Texas250
New Member
So after a trip to my investment guy on the CBR250R ABS, I decided to stop by the KTM Dealer right by my house on the way home. When I got there a RC390 was chained up by the front door with scrubbed in tires. I went in and talk to the owner. He said he had been riding it and I was free to give it a demo ride, so being kitted up, with insurance and license on me I redily accepted. Thanks to KTM of North Texas.
The bike had about 150 miles on it. First impression: about the same as the IMS cycle I saw. The front turn signals look like an afterthought. When they were in the mirror stalks that was cool. The big US DOT front signals look wonky where they are, such is life. I see Euro/AU signals will be a popular and much sought after change. The rear signals are larger too, but they looked fine. I like the day time running lights in the beak, but they are not very bright.
Ok the good. Nice and light, very good menuverability like the 250 I'm on. Nice power, not a huge amount down low, not much faster that my CBR down low, but runs up nice after say 5000 rpms. Lots of power for the highway, I only got it up to 120kph, yes all the gauges were in kilometers, but at 75mph/120kph there seemed to be plenty, where the 250 starts to lose steam. Brakes were fine, better than my CBR, especially the rear. The riding position is nice, not SS but not so upright like my 250, good leg room. Shifted down multiple gears with one clutch pull if you got caught out going too slow. Diablo Rosso II tires, why can't all the small bikes have good rubber from the start? Gear position indicator, every bike should have one. Elapsed time on the cycle was cool, the owner said take 20 minutes and I kept it under that. Suspension wasn't as soft as I expected and I don't know what the rear was set on, but it seemed nice for the street.
The not so good. The idle is rough, knocky, unrefined, and it doesn't get any better all the way to redline, nor does it get worse. I thought my thumper CBR was bad, after the KTM, I belive the Honda is the model of refinement. When I started my CBR to leave I could barely feel the engine. Clutch pull was heavy, like a lot. Transmission was clunky and made a loud clunk going into first every time, neutral was a little hard to find a couple of times, and was generally louder and unrefined switching gears than on my CBR, even when the CBR was new. Tach is really small, like practically useless. I couldn't tell how close to redline I was because the scale goes so far past redline, and it was shaking around so much. If it turned red up there I couldn't tell, hense the red shift light, a good idea. It ran hot, I could feel the heat on my legs, in my leather one piece. The gauge was one bar from the top in the normal range before the extra 2 bars that are higher, and this was on a cloudy day about 70 degrees. What happens when it hits 100 plus here in Texas? My CBR has never had more or less than 3 bars with 5 above that in any weather. The seat is really bad, it feels padded, but when I sat on it, it felt like a vinyl cover piece of plywood. I could feel the edges too through my leathers, and I am 170 lbs without gear. Uh 43 or 44 hp? No I don't think so. Duke390s dyno at 35whp, so does a 39hp Ninja 300. I saw where one of the parts makers did a 40.5whp base run on a RC, but I would wait for more results. I had a 50hp, 400 plus pound 91 Suzuki GS500E, and the KTM wasn't even close to that. I know the RC was green but I expected more.
Overall: a beautiful exotic looking machine with a nice chassis and brakes, in need of a more refined power train. The price is ok. I was told MSRP plus freight and T,T&L, although they wouldn't give me a firm break down. The owner said a touch over $6400 OTD. MSRP plus $450 freight and tax/title would be about that. Will I get one? Sadly no. Just too unrefined and hot running, everything else I could deal with. Tomorrow and Saturday is the Yamaha Demo day, so I will ride the R3 tomorrow.
As I feel I have nothing else to contribute to this forum, I will resign my place on here and wish you all well and the best of luck in your adventures.
The bike had about 150 miles on it. First impression: about the same as the IMS cycle I saw. The front turn signals look like an afterthought. When they were in the mirror stalks that was cool. The big US DOT front signals look wonky where they are, such is life. I see Euro/AU signals will be a popular and much sought after change. The rear signals are larger too, but they looked fine. I like the day time running lights in the beak, but they are not very bright.
Ok the good. Nice and light, very good menuverability like the 250 I'm on. Nice power, not a huge amount down low, not much faster that my CBR down low, but runs up nice after say 5000 rpms. Lots of power for the highway, I only got it up to 120kph, yes all the gauges were in kilometers, but at 75mph/120kph there seemed to be plenty, where the 250 starts to lose steam. Brakes were fine, better than my CBR, especially the rear. The riding position is nice, not SS but not so upright like my 250, good leg room. Shifted down multiple gears with one clutch pull if you got caught out going too slow. Diablo Rosso II tires, why can't all the small bikes have good rubber from the start? Gear position indicator, every bike should have one. Elapsed time on the cycle was cool, the owner said take 20 minutes and I kept it under that. Suspension wasn't as soft as I expected and I don't know what the rear was set on, but it seemed nice for the street.
The not so good. The idle is rough, knocky, unrefined, and it doesn't get any better all the way to redline, nor does it get worse. I thought my thumper CBR was bad, after the KTM, I belive the Honda is the model of refinement. When I started my CBR to leave I could barely feel the engine. Clutch pull was heavy, like a lot. Transmission was clunky and made a loud clunk going into first every time, neutral was a little hard to find a couple of times, and was generally louder and unrefined switching gears than on my CBR, even when the CBR was new. Tach is really small, like practically useless. I couldn't tell how close to redline I was because the scale goes so far past redline, and it was shaking around so much. If it turned red up there I couldn't tell, hense the red shift light, a good idea. It ran hot, I could feel the heat on my legs, in my leather one piece. The gauge was one bar from the top in the normal range before the extra 2 bars that are higher, and this was on a cloudy day about 70 degrees. What happens when it hits 100 plus here in Texas? My CBR has never had more or less than 3 bars with 5 above that in any weather. The seat is really bad, it feels padded, but when I sat on it, it felt like a vinyl cover piece of plywood. I could feel the edges too through my leathers, and I am 170 lbs without gear. Uh 43 or 44 hp? No I don't think so. Duke390s dyno at 35whp, so does a 39hp Ninja 300. I saw where one of the parts makers did a 40.5whp base run on a RC, but I would wait for more results. I had a 50hp, 400 plus pound 91 Suzuki GS500E, and the KTM wasn't even close to that. I know the RC was green but I expected more.
Overall: a beautiful exotic looking machine with a nice chassis and brakes, in need of a more refined power train. The price is ok. I was told MSRP plus freight and T,T&L, although they wouldn't give me a firm break down. The owner said a touch over $6400 OTD. MSRP plus $450 freight and tax/title would be about that. Will I get one? Sadly no. Just too unrefined and hot running, everything else I could deal with. Tomorrow and Saturday is the Yamaha Demo day, so I will ride the R3 tomorrow.
As I feel I have nothing else to contribute to this forum, I will resign my place on here and wish you all well and the best of luck in your adventures.
