Q. What are the things I should do to make sure my brand new KTM's engine is well maintained - Duke 390?

Keeping the engine of your motorcycle is good condition involves two things. One is not revving the nuts off it by redlining it in every gear and the second is changing the engine oil on time every time. Changing the engine oil regularly will keep all the internal parts of the engine running smoothly. The grade of oil that you put also plays a major part in keeping the engine running smoothly. Depending on the type and power of your motorcycle, you could look at upgrading to a semi synthetic or fully synthetic engine oil. These work well in both cold and hot temperatures. Refer to the owner’s manual to see which grade of oil is recommended for your motorcycle. Your motorcycle will run smoothly if you take care of it. That doesn’t mean just carrying out maintenance work but also riding properly. Braking calmly, accelerating steadily and turning smoothly will help lots of the parts on your motorcycle last longer. Remember a machine is only as good as its operator.

L**e the chain for every 400-450 kms and use the best available l**e (Eg: Motul), top up your engine oil once it drops the minimum level, keep an eye on your coolant and top up when needed. Try to maintain these 3 things, rest assured you will not be having any issues with your bike. Feed the beast properly as you feed yourself when hungry, you do it and it will take care of you.

Do not over rev it, time to time service, keep checking the coolant and oil level, cleanliness(timely washing), chain l**e and chain cleaning every 500-600 km