I’m an IT engineer who has never worked on my own bikes until I purchased a 390 Duke and found your videos . Now I’m actually getting my hands dirty thanks to you. Thanks for doing these videos , Great job 👏
Just wanted to say thank you for your videos! Just got my motorcycle license and bought my first bike (about time, I'm almost 50) and went w a used 2019 Duke 390. Your videos are incredibly helpful as I'm getting familiar with the bike and learning basic maintenance. It's one thing to see someone give a general tutorial, but to see it on the actual bike and components I'm working on gives me much more confidence to take on each project. Thanks again and keep up the great work!!! Subscribed ✅
Thanks and congratulations on working on your own bike. I completely agree about the general tutorials - they are great for people who have a good understanding of working on mechanical parts, but not so good for people who are new and aren't familiar with what they are looking at. Good luck with the bike.
THANKS for the videos.Great help for us all. Just a comment though, before any one presses the pistons back on any caliper car or motorcycle should always clean them first thoroughly.in this way we prevent damage to piston seals from dirt beeing pushed back in to the seals.
Подскажи пожалуйста, у меня вопрос не по теме. У меня на мотоцикле при движении слышится какой то шуршащий звук. Его хорошо слышно. Это нормально? Может это цепь ГРМ? Может приводная цепь трет? Я не могу понять. Это мой первый мотоцикл. KTM Duke 250
Much awaited video from your channel! 👍 It would be great if you could make a sequel vdo for the rear brakes & also bleeding brake system will sum up complete brake service. Thanks!
Need to clean the caliper as there will be dirt and rust on the piston which prevents it from moving back in. I haven't done a video on this bike, but I have on others and they are all the same.
Hi, I own a duke 250(2019 bs4 Indian model). My motorcycle came with 300mm front disks & standard brake pads, so I never got the sharp braking feedback that duke 200 or 390 offers. 1.What should I do to get the sharp braking feedback should I upgrade to 320mm disk or just change my pads to sintered pads and have the same disk? 2. Right now my brakes doesn't offer any feedback(feels numb) for the first 1.5cms of travel while pulling the lever, after that travel the bike comes to a stop (ridden 6500miles, never replaced pads). 3. Is this a problem with pads, disk or any other issues? Enjoying your content, very informative. Please help me address these issues..
320mm disc will improve braking. 2019 probably already has sintered pads - my 2017 'standard' pads are Brembo sintered, but if not then yes, change them. With regards brake feel, make sure that the caliper is thoroughly cleaned of all brake dust off the piston - if the piston has debris on it then it will be tight through the seals and you will lose feel - regular brake cleaning is very important as the most expensive brake systems will not work properly when dirty. Disc and pad upgrade will all help with feel, but if you want race track level of feel then you will need to replace the entire lever and caliper system with an expensive racing level system.
@@MotoMirius No my use is mostly in city & occasional rides. I just need the feedback which duke 390 braking system provides. 1. I will surely change the pads & clean the pistons. 2. Making a disk upgrade seems expensive with my pocket money. Let me know if upgrading the disk (after pad upgrade & piston cleaning) is still worth it and will make much difference in my experience, in that case I will do it. 3. Does duke 390 have any other braking system changes apart from the 20mm larger disks than my duke 250? 4. Can you please suggest some good brake pad brands available in India or should I use the stock 390 sintered pads? Thank you for your suggestions..
Hi David. Thanks for this cool guide, very easy to follow. Have some questions: what is that bronze coloured substance you apply while bolting the caliper back on? Is this the same thing you apply to the pad pin? What is this? And why that instead of a loctite?
Thanks. Bronze substance is heat resistant anti-seize because here salt is used in winter and it quickly corrodes brake components - in the US it would normally be silver, but in the UK bronze colour. Not loctite because KTM don't specify it, and also because the caliper gets very hot and most loctite products are heat release.
