Posts
413
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
CO
US
Edited Date/Time
4/4/2015 9:17pm
So I have a 2012 KTM 250 SX two-stroke. Bought it from new and only have about 40 hours on it but here's the list of things that have broken/fallen off or are just a bit sucky:
- On day one I went to replace the stock silencer with an FMF but the FMF replacement was for the wrong bike. I wanted to ride so I immediately put the stocker back on but it wouldn't fit even with pipe mounting bolts totally loose. I ended up having to grind down the rear stock silencer mount just to get the thing back on the bike. Wasn't impressed.
- After 5 hours the countershaft seal blew. Replaced it with OEM and that one blew within another 3 hours. Replaced that one with an aftermarket seal and all has been good. I’m meticulous about not running my chain too tight so that wasn’t the issue. Never had this happen twice in such quick succession on any other bike.
- Around the same time the water pump housing seal blew. Replaced with OEM and has been OK since. Never had this happen on any other bike after so little ride time.
- As I started to take it to the track more I really noticed the vibration. When I would ride it hard I would get numb fingers after 10 mins and gnarly blisters. I replaced the bars with some carbon composite bars and that seemed to fix the problem. Other than a CR500 I rode once, I’ve never known vibration like that translated through the bars.
- The bike eats coolant. Every time out I put coolant in it just covering the fins and every time back it will have eaten the coolant and I’ll have to put in an extra half cup or so. Happens regardless of ambient temp, even when it’s only 40F outside. Never had this happen on any other bike.
- After about 10 hours the stock pipe split open where one of the spring mounts is welded to it. Proper big split. Didn’t crash it, just happened one day. I finished the day with my bike sounding like a Massey Ferguson. Replaced it with a sweet FMF pipe. I’ve destroyed pipes by crashing but have never had one just fall apart on any other bike.
- After about 10 hours the rear fender mounting bolts had sheared through the fender so the rear fender is always wobbly despite the bolts being tight. Never had this happen on any other bike, although I have had a couple of seats fall off RM125s when the aluminium mounts sheared through.
- First race (about 20 hours in) and I crash and the quick release gas cap falls off ripping out the little plastic tangs thereby enabling me to bathe my nuts in pre-mix mid-race. Very refreshing. Never had this happen on any other bike because other manufacturers weren’t daft enough to use a quick release gas cap.
- After about 30 hours an exhaust mounting tab weld failed. To finish the day I used a hose clip to hold the pipe onto the bike. Pretty sure that custom mod made me go faster. Despite looking factory, the hose clip had to go and I had a new steel tab fabricated and welded back onto the frame. Never had this happen on any other bike.
- At about the same time I went to lube the throttle cable and the bottom of the throttle housing had split in two. Never had this happen on any other bike.
- Then two weeks ago the front wheel turned banana shaped. I didn’t flat-land or come up short or anything that day and I always check my spokes are tight and even. Had to replace the rim and spokes. Never had this happen on any other bike.
- Last week the throttle cable frayed and jammed the throttle WFO on a downhill triple on the opening lap of my first moto. I managed to save it but no one had a spare two-stroke cable so my race day was toast. I ordered an OEM cable but that didn’t fit the bike!?!? The cable itself was the right length but the outer sheath (f’nar!) was about ¾” too short so the slide couldn’t hit the stop. Dealer and I double-checked the KTM part number which was right but the damn cable was just plain wrong. Dealer couldn’t help me so I did a bit of Googling and apparently a 2002 CR250 cable fits. I bought one and it looks good but I am yet to fit it. Never have I seen an OEM part that doesn’t fit the bike it’s supposed to. Beggars belief.
I just wondered whether all this is normal these days since my last bike before this one was a 2000 RM 125 and never gave me any trouble (other than some rather fruity headshake), or whether I just got a KTM Friday bike built after the assembly workers had hit the Heineken a little too hard at lunch time?
Oh, and despite this rather alarming list I absolutely love the bike to ride. I can throw it around, it corners great and has decent power, especially with the FMF pipe and shorty silencer.
Cheers
Simon
- On day one I went to replace the stock silencer with an FMF but the FMF replacement was for the wrong bike. I wanted to ride so I immediately put the stocker back on but it wouldn't fit even with pipe mounting bolts totally loose. I ended up having to grind down the rear stock silencer mount just to get the thing back on the bike. Wasn't impressed.
- After 5 hours the countershaft seal blew. Replaced it with OEM and that one blew within another 3 hours. Replaced that one with an aftermarket seal and all has been good. I’m meticulous about not running my chain too tight so that wasn’t the issue. Never had this happen twice in such quick succession on any other bike.
- Around the same time the water pump housing seal blew. Replaced with OEM and has been OK since. Never had this happen on any other bike after so little ride time.
- As I started to take it to the track more I really noticed the vibration. When I would ride it hard I would get numb fingers after 10 mins and gnarly blisters. I replaced the bars with some carbon composite bars and that seemed to fix the problem. Other than a CR500 I rode once, I’ve never known vibration like that translated through the bars.
