KTM Home Maintenance

[Wild Will]

Anybody have experience doing the maintenance on the 950 KTM? Once the tank and plastic, carbs and air box are off the Adventure, what's involved with cam removal to se-shim valves?

[supermotoC]

I dunno - but I'll bet these people have the clues:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72431


http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=128793


check w/ Don Lemelin @ www.scuderia.com or www.KTMtwins.com for the finer pts. you can PM him from within

http://www.advrider.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=34

http://www.990adventure.com/fileadmin/990adventure/_media/_downloads/wp1_1024.jpg

Maybe for '07......

http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/2005/2005-ktm-990-sd-02-2.jpg

[Wild Will]

The more I learn about KTM, the more I like them. Lots of the GS guys from the local group now ride KTM's, and they love them.
I think I'd look hard at the SM before I got a Super Duke, given the nature of the roads where I live, and wait'll the sport bike comes out soon.
I've seen the advrider site, and it's very helpful. I've read all the Orange Crush threads, and have learned a huge amount.
Thanks for the heads up!

[supermotoC]

As much as I am a fan of the BMW line/philosophy, the KTMs have really impressed me in their focus on absolute quality of ride, sportiness (very little compromise), and willingness to take risks on odd-ball bikes (that really work in a real-world sense). My Duke II (until I biffed it recently) is an amazingly simple pleasure, and yet functions better than any Japanese supermoto or even streetbike. KTM owns White Power (WP) suspension, so every KTM you can buy has WP suspension, and the serious bikes (the Rally bikes & SMR racers) have the WP Works stuff, which is ridiculously good. Plus, I got 2 parts manuals, with every part # for every single piece of this bike. So I can be my own mechanic, to a fault (albeit a BIG fault).
We won't see the SuperDuke until we see the FI 990 Adventure (when the FI 990 motor gets DOT thumbs-up), and the SM 950 is a downright crazy fun machine, with my Duke II a close 2nd.
If they total my DII, I'll be really torn with what to replace it.
Don't want to wait for the Ducati Hypermoto, and I'd really rather have sorted-out fuel injection than carbs....



clicky
http://img130.imagevenue.com/loc297/th_31426_dukefunpark.jpg (http://img130.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc297&image=31426_dukefunpark.jpg)

[Wild Will]

Europe is a wonderful place to moto providing you can avoid traffic. One of the things I love about where I live is there is an extreme lack of traffic during the week. On weekends there are tourists along the Pacific, but the backroads are amazingly wide open. Cows graze on open ranges. Mostly huge ranches dot the topo map. I'm a lucky bastage.
I'm sold on KTM. I almost bit on a SM in orange, but decided to await the 990 Adventure. I'm also very interested in the Duc Hypermotard. If I sell my '50 Chevy hot rod, I can seriously enhance my stable. All the guys I ride with who used to have GS's now are KTM 950 guys. These guys live for riding and know how to have fast fun. I rode a pal's 950 last summer on the Lost Coast and I was able to ride much faster on the KTM than I could on the well-prepped GS, first time on the bike. I loved it, but the bikes are scarce out here and are oft sold before they reach the dealership.
Question: do you think it'd be preferrable to have one of the last of the carbureted bikes or a new FI model with ABS? My nearest dealer has a black 950 due to arrive this Spring and I'm mighty tempted.
two of my pals have Duke singles and they are the fastest bikes on the ride. Nothing can corner like they can. One guy, incidentally, brought his 950 S to Sears Point Racetrack and hung all day with the sport bikes, with his 21" wheel and all. Amazing machines.

[supermotoC]

Question: do you think it'd be preferrable to have one of the last of the carbureted bikes or a new FI model with ABS? My nearest dealer has a black 950 due to arrive this Spring and I'm mighty tempted.

