Why separate Andreani cartridges for installation?


New Member
I'm thinking about replacing stock cartridges in a 2019 Duke 390 with Andreani inserts.

Duke service manual describes for leg disassembly as fairly simple:
1. Unscrew the top cap
2. Drain the oil
3. Remove the bottom screw under the fork leg
4. Slide the entire cartridge out

The installation manual for the 105/kt7e describes more steps
1. Unscrew the top cap
2. Split the internals to remove the spring (this requires a special tool and, from what I've read, heating up some red loctite)
3. Remove the top part of the internals and the spring
4. Drain the oil
5. Remove the bottom screw under the fork leg
6. Slide the bottom part of the internals out

Both instructions describe installation as more or less the reverse of disassembly.

Why would I need to separate the fork internals and install them in steps? It looks like the Andreani inserts come as a pre-assembled cartridge unit, with the spring installed, and the post-2017 Dukes have cartridges that should come out as a unit as well..

Or are these Andreani instructions for older models (pre-2017), with damper rod stock internals? I've checked the manual for 105/kt2e (for the older Duke 390) and it has the same steps and pictures.
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Supporting Vendor
You either have the cartridge bolt in the bottom of your fork for the 105/kt7e kit or you don't then you get the 105/kt2 kit. I think with a 2019 you get the 105/kt7e and very simple install.


New Member
Thanks, I'll check if I have the bolt. Do I understand correctly that all those posts about having to break red loctite and fabricate tools to split the damping rod etc. are for kt2e, and with kt7e it should be as easy as described in the KTM repair manual?

Also, Andreani's installation PDF manual says:

"Make the oil level (...) respecting the air-chamber values given in the last page of this manual"

But there's no value given on the last page. Will there be a different manual delivered with the actual cartridges? How will I know what level I should be aiming at?