What Bike Thread (Green Laner)

[Husky610]

My Husky is up for sale on fleabay, stick some knobblies on it and your good to go!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300734484436?ssPageName=...

[Fats25]

redtwin said:

This place is going downhill. In the past, the overwhelming recommendation would have been for a KTM.

KTM...........



Loads of posts from myself and 3DoorPete on this if you do a search. DRZ is a great dual purpose bike, i.e. I need to get to work on a 20 mile commute, and want to try some laning at the weekend. KTM* is the bike if it is just a toy to use at weekends.

People are scared of the servicing on KTM's and other bikes, but it is nothing to worry about. It takes 1 hour to do a full service on them including oil, filters, and all other checks. As Pete will tell you - the time he saved on servicing his DRZ, he spent fixing it in other ways from constantly dropping it.


* Other bikes are available like WR, Husky, Bergs, Beta, Sherco, CRF etc - but they are not in the same league!

[SherpaRob]

pozi said:

I already have a supposedly more reliable LC4 engined KTM Supermoto which just had to have its cam bearings replaced at 6,500 miles so I know the joy and pain of orange ownership.

What oil were you using ??

[redtwin]

Fats25 said:

redtwin said:

This place is going downhill. In the past, the overwhelming recommendation would have been for a KTM.

KTM...........

You can be my BFF.

[hman]

Last weekend I did a days MX jump and track training on the Beta, it got a lot of interest from others who only know the major MX brands.

When I detailled that it was a KTM engine in a Beta frame there were sharp intakes of breath and "ooh they go bang all the time"

The fact my bike has 5000 miles on it and no rebuild as yet didnt seem to convince them otherwise.

Then... Lo and Behold - one of the Kawasakis blew its big end out catastrohically when do ing repeated practice racing starts -ha ha ha ha ha.

• Mine dumped its coolant at one point but still...

[Scooby72]

hman said:

TTR 250

WR 250

Basically anything with an electric start- you'll get pissed off quick with kicking over a 4 stroke which has fallen over and or trying to kickstart a bike in a precarious position.


TTR's are indestructable (I tried oh I tried) - just buy a blue one not a white one as a lot of the issues were sorted when they switched designs to the blue bikes.

450 would be the next stage up - just like you didnt buy a 1000cc bike as your first road bike without expecting it to be in control of you most of the time.

I currently greenlane & enduro a beta 450 which is a left field choice I'll admit but at least its not orange.

Listen to this man, he knows what he's talking about.

[pozi]

SherpaRob said:

pozi said:

I already have a supposedly more reliable LC4 engined KTM Supermoto which just had to have its cam bearings replaced at 6,500 miles so I know the joy and pain of orange ownership.

What oil were you using ??

A variety of branded 10W-50 off road specific oil changed often less than every 1000 miles, the issue is more a design fault though because the valve gear is lubricated by a splash feed from the cam chain.

Cam chain on the left, cam bearing on the right with the exhaust and intake vales running off roller bearings above the camshaft are a weak spot.

It starts off as an annoying rattle but leave the seized roller bearing for too long and it eats the camshaft and rocker cover.

I realise I am slightly off topic from the OP so if anyone with the 640/625/660 KTM LC4 is interested there is more info here;

http://www.ktmforum.co.uk/supermoto/96357-625-cam-...

There are also reports that the LC4 690 engine has a similar problem so KTM have yet to learn.

However riding it gives me the most smiles per mile so what can you do !!

[LiamB]

Husqvarna!

Not that I'm biased.