Thank you David ! Another great video 🙂 One question regarding the brake pistons - are these sealed with O-rings or something similar ? Does the gap in between the piston and the caliper block need any other care than cleaning ? My understanding is that if the pistons are really hard to move in or out - then a side effect of that would be a quite significant residual pressure on the pads even without touching the brake lever. I will dig deeper into KTM service manual (I got the DVD version) but maybe you already know this and maybe you can suggest if the gap and any eventual piston O-rings needs any lubrication ? I know it's a place where one needs to be super careful not to get any oil on the disc or on the pads - but again should these get a touch of a lubricant ? I came across some brake parts lubricants from Permatex and they seem to be intended just for this purpose ? Cheers 🙂
OK I checked some Brembo caliper disassembly guides and I have an idea how it's built internally. So I guess inside the piston seal it's only the brake fluid which is the lubricant. What can be lubed (lightly) with a high temperature silicone grease could be the piston outside the seal including the dust cover inside surface - and that only very carefully and in minimal amount of grease - not to contaminate the pads or disc. Would you agree with that ? Or would you suggest something different ?
All calipers are much the same regardless of who makes them, although the fine details of the design vary. There is a fluid seal which fits into the caliper which keeps the brake fluid inside the caliper. There is then a dust seal to keep the brake dust and dirt out - normally also fitted inside the caliper with most caliper design. Any lube will attract dust - when fitting you can lube with brake fluid to allow the piston to slide in past the seals. Backs of the brake pads normally get a smear of high temp grease as it can reduce chatter between pads and piston and can result in brake squeal. When the seals get old, hard, dirty or damaged then they tend to grip the pistons making it harder to apply the braked and stop them retracting properly resulting in drag. Regular cleaning helps stop this happening but sooner or later the seals will need changing out.
WD40 is a water dispersement fluid. You can use it in some places but it can leave an oily residue which the brake dust will stick to, so brake cleaner is the better option.
Someone is insisting there are "guide pins" I need to clean, I can't see any in this video nor in the exploded view of the caliper from KTM, am I right that there are no guide pins other than that bolt that goes through the hole in the pads?
If you do an internet search you can find many examples of torque curves for the Duke. Your question is too vague to answer - what size engine, what mods, what country, what temperature, piggyback ECU etc. The only torque value that matters is the one measured on your bike at a dyno - different dynos will produce slightly different curves depending how well they are set up, what the environment was on the day etc - this is why you are probably finding it hard to find an exact number - if you do find one it will probably be wrong. The only real meaning is as a way of tracking changes you make to your bike on the same dyno with the same operator when the environmental conditions are similar.
But the pistons did not go back, when you tried. they would not need this much force. My lower ones go in with finger pushing, upper ones dont go in at all like this, just come out when using brake lever. Why?
There are a number of factors which dictate how hard it is to push the pistons back. These include the design of the fluid channels inside the calliper, how dirty the pistons are, how large the pistons are, if there is corrosion inside the caliper seal grooves etc. It is normal to need a tool to push the pistons back in.
hi thanks for your movie.... l have KTM 125 2020 and my front brake squeaking ( not when lm breaking ny when lm rolling) I have pulled out pads clean up caliper and pads (standard pads from new ) and put them back and was ok for around 80 miles then started squeaking again 🙄 l found out one of the pads is thinner then other side if that important. What do you recommend ?
Squeaking is normally from contamination. If the pads are not wearing evenly then the caliper is probably not sliding properly and needs cleaning - but it depends how much - some uneven wear is normal as one pad hits first, so towards the end of life of the pads it would be noticable.
Threadlockers come in different forms for different purposes - and there are a lot out there. In very basic form they split between 'blue' medium threadlockers such as 243 for non critical fasteners, and 'red' high strength such as 204 which are for critical functions. However, you also need to bear in mind that threadlockers are heat release and brakes get very hot....
Thanks, glad they are helpful. I only use this for local running about and I have other bikes so it's about 5k miles (I think) - around second service point anyway.
@@MotoMirius I agree with you completely... Having said that this is my first bike HAHA Your videos have been very helpful and I hope you get more recognition soon :)
@@BhargavaJaisimha Thanks. You will find that once you've worked on the brakes a few times, you'll be able to use that knowledge on any brake system, so it's great to see you on that journey.
another random question ha, have you ever heard of duke 390’s having any issues with the swing arm bearings? recently ran into some issues with mine and was wondering if it’s common!
New one on me. Depends how old yours is though - swing arm and rear shock linkages are amongst the most commonly neglected parts on a bike and can cause issues eventually.