Yes, and no. The carbureted 950 is well sorted out, except the breather/smog stuff issue, which I'm sure you've sussed out reading Orange Crush. The 990 complaints are the same as the 990 SDuke - touchy throttle off idle ,which to me, sounds like KTM hasn't got the FI perfect quite yet. Luckily, that's a download or eprom or something swap. The obvious benefits of FI (altitude issues [gone], better on the atmosphere, etc) are better than dealing with jets & such. The 990 Adv also has ABS (dunno if it's an option or an "only" for the US-bound models next year, and hopefully, switchable) is a plus/minus, in my experience.
I, too, have really been vacillating between the SM & Adv 950s, because apparently a 19"/17" setup is primo for the street, and I haven't ridden off-road much since retiring from MX 20+ yrs ago. Not that I wouldn't..... you see my semi-dilemma. The good thing is, there is no bad choice, just a more perfect choice that has yet to be determined. I love the Duke II, it eats sportbikes (or any other bikes) in corners, but a 620cc thumper doesn't win a lot of drag races (past 50mph). The perfect dirt bike w/ street comfort & nearly perfect maneuverability.
Perfect world would probably be the Duke II, an Adv 990, and something big & comfy for riding , say, to Sausalito & back (from here), really, really, fast. Life is kinda good, mostly.


Oh boy - look what I found on advrider: DOH!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y220/jlhone/17inch011.jpg

[DJ Down Under]

I loved my KTM 990 Superduke......even if it was only for a one hour test ride..:007:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~djp1/mypic2305.jpg

After one hour of having too much fun my hands were shaking so much I could hardly hang on..:045:

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~djp1/mypic2306.jpg

Getting back on my old RR made it feel like a big slow fat heavy slug...(but I still love my RR)

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~djp1/mypic2307.jpg

btw...a mate at work has a new KTM 940...no side stand..only a center stand..I thought that was odd.

DJ

[supermotoC]

You probably meant the 640, and yes, the sidestand is an option on the 640 Adventure & rally bikes!

DJ, how did you feel the SDuke would work as a day-tripper, say 300 or so miles-a-day bike? You do these day-long rides that you've documented so well w/ pics & commentary, would this be too tempermental or twitchy for that kind of ride? Need a windscreen? Like you, I enjoy the naked wind blast, with just a fly screen to keep the majority of bugs off (the bike, not me).
The USA has very few of these, and ALL of them are grey marketimports that KTM is not happy about, and will not supply parts or parts lists to US dealers.

[DJ Down Under]

Yes...you're right..640...this is it...it has a 37 1/2" seat hight..:icon_eek: ..12" ground crearance..12" wheel travel...it's HUGE!!!!

http://www.ktm.com.au/files/bikeimage.php?i=285&w=800&PHPSESSID=9df5d83c64458cdf0f1bd9e8a9d73f53

As far as a day tripper goes for the Superduke...it could do it...but you would need the gel seat option...but I would rather the BMW RR anyday.

The Superduke was very nervous and a bit jerky on/off the gas and not real comfortable at a constant speed..and a bit twitchy in the steering compared to the RR.

I'm sure you'd get used to it.

You would have to give two-up riding a miss..unless it was just around the block.

As far as wing protection goes I did feel like I was catching a lot of wind in the chest..I don't get that with my little screen.

DJ

[supermotoC]

Sounds like the SuperDuke had (has?) the same fuel injection issues as the newly released Adventure 990 motors; off-idle stumbling/jerky throttle response. I hope they can resolve those via software/firmware, because that would make for a cranky bike both in the city & cruising at semi-legal speeds.
You need to go ride the SM 950 - it feels like 500 in lightness, and 100hp gets you going nicely, and has a great sit-up/wide bar riding position. I feel it calling me daily... I really like my R1150R, but it may have to move aside soon for either a 950 SM or GS1200 or 2007 R1200R or Ducati Hypermoto or maybe even an ST.

[supermotoC]

DOH! I hate dbl posts!


DOH! I hate dbl posts!


http://www.liquorsnob.com/pictures/Oktoberfest-Waitress.jpg

[DJ Down Under]

Ok KTM fans...check out this little beauty....and when I say 'little'...does it look small to you guys...nice anyway..:023:

DJ

http://www.motorradonline.de/fm/21/RC8_action1.jpg

[supermotoC]

The RC8 has been "shown" a lot lately, but not a peep about a production model (yet) or schedule for release.
Looks about the same size as the SuperDuke, abeit more expensive plastic!
Cool wet or rain tires.
Radial brakes, weird little notch in the front fender.
$20 says the color will be flat black plastic.
I hope that seat is Tempurpedic!!
Rumor has it this is a 1150 or 1200.

http://www.raptorsandrockets.com/images/RC8_right2r.jpg

http://www.raptorsandrockets.com/images/RC8_factoryr.jpg

[Wild Will]

Next time you're there you're only a short pervertedly twisted journey to the N. Coast. Let's hook up!