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KTM Thumper Discussion

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kubotamiketx said:
FYI, I just took my first ride on my new Seat Concepts seat, wow what a difference that thing makes. Wish I had it in BB. Well worth the money!!!
Click to expand...

KTM of N TX had a new Seat Concepts seat on the wall for sale. I was shocked to see it there but at least I got to ck it out. Retail was $279.
 
SLM has one on the wall as well.... (seat concepts).

812 did my buddies forks. He likes them a lot. His parents live in Austin so on a visit he dropped them off to Alan. Alan races the TSCEC as well. I was planning on sending him my stuff when it needs it (shock and fork).
 
So is there a starter list? 92 pages is a bit overwhelming. I recently bought an 08 450 exc. Plan is to use it as a dual sport, mostly gravel. At least for now. Tires, tubes, tools, etc. Newbie stuff for sure. I know, it's all subjective and been done a million times.:giveup:
 
Liteitup said:
So is there a starter list? 92 pages is a bit overwhelming. I recently bought an 08 450 exc. Plan is to use it as a dual sport, mostly gravel. At least for now. Tires, tubes, tools, etc. Newbie stuff for sure. I know, it's all subjective and been done a million times.:giveup:
Click to expand...

Don't worry about trying to make sure something you want to ask hasn't already been asked somewhere in this thread. If you have questions, just post them up. Most of us will have forgotten if we've already answered similar questions before... :cool2:
 
Hey guys, I need help with my ktm cooling fan. I was having problems with it not shutting off, so I was riding one day and just disconnected one of the leads going to the fan and left it hanging. Well, I forgot about it and later discovered that the wire had melted, must have gotten too close to the exhaust.:doh: So I rewired a new connector on and hooked it back up but now my fan won't work at all. I took everything back off to check it out this evening and found that if I touch the two wires to each other, the fan starts running, but I can't get the fan to run when the wires are hooked up and the bike is running and is getting hot. (Fan won't come on). Do I have a short somewhere or is it possible my temp switch is fried?:giveup:
 
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Well, I did some searching on this thread and it looks like it's my temp switch, so I guess I'll be ordering a new switch pronto.
 
Which KTM do you have? I don't remember you getting one? If you have the KTM and a KLR, your older son could ride one of them at the Wilderness Ranch. Also, it is easy for rides on the property to last 30-45 minutes before someone loops back to the main area. Even if you only have one bike between you, you could still both get in a good bit of riding ;-)
 
I almost always add a seat concept seat to a new bike before the first tank of gas is gone. Night and day difference. Especially if you'll be dual-sporting it over longer distances.
 
Liteitup said:
So is there a starter list? 92 pages is a bit overwhelming. I recently bought an 08 450 exc. Plan is to use it as a dual sport, mostly gravel. At least for now. Tires, tubes, tools, etc. Newbie stuff for sure. I know, it's all subjective and been done a million times.:giveup:
Click to expand...

I have a 2010 530 EXC, but many of the mods are similar for your bike

Common mods are:


  • Radiator fan
  • Bigger gas tank. I have the Acerbis 6.6 gal. Gives me 300 mile range. Doubles as radiator guard and leg rest.
  • Upgrade water pump impeller for more flow rate and better cooling
  • Oil pump upgrade
  • Replace stock kickstand with Pro Moto Billet Stand, money well spent!
  • Rear rack of some sort and heat shield on exhaust near rack, Pro Moto Billet Rack or Flat Land Racing Rack
  • Giant Loop bags or Kriega Overlander 30 bags work well.
  • Better headlight for sure! Stocker is pathetic! LEDs are popular.
  • 14/50 sprockets are popular for general DS riding, 13/52 for full on mountain goat mode!
  • As mentioned above, seat upgrade unless you stand ALL the time ;-)
  • I like softer grips because I have delicate hands :-P
  • I have 2" ROX risers, which make standing MUCH easier
  • wider and slightly longer foot pegs are popular for more standing comfort

:tab For general purpose DS riding, I have been using Pirelli MT 21 tires for front and rear. These last well and handle well on pavement and dirt. For more dirt grip, the MT 16 tires are popular, but they wear fast. A 16 front and 21 rear is popular. The Dunlop 606 is another good one, similar to the MT 21. I used those on my KLR 650 a LOT. Some folks like to convert their tires to the Tubliss system, or something similar.
 