@@tannermeyer8136 Shouldn't get issues on a 2018 unless it's done a lot of miles. But its a service items so it should have been spotted before you did. Bearings can fail, but its an easy job to fix.
Given the bolts would snap if you applied body weight to them, it sounds like the heads are corroded to the caliper body. This is why it's important to regularly service brakes - the parts can lose their plating easily and corrosion will form. I suggest using a penetrating oil and also heat. Sometimes there is no alternative but to cut the heads off and fit new bolts, but this should be a final resort. Good luck.
@@MotoMirius the service where I am is too lousy. They don’t even change fork oil, I had a oil seal burst and they just repaired and TOPPED up the dirty oil. Today just I dismantled whole front, and had to used RE GT650 fork oil. The screws did open with wd40 😅😅. Does duke 250 euro bs4 pull toward left if the wheels weights are gone?? But really thank you for video atleast I knew what was I doing 😇😇
@@dhruvsingh2666 Well done! This is how I learnt to do it myself. Wheel weights need to reset each time the tyre is changed or if tyre or rim damaged. If the front wheel is not balanced you may feel additional vibration in the handlebars. So long as you have allowed the forks to bounce before tightening up the forks and wheels it should not pull left or right! :)
I'm sorry for such a negative comment. It's not for the author. It's for the manufacturer. The quality of the brakes is only a name. Every time you pass a puddle, the brakes stop after a while because the cylinders that have to run are open and they need to be washed and exercised again. This is a real load of crap..😅
I have no issues with these brakes in the wet - no change in performance. Sounds like you have an issue to be fixed. I recommend making sure you are running sintered pads (stock for many countries) if you aren't already.
@@MotoMirius Hello that's why it's bad because the motorcycle is 2 years old. everything is still original. I will change the repair kit for the next season, maybe I will forget about this problem for a while.thanks for the reply
I’m an IT engineer who has never worked on my own bikes until I purchased a 390 Duke and found your videos . Now I’m actually getting my hands dirty thanks to you. Thanks for doing these videos , Great job 👏
Thanks Derek, glad to be of help and fantastic that you have made that step.
Just wanted to say thank you for your videos! Just got my motorcycle license and bought my first bike (about time, I'm almost 50) and went w a used 2019 Duke 390. Your videos are incredibly helpful as I'm getting familiar with the bike and learning basic maintenance. It's one thing to see someone give a general tutorial, but to see it on the actual bike and components I'm working on gives me much more confidence to take on each project. Thanks again and keep up the great work!!! Subscribed ✅
Thanks and congratulations on working on your own bike. I completely agree about the general tutorials - they are great for people who have a good understanding of working on mechanical parts, but not so good for people who are new and aren't familiar with what they are looking at. Good luck with the bike.
Best break cleaning video class i have ever seen and searched. Very nice and well explained. Thank you
Glad it was helpful! Thanks!
THANKS for the videos.Great help for us all. Just a comment though, before any one presses the pistons back on any caliper car or motorcycle should always clean them first thoroughly.in this way we prevent damage to piston seals from dirt beeing pushed back in to the seals.
Looks like a simple little caliper to me. Easy work. Love the No4 Enfield on the top shelf too! 👍🏻
Thanks. It's a nice little four pot Brembo caliper. Love when you can easily just pull the pads and pins. Nice ID, reminds me of being younger!
Подскажи пожалуйста, у меня вопрос не по теме. У меня на мотоцикле при движении слышится какой то шуршащий звук. Его хорошо слышно. Это нормально? Может это цепь ГРМ? Может приводная цепь трет? Я не могу понять. Это мой первый мотоцикл. KTM Duke 250
Much awaited video from your channel! 👍
It would be great if you could make a sequel vdo for the rear brakes & also bleeding brake system will sum up complete brake service. Thanks!
Thanks. Rear brake will be coming up soon, bleeding will be after that.
Bro thank you so much for this video, i needed to switch my rotors and pads. This helped alot 💯
Glad it helped. Skäl David
Всегда с интересом смотрю твои видео. Они очень полезны для меня. У меня куплен KTM Duke 250.