- The bike eats coolant. Every time out I put coolant in it just covering the fins and every time back it will have eaten the coolant and I’ll have to put in an extra half cup or so. Happens regardless of ambient temp, even when it’s only 40F outside. Never had this happen on any other bike.
- After about 10 hours the stock pipe split open where one of the spring mounts is welded to it. Proper big split. Didn’t crash it, just happened one day. I finished the day with my bike sounding like a Massey Ferguson. Replaced it with a sweet FMF pipe. I’ve destroyed pipes by crashing but have never had one just fall apart on any other bike.
- After about 10 hours the rear fender mounting bolts had sheared through the fender so the rear fender is always wobbly despite the bolts being tight. Never had this happen on any other bike, although I have had a couple of seats fall off RM125s when the aluminium mounts sheared through.
- First race (about 20 hours in) and I crash and the quick release gas cap falls off ripping out the little plastic tangs thereby enabling me to bathe my nuts in pre-mix mid-race. Very refreshing. Never had this happen on any other bike because other manufacturers weren’t daft enough to use a quick release gas cap.
- After about 30 hours an exhaust mounting tab weld failed. To finish the day I used a hose clip to hold the pipe onto the bike. Pretty sure that custom mod made me go faster. Despite looking factory, the hose clip had to go and I had a new steel tab fabricated and welded back onto the frame. Never had this happen on any other bike.
- At about the same time I went to lube the throttle cable and the bottom of the throttle housing had split in two. Never had this happen on any other bike.
- Then two weeks ago the front wheel turned banana shaped. I didn’t flat-land or come up short or anything that day and I always check my spokes are tight and even. Had to replace the rim and spokes. Never had this happen on any other bike.
- Last week the throttle cable frayed and jammed the throttle WFO on a downhill triple on the opening lap of my first moto. I managed to save it but no one had a spare two-stroke cable so my race day was toast. I ordered an OEM cable but that didn’t fit the bike!?!? The cable itself was the right length but the outer sheath (f’nar!) was about ¾” too short so the slide couldn’t hit the stop. Dealer and I double-checked the KTM part number which was right but the damn cable was just plain wrong. Dealer couldn’t help me so I did a bit of Googling and apparently a 2002 CR250 cable fits. I bought one and it looks good but I am yet to fit it. Never have I seen an OEM part that doesn’t fit the bike it’s supposed to. Beggars belief.
I just wondered whether all this is normal these days since my last bike before this one was a 2000 RM 125 and never gave me any trouble (other than some rather fruity headshake), or whether I just got a KTM Friday bike built after the assembly workers had hit the Heineken a little too hard at lunch time?
Oh, and despite this rather alarming list I absolutely love the bike to ride. I can throw it around, it corners great and has decent power, especially with the FMF pipe and shorty silencer.
Cheers
Simon
1) The stock pipes suck and mine cracked at 10-ish hours as well
2) It vibrates more than my yz 250 did
All the others, holy shit, sounds like a drunk pieced your bike together!
The Shop
How in the hell would it not fit if you had just taken it off and then put it back on ?
- On day one I went to replace the stock silencer with an FMF but the FMF replacement was for the wrong bike. I wanted to ride so I immediately put the stocker back on but it wouldn't fit even with pipe mounting bolts totally loose. I ended up having to grind down the rear stock silencer mount just to get the thing back on the bike. Wasn't impressed.
Cheers
Simon
i think i had 2 motors fail in 35 years of racing MX.. my buddy used to buy the same bike as me, his was a POS in a month , mine was fine after 2 seasons.
Cheers
Simon
My SX-F 450 was also off balance from the factory, but this didn't cause it to vibrate, it plain and simple cut the engine out. It could cut out whenever least expected, KTM did balance the engine and change some faulty parts for free but the bike could've killed me. Rode the bike for a full season after that with zero problems. Not even a loose nut.
I've owned KTMs in the past and I had strange things break on them too. Personally, I'll never buy another one. No matter how orange the Kool Aid is.
Pit Row
Cheers
Simon
Cheers
Simon
I'll offer some advice on the vibration issue, try it, see if it works. Break the lower and front motor mount bolts loose, but leave your swingarm pivot torqued to spec. See what the gaps are on the 4 points where the frame tabs meet the motor mount holes on the cases, and build shims to fit. Make them so they are a snug fit, when you slide them into place. Basically, you want zero tension on those frame rails, after you tighten them up again. Think of the frame rail as a guitar string, and if it's not tight, it won't make a sound. In this case, it wont transfer vibration from the engine into the chassis. It might take a couple of hours, but you have nothing to lose. I remember riding a friends 12 250 KTM, and thought it vibrated a lot too. More than my 500AF, which I did the shim thing to. My AF vibrates less than my steel frame 500 did, and those are notorious shakers.
I've owned 6 KTM's, all of them serverd me well. I only twice had a dealer lay hands on my bike, and those are the only 2 times i actually had an issue (only minor but still...). I even never had to replace a clutch slave cylinder while everybody seems to break those.
Where is the coolant going? Out the overflow or internal?
I guess you checked the case vent on the tranny that it is clear ,that plugged will push oil thru seals.
Post a reply to: Is this bad? Or normal?