the other side, but it would be at your own risk.
@@MotoMirius Hi again, I did a long reply this afternoon but I don't know why it is now deleted, long story short I managed to get it out, by using a dremel with diamond disc and a flat screwdriver, thank you so much !
@@HellGatefr2 Hi, I saw you'd posted but then it disappeared. Good work on getting it out. Certainly reach out to Bagoros on this because it won't be intentional on their part and will let them know they may have an issue with their supplier of bolts.
@@MotoMirius Hey there, well we'll see if they answer, also I thought about getting a 12.9 grade bolt but stripping the threads of the fork is probably something to avoid haha.
I don't exactly understand the mechanical process which resulted in the fail of that 8.8 Bagoros bolt. Today when just tried to screw the original bolt at 25nm directly to the fork it rapidly feels secured and the torque wrench clicks at 25 nm with no issues... But then I took another 8.8 bolt and while screwing it on top of the big nylon slider, and into the fork, it just screws in and I can't feel much resistance past maybe 17nm even though I'm still turning, maybe the nylon's elasticity is doing something ? That is exactly how I broke the first bolt, and I believe I was going to break that second one the same way if I kept turning, even though I really couldn't feel much resistance !
At the moment I got this 8.8 bolt screwed in with lithium grease to 15 nm which is still pretty firm, on top of that nylon slider and called it a day, hopefully that isn't unsafe to ride if after 1 ride or 2 it hasn't moved at all. The reason I am using lithium grease in there is simply because it came this way from the KTM dealer. Do you think it could be a good idea to remove the grease from all the threads and just mount it dry at 15 nm or so, with a good amount medium threadlock ?
On another topic, even though my experience with Bagoros has been very mixed feelings, I have only good things to say about their Premium tail tidy, a really quality product, so all is not lost !
See you around mister
@@HellGatefr2 There is huge debate around whether torque should be measured with grease or not. Some manufacturers specify, others do not. You are not screwing into the forks, you are screwing into the spindle. This bolt is a relatively low torque application. It's function is not to hold the front wheel in place - that is done by the bolts on the other side of the wheel, this bolt just stops sideways movement of the lower fork leg.
Bolts break - this is normal. It doesn't happen often but some will have a manufacturing flaw - suppliers like Bagoros or KTM don't individually test each and every bolt - testing if any is focussed on graded applications where the strength of the bolt is critical.
Another great video. Thanks!
Thanks, much appreciated
I've watched your on debaffling and stubby stock exhaust of duke 390. My question is will it sound good and perform good with out removing the catalytic converter?
Any modification will change the exhaust sound. Removing the cat will make the bike very loud. So it depends what you think good sounds like. I run without a cat but I use a baffle. There are people who think loud = good but this is rarely the case. Louder is normally good but often very loud is just a very poor sound. Think of all the really high performance vehicles out there - they sound great and they are all loud, but none of them are very loud.
Don't expect massive performance improvements on a bike like this - KTM does not sell bikes that are not already optimised for performance so changing just one thing does not have a big effect and sometimes changing just one thing can reduce power
Do you buy your replacement bolt from ktm? or have you found better quality as average clean and service costs me at least 15 quid in bolts lol
Difficult question. The bolts from KTM are terrible quality, but many of them aren't easy to find replacements for. In addition to that you need to check the rating of the bolts - there are different grades depending on how strong they have to be - the bolts that hold the calipers on for example are probably grade 8. I've seen people swap them out for stainless for cosmetic reasons, but stainless is typically weaker than steel and finding a grade 8 stainless or titanium bolt of the right grade and dimension can be difficult - and you do not want your calipers breaking free from the forks when you are emergency braking, or just jamming the front wheel randomly when a bolt snaps. There are some specialist suppliers such as probolt who make it easier to locate what you need.
you missed the pinch bolt on reinstalling the wheel, do you do them before the axle bolt?
The pinch bolts are the last thing that is done; after everything else is done and the suspension has been flexed so that the fork tubes have been settled into place. Doing them before the axle bolt is a major mistake which can result in wheel misalignment and and in worst case cause the bike to crash.
Don't you need to have the axle tightened and holding the wheel against the left fork leg in its final position before you fasten the brake caliper?
No. Torque is applied against the leg, not against the axle. The brake caliper is aligned and positioned by the machining of the fork leg, not by the position of the wheel or disk. It's common to replace the caliper after putting the wheel in place, but is a matter of convenience in reassembly, nothing more.
I have the front tire up & I’m spinning it & I can hear the brake pads rubbing against the brake disc did I tighten something to tight? It sound like steel scraping steel
It is normal for the brake pads to lightly brush against the disk - and any dirt stuck to the disk. Check the pad are properly seated and if that looks OK just pull the calliper off and check it to see if anything has moved. The bolts are supposed to be tight, so that should not be the issue.
this question is not relevant to the topic in this video, but I have to ask anyway. Do you know anything about the oil consumtion on the KTM Duke 125 2011? Does the bikes use a bit of oil over time?
Some do, some don't. I suspect that if used hard (like mine) they do tend to use a little. But I also get a little smoke on startup so I'm going to be replacing the valve stem seals at some point and see if that changes things. Overall though I don't think I've ever owned a bike that didn't use a little oil - but if you are regularly topping it up then something probably needs fixing.
Hi! Where can I purchase the correct abba stand that's in this video? I see varying types on ebay. Thanks!
Hi Callum, Abba sell two different stands (I suggest starting with their website not ebay) the superbike stand and the skylift. I have the superbike stand with the upgrade front lift (because I already had the stand). Then there are adaptors to fit the stands to individual bikes. My tyre dealer actually uses the superbike stand which they use on on a lift (the bike tyre fitter only has one arm) - and they have bikes on there all day long, so it's a robust bit of kit.
@@MotoMirius I think I will invest in the superbike stand. Sounds really good, planning on changing my front disc on my duke. Thanks mate!
Would this be the same process for the 790 duke?
It's pretty much the same process on any bike so I would expect the 790 to be similar.
@@MotoMirius that's good to know