Хороший выбор, 250 - хороший мотоцикл. Спасибо
I can’t seem to compress the pistons on my front brake calliper. Even How hard i press, solitions?
Need to clean the caliper as there will be dirt and rust on the piston which prevents it from moving back in. I haven't done a video on this bike, but I have on others and they are all the same.
@@MotoMirius thanks mate
@@MotoMirius could you tag me or send I link to the videos? I could not find any.
Hi, I own a duke 250(2019 bs4 Indian model). My motorcycle came with 300mm front disks & standard brake pads, so I never got the sharp braking feedback that duke 200 or 390 offers.
1.What should I do to get the sharp braking feedback should I upgrade to 320mm disk or just change my pads to sintered pads and have the same disk?
2. Right now my brakes doesn't offer any feedback(feels numb) for the first 1.5cms of travel while pulling the lever, after that travel the bike comes to a stop (ridden 6500miles, never replaced pads).
3. Is this a problem with pads, disk or any other issues?
Enjoying your content, very informative. Please help me address these issues..
320mm disc will improve braking. 2019 probably already has sintered pads - my 2017 'standard' pads are Brembo sintered, but if not then yes, change them. With regards brake feel, make sure that the caliper is thoroughly cleaned of all brake dust off the piston - if the piston has debris on it then it will be tight through the seals and you will lose feel - regular brake cleaning is very important as the most expensive brake systems will not work properly when dirty. Disc and pad upgrade will all help with feel, but if you want race track level of feel then you will need to replace the entire lever and caliper system with an expensive racing level system.
@@MotoMirius
No my use is mostly in city & occasional rides. I just need the feedback which duke 390 braking system provides.
1. I will surely change the pads & clean the pistons.
2. Making a disk upgrade seems expensive with my pocket money. Let me know if upgrading the disk (after pad upgrade & piston cleaning) is still worth it and will make much difference in my experience, in that case I will do it.
3. Does duke 390 have any other braking system changes apart from the 20mm larger disks than my duke 250?
4. Can you please suggest some good brake pad brands available in India or should I use the stock 390 sintered pads?
Thank you for your suggestions..
Make sure the brakes are working properly and clean. You have the same braking system as the 390. Check the pads and. Consider upgrading the disk
And of course bleed the brakes if you have not done so.
Hi, 390's sintered pads are a direct fit and work flawlessly on my 250. No need to change the disk and Will cost rs1750 only.
Thank you very much! Helped alot i had no clue how to service my brakes
Glad it was of help.
Hi David.
Thanks for this cool guide, very easy to follow.
Have some questions: what is that bronze coloured substance you apply while bolting the caliper back on? Is this the same thing you apply to the pad pin? What is this? And why that instead of a loctite?
Thanks. Bronze substance is heat resistant anti-seize because here salt is used in winter and it quickly corrodes brake components - in the US it would normally be silver, but in the UK bronze colour. Not loctite because KTM don't specify it, and also because the caliper gets very hot and most loctite products are heat release.
@@MotoMirius thanks for your reply!
Great video. Love british accent. I'll do the same to my KTM. 👋🏼 From Arg 🇦🇷
Thanks, much appreciated and good luck with that!
Thank you for sharing this video.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you David ! Another great video 🙂 One question regarding the brake pistons - are these sealed with O-rings or something similar ? Does the gap in between the piston and the caliper block need any other care than cleaning ? My understanding is that if the pistons are really hard to move in or out - then a side effect of that would be a quite significant residual pressure on the pads even without touching the brake lever. I will dig deeper into KTM service manual (I got the DVD version) but maybe you already know this and maybe you can suggest if the gap and any eventual piston O-rings needs any lubrication ? I know it's a place where one needs to be super careful not to get any oil on the disc or on the pads - but again should these get a touch of a lubricant ? I came across some brake parts lubricants from Permatex and they seem to be intended just for this purpose ? Cheers 🙂
OK I checked some Brembo caliper disassembly guides and I have an idea how it's built internally. So I guess inside the piston seal it's only the brake fluid which is the lubricant. What can be lubed (lightly) with a high temperature silicone grease could be the piston outside the seal including the dust cover inside surface - and that only very carefully and in minimal amount of grease - not to contaminate the pads or disc. Would you agree with that ? Or would you suggest something different ?
