The KTM RC390 thread

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Crap ... the RC390 is doomed, because one guy didn't like the headlights and couldn't deal with vibrations so he traded in for Ninja 300. My dreams are shattered ... :-(
 
I take any forum posts like that as fake.
Regardless, the one big issue KTM has to deal with is the price. With the Yamaha R3 at $4999, they really cannot justify a higher price for a single.
 
on second thought........
 
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bakaboy said:
???
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I levelled an insult which was better left unsaid. It would have added value to this thread imho but I doubt anybody else would see it that way. Not people enthusiastically reading this type of thread anyway.
 
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Lost me. An insult at KTM?

How would that hurt any feelings?

inreb said:
I levelled an insult which was better left unsaid. It would have added value to this thread imho but I doubt anybody else would see it that way. Not people enthusiastically reading this type of thread anyway.
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CafeRay said:
I take any forum posts like that as fake.
Regardless, the one big issue KTM has to deal with is the price. With the Yamaha R3 at $4999, they really cannot justify a higher price for a single.
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What, posts you don't like? That poster seemed to be pretty level about his experience:

--Headlights look bad (they do), but I think he means they illuminate poorly.
--Couldn't get used to the vibrations (understandable with a 400cc single and the 690 also has a reputation for numbing hands).
--Engine wouldn't start/run properly when cold and the dealer was unable to fix the problem.

Not really damning by motorcycle standards and probably expected from a KTM, at least from what can be gathered from the numerous complaint threads on KTM forums. We all complain all the time, yet the internet is a giant ball of feelings waiting to be hurt.

Edit: Can't spell today.
 
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bakaboy said:
And Motoamerica RC390 Cup announced
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5e38582b6a3013cf28fac6c964ee132c.jpg
 
I really want one but the one thing that turns me off... unless I'm wrong, that subframe isn't replacable. That's a big problem for racing.
 
I am not sure whether it is or not, but what's wrong with the stock one? ... for the type of racing it is intended to do.
 
CafeRay said:
Regardless, the one big issue KTM has to deal with is the price. With the Yamaha R3 at $4999, they really cannot justify a higher price for a single.
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I don't think they are losing any sleep over R3 ... it's just Internet crowds placing emphases on number of cylinders and spark plugs vs. price. Remember they are not selling you just an engine, but a complete bike. I would take the RC390 over R3 any day and at slightly higher price.
 
The problem is if you crash and bend the tail section it isn't designed to come off the frame and be replaced separately.

mxs said:
I am not sure whether it is or not, but what's wrong with the stock one? ... for the type of racing it is intended to do.
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Exactly. Imagine having to replace the whole frame for a minor crash, or send the bike to a machine shop to have it re-bent or cut and welded. Any way you look at it, it's not a good thing for racing. Replacing a whole frame is probably an 8 hour job for two people.
 
The bike is not originally designed as a race bike. Most smaller bikes with steel frames are like that. The priority is on the 99% who won't race them and are more interested in a lower price.

Besides ... for crash sturdiness, I would take a steel trellis frame over a welded-pressed-aluminum one any day, and *especially* over one of the newfangled thin-wall cast subframes that some bikes are using. The steel frame will take quite a bit of abuse and still be serviceable. Cast aluminum will crack easily.
 
Shaman said:
Exactly. Imagine having to replace the whole frame for a minor crash, or send the bike to a machine shop to have it re-bent or cut and welded. Any way you look at it, it's not a good thing for racing. Replacing a whole frame is probably an 8 hour job for two people.
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Minor crash will not bend the beefy subframe (looks pretty beefy to me) beyond an easy repair. You would not be the first one buying it and putting it through its paces ... They already have a year under belt in Europe without any reports of mass frame replacements due to bent subframes ....

Just don't cartwheel it and you will be fine ... LOL
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