Help! What to do with my KTM?

[Jayy]

Want a new bike in the next 6 weeks or so and the KTM needs some work doing on it. So, two weeks ago, I arranged for Robinsons in Rochdale (An ex KTM dealer but with 20 years experience on them) to pick it up.

They picked it up on Tuesday 8th March after trying to arrange a pickup for 10 days previous to that (kept fobbing me off). I let 4/5 days go by before ringing them and they hadn't looked at it. Then all of last week I phoned up every day asking when they would be looking at it and kept getting fobbed off with excuses about them having mechanics off sick and new bikes being more of a priority.

Finally, got fed up with it today and told them I want it back. They will be dropping it off on Wednesday, so they say.

This now leaves me back to square one, the bike still needs some work doing on it (it's losing power, not sure what it is).

What should I do? Most bike places won't touch it because it's a KTM and there's not many KTM dealers remotely close to me. I want to sell it but don't want to sell the bike with the mechanical problems it has.

Should I list it private with the problems on there and price it accordingly? Bare in mind I don't know the cause of the power loss so wouldn't know how much to knock off the bike?

Any help/advice would be appriciated, I just want an IL4 sports bike again, less trouble and I kind of miss having one.

[bacon]

Describe the issues you are having in more detail and maybe you can sort it yourself with some bcf help?

[stevekingchef]

Hi


What ktm is it

What bike u after?

[Jayy]

One of the issues seems to be with the clutch, when I start it and it's in neutral, I put it into first gear and I have to get the very slightest bite on the clutch to set off. If I do it more quickly it will stall. When I do start to get the bite and it rolls forward and give it a little bit of throttle, it makes a wierd kind of screech noise like it's rubbing on something? Just for a spit second, kind of goes "URRRK" then it goes on it's way.

The other issue is it seems to be losing power, if I was to slip the clutch to wheelie it, it doesn't like it at all, just loses the power as soon as I let the clutch out and won't do anything. It doesn't accelerate properly either.

It needs new brake pads front and back (easy enough to do) but maybe that's causing some impact on the setting off issue and maybe the screech noise? I don't know.

Needs an oil and filter change which I can get a friend to do (TUG).

[Jayy]

[MaybeGuy]

notched clutch basket, hence the URRKK, and worn clutch plates from fail wheelies.
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Blue_SV650S wrote: it was a sh1te wheelie, but it proves that he can get it up in 3rd and can do angles. In summery, mattsprattuk is a gobby little sh1tebag, dopehead tw4t, but sadly for all of us, he probably isn't THAT full of sh1te!!
Kickstart wrote: Hi I tend to agree with Matt. All the best Keith

[Jayy]

What's the damage there then Matt? What would need replacing?

[woll]

New clutch plates, possibly a new clutch basket
____________________
Current Bike- Suzuki DRZ400 SM K6
Previous bikes - Derbi Senda Xtreme50r, Honda CBR 125, Kawasaki ZZR 250, Yamaha DT125R, Suzuki Bandit 600, Gas gas ec 250, Honda CBR600FW
Damaged spleen, damaged kindey, 2 popped lungs, 2 broken ribs, broken face, broken wrist and 5 back fractures... remember kids walls hurt

[Jayy]

Will have to look into that, is it a big job?

[CRF_Rider]

sounds like it may also be bogging down a little too on the throttle. if your in rochdale then i think the nearest is Eurotek KTM in ripon. good place, decent service, although rather expensive.
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Why is it everything i race, seems to be going backwards?
Current: Honda CRF 450 R Supermotard
Previous: Yam TY250 x2, Gas Gas TXT 200, Sherco 290, Suzuki TS 50,Honda CG 125, Yam SR250, Suzuki DR-Z400E, Yamaha YZF R6 112rwbhp

[Tristan.]

Small job. Clutch basket migh be expensive though

[MaybeGuy]

you can just file a clutch basket smooth again.
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Blue_SV650S wrote: it was a sh1te wheelie, but it proves that he can get it up in 3rd and can do angles. In summery, mattsprattuk is a gobby little sh1tebag, dopehead tw4t, but sadly for all of us, he probably isn't THAT full of sh1te!!
Kickstart wrote: Hi I tend to agree with Matt. All the best Keith

[Tristan.]

Wouldn't that just give you chatter between the friction plate tabs and the basket fingers?

[Jayy]

Not in Rochdale, from Wigan... according to the manual it says:-

Engine will not reach full power

Cause: Fuel supply partically interrupted or carburetor dirty
Remedy: Clean and check fuel system as well as carburetor

Cause: Float leaks
Remedy: Replace the float

Cause: Defective membrane of slide
Remedy: Replace membrane

Cause: Carburetor leaking
Remedy: Check vacuum hose and venting hoses of carburetor for correct position (no kinks)

Cause: Air filter very dirty
Remedy: Clean or replace air filter

Cause: Valve clearance too small
Remedy: Have valve clearance adjusted

Cause: Loss of compression because hand compressor has no play
Remedy: Check setting of the hand compression cable

Cause: Electronic ignition timing faulty
Remedy: Have ignition system checked

[0l0dom0l0]

There is some good points there I would look through first.