Or maybe these Bybre calipers do not have dust covers at all ? I guess I need to check the service manual... Cheers 🙂
All calipers are much the same regardless of who makes them, although the fine details of the design vary. There is a fluid seal which fits into the caliper which keeps the brake fluid inside the caliper. There is then a dust seal to keep the brake dust and dirt out - normally also fitted inside the caliper with most caliper design. Any lube will attract dust - when fitting you can lube with brake fluid to allow the piston to slide in past the seals. Backs of the brake pads normally get a smear of high temp grease as it can reduce chatter between pads and piston and can result in brake squeal. When the seals get old, hard, dirty or damaged then they tend to grip the pistons making it harder to apply the braked and stop them retracting properly resulting in drag. Regular cleaning helps stop this happening but sooner or later the seals will need changing out.
I would have used the lever to push the pistons out a bit so you could remove the dirt ring around the piston while the pads were out.
Which is what I suggested doing in the video. Depends how often you clean and so forth.
Hi Mirius
Can I just use normal 4WD spray to clean the brake pad the all the parts around that? Or there is other better option ?
WD40 is a water dispersement fluid. You can use it in some places but it can leave an oily residue which the brake dust will stick to, so brake cleaner is the better option.
Someone is insisting there are "guide pins" I need to clean, I can't see any in this video nor in the exploded view of the caliper from KTM, am I right that there are no guide pins other than that bolt that goes through the hole in the pads?
Yes, on the front brake there is only the one guide pin which is the bolt through the middle.
Does anyone know what is the springy thing for?
Is it just for keeping the pads from rattling?
It helps to keep the pads aligned as they move in and out, reducing the risk of a pad jamming, and as a side benefit they reduce any rattling.
Thank you so much for your videos…. They are the best
Glad you like them! Thanks
Sir where I get the torque settings number of motorcycle ktm Duke ?? Pls help me out I can't find any way
If you do an internet search you can find many examples of torque curves for the Duke. Your question is too vague to answer - what size engine, what mods, what country, what temperature, piggyback ECU etc. The only torque value that matters is the one measured on your bike at a dyno - different dynos will produce slightly different curves depending how well they are set up, what the environment was on the day etc - this is why you are probably finding it hard to find an exact number - if you do find one it will probably be wrong. The only real meaning is as a way of tracking changes you make to your bike on the same dyno with the same operator when the environmental conditions are similar.
Can you please tell me why my 390 makes a wratteling noise when I pull the clutch in 👍
Is that normal
Not normal unless you are riding a Ducati.
@@MotoMirius and that would need to be a Ducati with a dry clutch ;-)
Teşekkür ediyorum sayenizde hemen balata ları temizledim
Teşekkür ederim. Bunu yaptığın için aferin!
Hi, what is the torque for the guiding pin? It’s not stated in service manual. Thanks
There is no torque value for it, just snug it up tight and do not overtighten it.
But the pistons did not go back, when you tried. they would not need this much force. My lower ones go in with finger pushing, upper ones dont go in at all like this, just come out when using brake lever. Why?
There are a number of factors which dictate how hard it is to push the pistons back. These include the design of the fluid channels inside the calliper, how dirty the pistons are, how large the pistons are, if there is corrosion inside the caliper seal grooves etc. It is normal to need a tool to push the pistons back in.
@@MotoMirius Lower ones went in easy, upper ones i had to push realli equally from surface, just a little tilt and they got stuck. Thx.
hi thanks for your movie.... l have KTM 125 2020
and my front brake squeaking ( not when lm breaking ny when lm rolling) I have pulled out pads clean up caliper and pads (standard pads from new ) and put them back and was ok for around 80 miles then started squeaking again 🙄 l found out one of the pads is thinner then other side if that important. What do you recommend ?
Squeaking is normally from contamination. If the pads are not wearing evenly then the caliper is probably not sliding properly and needs cleaning - but it depends how much - some uneven wear is normal as one pad hits first, so towards the end of life of the pads it would be noticable.
@@MotoMirius thanks :)
Only the caliper bolts is documented in manual to have loctite 204? everything else that needs loctite is 243? are they interchangeable?