Tourmeister said:
Which KTM do you have? I don't remember you getting one? If you have the KTM and a KLR, your older son could ride one of them at the Wilderness Ranch. Also, it is easy for rides on the property to last 30-45 minutes before someone loops back to the main area. Even if you only have one bike between you, you could still both get in a good bit of riding ;-)
Click to expand...

I have the 2005 525 exc which i have had for at least a couple of years. Yes, we are planning on bringing both bikes, the ktm and klr. I've ridden both of them in arkansas following JT and Rich around some interesting "trails". The ktm is definitely the more desirable bike for that kind of riding. I'm too old to be lugging the klr around on class 3 trails.:eek2: although I know there are guys that do it. The reason my son is bringing his grom is that we were planning on the Beyond Epic ride and he doesn't want to lug the klr around on those trails either.:lol2:
 
Well, today I installed the Rekluse Z-Start Pro on my 2005 Ktm 525. I have been thinking about this mod for awhile as I have been suffering from cramping and numbness in my clutch hand when riding trails and single track requiring lots of clutch work. I have resisted doing this because I actually enjoy using the clutch and oh yeah, it costs a little dough.:eek2: But I decided that I really enjoy riding this bike and hoping this mod will allow me to continue for a quite a while longer. The install went smoothly as the instructions from Rekluse were very good and easy to follow, even for me. I went ahead and put in new Tusk friction plates while I was at it, I mean, why not?:shrug: I took my time with the install and went through the recommended break in procedure per the instructions from Rekluse followed by an oil change after break in. Oh yeah, I went with the recommended settings from Rekluse, which was medium/harder. I'll play with it for awhile and see how it goes. First impression is that it's going to take some getting used to! My clutch lever is now super light and it feels kinda weird but nice at the same time. I ran out of time after the break in procedure so I really haven't tried it on any trails yet, but I'm guessing I'm going to like it.:clap:Cheers.
 
greenhornet said:
Well, I did some searching on this thread and it looks like it's my temp switch, so I guess I'll be ordering a new switch pronto.
Click to expand...

Yeah I want to say I had to do the temp switch as well.... I found the same part number listed from some old 1980s or 1990s car and got it stupid cheap. I think....
 
Liteitup said:
So is there a starter list? 92 pages is a bit overwhelming. I recently bought an 08 450 exc. Plan is to use it as a dual sport, mostly gravel. At least for now. Tires, tubes, tools, etc. Newbie stuff for sure. I know, it's all subjective and been done a million times.:giveup:
Click to expand...

I have that exact bike, bought it with 127 miles on it in 2010 when I lived in Austin. Over 18,000 miles, 600+ hours.... she's a little rough but there's nothing I'd rather do.

i-r2j2cd7-L.jpg


2008 was the first model year so there are a couple of quirks, although I'm sure they've been taken care of by now on your bike.

BTW, 20 demerits for posting about buying a new bike and not including any pictures...
 
Jetting and smog removal if it hasn't been done...
If it doesn't have one already, get the 3.4 gallon tank unless you are a masochist (or Mr. Friday).
Eventually a steering damper.

If you really want to go crazy...
http://www.highwaydirtbikes.com/

Tourmeister said:
I have a 2010 530 EXC, but many of the mods are similar for your bike

Common mods are:


  • Radiator fan
  • Bigger gas tank. I have the Acerbis 6.6 gal. Gives me 300 mile range. Doubles as radiator guard and leg rest.
  • Upgrade water pump impeller for more flow rate and better cooling
  • Oil pump upgrade
  • Replace stock kickstand with Pro Moto Billet Stand, money well spent!
  • Rear rack of some sort and heat shield on exhaust near rack, Pro Moto Billet Rack or Flat Land Racing Rack
  • Giant Loop bags or Kriega Overlander 30 bags work well.
  • Better headlight for sure! Stocker is pathetic! LEDs are popular.
  • 14/50 sprockets are popular for general DS riding, 13/52 for full on mountain goat mode!
  • As mentioned above, seat upgrade unless you stand ALL the time ;-)
  • I like softer grips because I have delicate hands :-P
  • I have 2" ROX risers, which make standing MUCH easier
  • wider and slightly longer foot pegs are popular for more standing comfort

:tab For general purpose DS riding, I have been using Pirelli MT 21 tires for front and rear. These last well and handle well on pavement and dirt. For more dirt grip, the MT 16 tires are popular, but they wear fast. A 16 front and 21 rear is popular. The Dunlop 606 is another good one, similar to the MT 21. I used those on my KLR 650 a LOT. Some folks like to convert their tires to the Tubliss system, or something similar.
Click to expand...
 