You might find that a decent service ie@

Oil filter, plugs, air filter, oil, carb clean + balance. Give it a new set of brake pads and clean the calipers all round. Also clean all the electrical connections to and from coil and battery.

The see if the noise still persists. If so, take it apart and have a look at the basket and plates, then replace parts as required!

Best way of doing it tbh. I'd start with a decent service though.
____________________
CBT Passed: 30/08/2009, Theory Passed: 31/08/2010, Mod 1 Passed: 6/9/2010, Mod 2 Passed: 13/09/2010. Restriction ended 13/09/2012.

Bikes: 2007 Derbi GPR 50, 1998 Yamaha Fazer 600 (written off), 2002 Yamaha Fazer 600, 1994 CBR 600F, 2003 Triumph Daytona 600, Kawasaki ZX6R J1.....Current: 2006 Yamaha FZ6, 1998 Suzuki TL1000R and a Honda VFR 400 NC30.

[Jayy]

That's why it was at Robinsons in the first place but they're a waste of fucking time.

You think I should just take it somewhere else and have them do all the work? I think brake pads/oil/filter change can be done by me/TUG and then take it somewhere to check the power loss problems.

[0l0dom0l0]

[Jayy]

The valve clearances are way out of my skill set, not sure TUG would be too comfortable doing them either but KTM Forum members say it's not that hard. Suppose it's easy to say something isn't hard when you know how to do it though.

I'm going to order up them bits tomorrow and get on with them first of all.

[0l0dom0l0]

I suspect a mixture of everything above is probably the cause.

Have you got a haynes?

If not get one and have a read through. See what you think. Clearances aren't that hard to measure, it just gets a little more complicated if you have to start removing cams to replace shims (but that's only if the clearances are out).

How many miles has it done?
____________________
CBT Passed: 30/08/2009, Theory Passed: 31/08/2010, Mod 1 Passed: 6/9/2010, Mod 2 Passed: 13/09/2010. Restriction ended 13/09/2012.

Bikes: 2007 Derbi GPR 50, 1998 Yamaha Fazer 600 (written off), 2002 Yamaha Fazer 600, 1994 CBR 600F, 2003 Triumph Daytona 600, Kawasaki ZX6R J1.....Current: 2006 Yamaha FZ6, 1998 Suzuki TL1000R and a Honda VFR 400 NC30.

[Jayy]

It's supposed to have 3000 mile interval services. Last service stamped in the book is 9,000 miles. It's done close to 15,000 now without a service. The 12,000 mile service would have been an oil/filter change and the 15,000 mile service should be a valve clearance check as well as oil/filter.

I know I'm a cock for not having the oil/filter done at 12,000 miles but I had alot on my plate over the past 4 months. There is oil in it, it's not burnt dry or anything but it should of been changed.

[0l0dom0l0]

[MinhDinh]

Do you have any power at the high revs?

The bike seems to be slipping and getting worse to me. Adjusted the clutch cable to see if it affects anything? If so then unlikely to be the engine etc...

A good service will help anyway.
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Hit the G spot.

[Jayy]

The issue seems to be in the low end power, starting off from a stand still, accelerating up, at around 4k rpm it seems to bog out but once at around 6k it will carry on accelerating. Haven't tried to get it up past 60 since it started happening but I'm sure it would carry on.

Also won't start without the compression lever being pulled all the way in and let out steadily over 3 seconds or so. I was told this was a common fault with the Dukes and the starter motors though, yet it used to start within a second or so without that lever at all.

I'm going to order a set of pads front and back, oil and filter kit and a new spark plug as well. I'll get some hydraulic clutch fluid as well and see if that helps.

The only mod to the bike is the standard cans have the straight through pipes which I bought an already modded set from ebay and fitted them last year. The bike ran fine for months with them on and I didn't have it re-jetted. I was told it wouldn't make any difference doing a rejet anyway.

Thanks for all the advice, will update this topic when I've done the above.

[keyser soze]

a good oil and filter change does wonders for these bikes. dont forget there are two oil filters to change and clean the air filter as well.

[Jayy]

Well, by chance, my sister was on an industrial estate in Atherton today and spotted Speed Demon Motorcycles. She told them I was having trouble sorting it out and they said to ring them as they specialise in this type of stuff. Had a good chat with them before and they're going to do the work for me, plus they only charge £35 an hour not £50. They're also just about to have a website developed and I mentioned that's what I do, so might even get a site out of them as well.