Threadlockers come in different forms for different purposes - and there are a lot out there. In very basic form they split between 'blue' medium threadlockers such as 243 for non critical fasteners, and 'red' high strength such as 204 which are for critical functions. However, you also need to bear in mind that threadlockers are heat release and brakes get very hot....
@@MotoMirius The red Loctite is more heat-resistant, isn't it ?
How many mi/km do you have on your duke 390? Also these videos have been so helpful!
Thanks, glad they are helpful. I only use this for local running about and I have other bikes so it's about 5k miles (I think) - around second service point anyway.
Bonjour auriez vous les couples de serrage pour la clef dynamométrique svp
Salut, oui, ils sont dans la description de la vidéo: Torque settings: Brake caliper bolts 30 Nm
@@MotoMiriusmerci beaucoup
Thank you so much for this!
It seems a lot easier than I thought it would be TBH.....
I always appreciate a well designed unit that is easy to work on.
@@MotoMirius I agree with you completely...
Having said that this is my first bike HAHA
Your videos have been very helpful and I hope you get more recognition soon :)
@@BhargavaJaisimha Thanks. You will find that once you've worked on the brakes a few times, you'll be able to use that knowledge on any brake system, so it's great to see you on that journey.
What liquid your using to clean those break pads..
You can use soap and water, or as I did, brake cleaner.
another random question ha, have you ever heard of duke 390’s having any issues with the swing arm bearings? recently ran into some issues with mine and was wondering if it’s common!
New one on me. Depends how old yours is though - swing arm and rear shock linkages are amongst the most commonly neglected parts on a bike and can cause issues eventually.
@@MotoMirius my duke is a 2018 model, thanks again for the help i really appreciate it!
@@tannermeyer8136 Shouldn't get issues on a 2018 unless it's done a lot of miles. But its a service items so it should have been spotted before you did. Bearings can fail, but its an easy job to fix.
Hi Bro is that Trox T30 to displace the brake pads from caliper ?
Hi yes, it is
I need a front wheel slider just like yours. Where did you get it?
These are from Bagoros Performance
My brake screws are shut tight I mean I can stand and screw won’t open. Help
Given the bolts would snap if you applied body weight to them, it sounds like the heads are corroded to the caliper body. This is why it's important to regularly service brakes - the parts can lose their plating easily and corrosion will form. I suggest using a penetrating oil and also heat. Sometimes there is no alternative but to cut the heads off and fit new bolts, but this should be a final resort. Good luck.
@@MotoMirius the service where I am is too lousy. They don’t even change fork oil, I had a oil seal burst and they just repaired and TOPPED up the dirty oil. Today just I dismantled whole front, and had to used RE GT650 fork oil. The screws did open with wd40 😅😅. Does duke 250 euro bs4 pull toward left if the wheels weights are gone?? But really thank you for video atleast I knew what was I doing 😇😇
@@dhruvsingh2666 Well done! This is how I learnt to do it myself. Wheel weights need to reset each time the tyre is changed or if tyre or rim damaged. If the front wheel is not balanced you may feel additional vibration in the handlebars. So long as you have allowed the forks to bounce before tightening up the forks and wheels it should not pull left or right! :)
@@MotoMirius oh that is new I will check it out
En español como se podría traducir 🥺
Si activa los subtítulos, debería tener una opción de traducción automática, que le dará el español.
👍👍👍👍👍👍
I'm sorry for such a negative comment. It's not for the author. It's for the manufacturer. The quality of the brakes is only a name. Every time you pass a puddle, the brakes stop after a while because the cylinders that have to run are open and they need to be washed and exercised again. This is a real load of crap..😅
I have no issues with these brakes in the wet - no change in performance. Sounds like you have an issue to be fixed. I recommend making sure you are running sintered pads (stock for many countries) if you aren't already.
@@MotoMirius Hello that's why it's bad because the motorcycle is 2 years old. everything is still original. I will change the repair kit for the next season, maybe I will forget about this problem for a while.thanks for the reply
How often have you serviced the brakes? I have owned mine since 2018 and I have never had this problem. @@andriucha7254
This is not normal, i have 30000km on my Duke and been riding even in a flood once (caliper covered by water), never had anything like that.