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Coolhand said:
I have that exact bike, bought it with 127 miles on it in 2010 when I lived in Austin. Over 18,000 miles, 600+ hours....
Click to expand...

Impressive... That's twice what I have on my 09 and it's been rock solid.
 
Coolhand said:
I have that exact bike, bought it with 127 miles on it in 2010 when I lived in Austin. Over 18,000 miles, 600+ hours.... she's a little rough but there's nothing I'd rather do.



2008 was the first model year so there are a couple of quirks, although I'm sure they've been taken care of by now on your bike.

BTW, 20 demerits for posting about buying a new bike and not including any pictures...
Click to expand...


I don't think I've taken any pictures, but it looks a whole lot like this
http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112153

actually it looks exactly like that, only dirtier. Pretty well sorted, it seems. I guess my main questions is if it is economically possible to lower the suspension. I could really stand for it to be an inch or so lower.

And the really noob question... I see lots of mentions of draining the carb, what does that entail? Is it as simple as removing the bolt on the bottom of the carb?
 
Draining the carb is easy. You can look at the carb from the left side of the bike and at the bottom of the bowl is a small allen head bolt. This is a tapered plug that when loosened will drain the bowl through the attached hose usually routed down to the ground. You do not need to remove the bolt just loosen it. Do not over tighten it when done, just snug.

Lowering the bike is an often debated topic. It really boils down to personal preference and personal use of the bike. I am 5'11" and can get a foot down pretty quick but still can't flat foot my bike. I would rather have the travel and ground clearance. There are several guys on this thread that are much shorter and manage their bike fine. In the end it's your bike make it what you want.

I see you are in Waco. I would go out to Munn Racing and ask them for a price on lowering it.

Here is DIY a kit you can get to lower the bike if you decide to go that route.

http://terra-x.com.au/ktm-suspension-lowering-kit/

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZH3O9aUkk8"]KTM PDS suspension lowering Shock spacer install - YouTube[/ame]
 
Mine isn't an allen head but yeah ;)

I'm 5'9" and maybe some change. Getting on and off can be fun in unusual situations, but I want and use the suspension and ground clearance.
 
Proforguns said:
Does anybody know what tools I need to change the bearings in a 2004 ktm 200 exc swingarm?
Click to expand...

Lots of different options. Easiest is to use a tool like this or make your own out of all thread.

https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/p/916/25524/Motion-Pro-Swing-Arm-Bearing-Tool

Another easy option if you have a good vice is to use an old socket that fits the outer bearing race, and a larger socket on the side the bearing is coming out of, chuck it up in the vice and push the bearing out into the large socket on the other side.


Resist the urge to hammer them out, even if the next reply here is "all you need is a hammer".
 
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Silly question here, has anybody found a gas cap vent that doesn't leak so many gas fumes? Sometimes on warm days when the Husky is in the trailer it smells like a gas vapor bomb ready to happen with a spark.

I installed an IMS tank and have one of the little billet aftermarket vent hose breather. It is a little better than the stock setup, but still can get a bit smelly...
 
kubotamiketx said:
Silly question here, has anybody found a gas cap vent that doesn't leak so many gas fumes? Sometimes on warm days when the Husky is in the trailer it smells like a gas vapor bomb ready to happen with a spark.

I installed an IMS tank and have one of the little billet aftermarket vent hose breather. It is a little better than the stock setup, but still can get a bit smelly...
Click to expand...

I don't know of any vent that doesn't vent. It's just doing what it's designed to do.
You could take the little billet cap off the tube and plug the tube but that would present a potentially bigger problem because the fuel is still going to expand.

As far as I know, the only solution would be to drain the tank and plug the vent tube.
 
OK.....I'm back in the thumper world again. Kind of excited to see how all the new features work out.
 

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kubotamiketx said:
Silly question here, has anybody found a gas cap vent that doesn't leak so many gas fumes? Sometimes on warm days when the Husky is in the trailer it smells like a gas vapor bomb ready to happen with a spark.

I installed an IMS tank and have one of the little billet aftermarket vent hose breather. It is a little better than the stock setup, but still can get a bit smelly...
Click to expand...

Does the trailer not have any vents?

Mine has two side vents, one high on the front left side and one low on the rear right. Even with four bikes and a gas can stored in it, it never has a strong gas smell when I open it up. The vents are always open and are covered such that rain cannot get in, even when driving.
 
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