Long-Term KTM RC390: Race Prep!

WRIST: Ari Henning
MSRP: (2015): $5,499
MILES: 2,966
MPG: 57
MODS: Motion Pro throttle

Oh man, what have I done? It’s Thursday morning and the RC390 is pretty thoroughly taken apart. And I’m due to race it in two days’ time!

I've got the bike partially disassembled (again!) so that I can replace the throttle assembly with a newly released quick-turn REV2 unit from Motion Pro ($165; motionpro.com). Smooth throttle inputs are always important, but on low-output bikes like the RC you want to get to 100 percent throttle as soon as possible. This quick-turn kit is just the trick, and it has interchangeable reels so I can dial in the throttle action.

However, the stock throttle housing incorporates the kill switch and starter button, so I had to break out the soldering iron and wire up an aftermarket switch. That entailed digging into the wiring harness under the tank. Big thanks to DCMoney over at rc390-forum.com for the wiring diagram—I would have been lost without it.

Once I get the bike back together, it'll be off to Chuckwalla for some racing with CVMA. First and foremost, this weekend is about having fun. I'll use the track time to get my fix of knee dragging, but I'll also be experimenting with the settings on the Andreani fork cartridges (click here to see the Andreani fork kit update) and JRi shock (click here to see the JRi shock update), as well as trying out some ride-height changes, all in an effort to improve the KTM's handling at turn-in and mid corner.

Check back next week for onboard video, a race report, and more information on the parts we've put on the long-term RC390. Now, I've got to get this bike back together!