in my experience

[Stuart Mumford]

> -----Original Message-----

____________________________

> Geez,what a bummer,goin orange & all that.

I picked up a 2005.5 KTM 950 Adventure S the day after Christmas, but I also still have my KLR. Good thing, too. So far, one of the carb boots failed and caused it to run like poop until I figured out what it was, the clutch slave cylinder failed 150+ miles from home, the front wheel was square, the seat is like a 2 by four, I got a ticket on it the first day I rode it to work, it puked coolant all over my garage floor the first day I rode it in 100 degree weather, and I have replaced both tires and a set of sprockets and the chain. When it runs right it's an awesome machine, can throw Biblical scaled roost and handles like a dream, but it is definitely not as hardy as the KLR. Needs maintenance and attention constantly. If you ignore your KLR and just put gas in it and ride it everywhere, it gets louder and eventually starts to lose power. If you don't rigorously maintain your KTM, it'll break. That said, I'm going on a 2000+ mile trip next week on the KTM. Thansk CA Stu A13 PS I'm burning white sage and sacrificing chickens before I leave, just in case.

[Bogdan Swider]

> > Needs maintenance and attention constantly. > > Like supporting an Austrian hooker. > > That said, I'm going on a 2000+ mile trip next week on the KTM. > > Thansk > CA Stu A13 >

Hey...I thought you went Triumph Tiger; what happened to that ? What are you some sort of floozy ? Can t stay with one bike ? Bogdan, still moto-monogamous [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Tumu Rock]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Bogdan Swider wrote:

> > > > > Needs maintenance and attention constantly. > > > > Like supporting an Austrian hooker. > > > > That said, I'm going on a 2000+ mile trip next week on the KTM. > > > > Thansk > > CA Stu A13 > > > > PS I'm burning white sage and sacrificing chickens before I > > leave, just in > > case. > > Hey...I thought you went Triumph Tiger; what happened to that ? > > What are you some sort of floozy ? Can t stay with one bike ? > > > Bogdan, still moto-monogamous

I'm no saint either. Just rode my '99 KTM 640 for the first time since summer 2006. It sat for about 4 years prior that with a different problem. It wasn't the cost of the parts so much, or the wait for the parts but the fear that installing those expensive parts wouldn't produce the S%^&-eating grin expected. Of course every time the parts were installed a S%#@ eating grin has followed. Tonight was no exception. Finally finished rebuilding the top end (had holed the cylinder head assembly when two of the valve adjuster feet let go and found an exiting point that didn't previously exist). But man does she go when she goes. It cost me almost $700 to get the parts needed to rebuild it myself, an additional $300with to get the valves installed into the new head . But there ain't no other bike I'm gonna get for $1000 that's gonna be as good as my freshly rebuilt '99 KTM 640. Of course the running '93 KLR 650 for $800 is a close second. I love riding my KTM, but I won't take her too far from the stable... The KLR is the steed I need when I want both willing and able! da Vermonster who thinks you need to sacrifice more than sage smoke more than chickens to ride a KTM 2000 miles... yours is a twin after all.

[roncriswell@sbcglobal.net]

Thanks for reminding me why I ride the unexciting (unless you are riding in sand) and homely KLR instead of a High Tech Kraut machine. Criswell

On Jun 28, 2008, at 8:14 PM, Tumu Rock wrote: > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Bogdan Swider wrote: > > > > > > > > Needs maintenance and attention constantly. > > > > > > Like supporting an Austrian hooker. > > > > > > That said, I'm going on a 2000+ mile trip next week on the KTM. > > > > > > Thansk > > > CA Stu A13 > > > > > > PS I'm burning white sage and sacrificing chickens before I > > > leave, just in > > > case. > > > > Hey...I thought you went Triumph Tiger; what happened to that ? > > > > What are you some sort of floozy ? Can t stay with one bike ? > > > > > > Bogdan, still moto-monogamous > > I'm no saint either. Just rode my '99 KTM 640 for the first time > since summer 2006. It sat for about 4 years prior that with a > different problem. It wasn't the cost of the parts so much, or the > wait for the parts but the fear that installing those expensive parts > wouldn't produce the S%^&-eating grin expected. Of course every time > the parts were installed a S%#@ eating grin has followed. Tonight > was no exception. Finally finished rebuilding the top end (had holed > the cylinder head assembly when two of the valve adjuster feet let go > and found an exiting point that didn't previously exist). But man > does she go when she goes. It cost me almost $700 to get the parts > needed to rebuild it myself, an additional $300with to get the valves > installed into the new head . But there ain't no other bike I'm > gonna get for $1000 that's gonna be as good as my freshly rebuilt '99 > KTM 640. Of course the running '93 KLR 650 for $800 is a close > second. > > I love riding my KTM, but I won't take her too far from the stable... > The KLR is the steed I need when I want both willing and able! > > da Vermonster > > who thinks you need to sacrifice more than sage smoke more than > chickens to ride a KTM 2000 miles... yours is a twin after all. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Ed Dobson]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "roncriswell@..." wrote:

> > Thanks for reminding me why I ride the unexciting (unless you are > riding in sand) and homely KLR instead of a High Tech Kraut machine. > > Criswell > On Jun 28, 2008, at 8:14 PM, Tumu Rock wrote: > > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Bogdan Swider wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Needs maintenance and attention constantly. > > > > > > > > Like supporting an Austrian hooker. > > > > > > > > That said, I'm going on a 2000+ mile trip next week on the KTM. > > > > > > > > Thansk > > > > CA Stu A13 > > > > > > > > PS I'm burning white sage and sacrificing chickens before I > > > > leave, just in > > > > case. > > > > > > Hey...I thought you went Triumph Tiger; what happened to that ? > > > > > > What are you some sort of floozy ? Can t stay with one bike ? > > > > > > > > > Bogdan, still moto-monogamous > > > > I'm no saint either. Just rode my '99 KTM 640 for the first time > > since summer 2006. It sat for about 4 years prior that with a > > different problem. It wasn't the cost of the parts so much, or the > > wait for the parts but the fear that installing those expensive parts > > wouldn't produce the S%^&-eating grin expected. Of course every time > > the parts were installed a S%#@ eating grin has followed. Tonight > > was no exception. Finally finished rebuilding the top end (had holed > > the cylinder head assembly when two of the valve adjuster feet let go > > and found an exiting point that didn't previously exist). But man > > does she go when she goes. It cost me almost $700 to get the parts > > needed to rebuild it myself, an additional $300with to get the valves > > installed into the new head . But there ain't no other bike I'm > > gonna get for $1000 that's gonna be as good as my freshly rebuilt '99 > > KTM 640. Of course the running '93 KLR 650 for $800 is a close > > second. > > > > I love riding my KTM, but I won't take her too far from the stable... > > The KLR is the steed I need when I want both willing and able! > > > > da Vermonster > > > > who thinks you need to sacrifice more than sage smoke more than > > chickens to ride a KTM 2000 miles... yours is a twin after all.

You can follow Blake's musings on his KTM on TT(THUMPERTALK), BITOG(BOB is the Oil Guy), and his blog(BlakeBlog). Interesting. Seems his first UOA raise some concern about the coolant in the oil. ED ED

[Blake Sobiloff]

On Jun 29, 2008, at 5:51 AM, Ed Dobson wrote:

> You can follow Blake's musings on his KTM on TT(THUMPERTALK), > BITOG(BOB is the Oil Guy), and his blog(BlakeBlog).

ADVrider, too.

> Interesting. Seems his first UOA raise some concern about the coolant > in the oil.

Yep, interesting results--some glycol showed up, along with a small amount of sodium, but no potassium. The typical profile for a coolant leak is for both sodium and potassium to show up, so we're getting an inconsistent reading. KTM makes a big deal about how they have a unique chemistry for the Motorex oil they use with this bike, so we may be seeing a whole new additive chemistry that is mis-interpreted as a coolant leak. Only time (and more testing) will tell. Regardless, I'm not going to make it a habit of posting about the KTM here; the KLR is both a great motorcycle and the focus of this list. We can talk about KTMs elsewhere. -- Blake Sobiloff http://www.sobiloff.com/> San Jose, CA (USA) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[ltslpr]

I'm posting this as a counterpoint to the problems others on the list have had with their KLRs. Maybe my experience is so good because my bike was made in Japan? It is also garaged. 1. broken parts: headlamp receptacle crumbled away and flasher unit died, both recently; decel diaphragm in carb apparently failed 5k ago exhaust backfire with engine braking, not replaced. No other rubber/vinyl parts failed/failing, except that I replaced the fork boots once with aftermarket due to splitting but I call that a wear item. 2. replaced first valve shim at 34k miles; an exhaust clearance was at 0.003", I hadn't checked the clearance since 17.5k. I'll pop the cover off again in another 10k miles. 3. replaced the doohickey at 25.5k miles; OEM parts looked and performed as-new. 4. change the engine oil with whatever is handy, sometimes but not often using motorcycle-specific oil, at 3500-4000 mile intervals; replace aftermarket filter each time; maybe a pint burned between changes. I don't abuse the bike, but don't pamper it either; don't ride off-road, but do ride mainly in the local mountains. Only time I burned serious oil, 1/2 quart in 400 miles, was on a mainly highway ride keeping up with inline-fours and a flat-six. An observation: if your final drive chain goes south on you 300 miles from home, you'll spend the entire ride home believing your transmission is failing and you won't arrive at your destination. Glenn San Jose, CA