How do you feel about KTM now???..

moto282
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moto282 8/28/2012 11:41am
8/28/2012 11:41am
I didn't like the KTM 450 before I got to ride the Factory Edition. I liked the FE a lot more than the previous 450. However, Dungey would've won this championship on a Husky lol. Still awesome to do it on a brand new bike. I was more impressed with the SX win so soon in the series.
MxPro318
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MxPro318 8/28/2012 11:53am
8/28/2012 11:53am
badbrad108 wrote:
I love KTM but they still do not handle as good as Jap bikes. Dungey is a very good rider and he is fighting it all...
I love KTM but they still do not handle as good as Jap bikes. Dungey is a very good rider and he is fighting it all the way.
MotoTones wrote:
Fighting it all the way? Ya OK!! :woohoo: :laugh: :laugh: I bet everyone's wishing their bike fought them to a bunch of wins and a championship!:woohoo...
Fighting it all the way? Ya OK!! Woohoo Laughing Laughing

I bet everyone's wishing their bike fought them to a bunch of wins and a championship!Woohoo
Yeah he was fighting it, especially in SX, it has gotten progressively better over the course of the MX season but to me they still have a little ways to go, it will be apparent again when everyone else is back and healthy, I see the bike very busy and not laying down and wanting to stand up in certain corners.......my hats off to Ryan for doing what he has been doing while developing that bike from scratch basically!
Lawrence929 8/28/2012 12:16pm
8/28/2012 12:16pm
KTM is like the so-so chick from high school that you see senior year after summer break, sexy as hell, and it's like this strange need to all of the sudden bone her.
loftyair
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loftyair 8/28/2012 12:17pm
8/28/2012 12:17pm
I have an '11 150sx, gas cap is a joke, just the leaking part, but my '06 yz125 leaks too. 13mm bolt heads suck, I change them out with 12 or 14's. The torx or whatever is lame too. Tool-less airbox is the bomb, and so is no linkage! Brakes, motor, clutch all the best. Still a little different than the used-to jap bikes, but it goes away after a few minutes. Quality is top-notch. Thread-lock a must, but I like to use it on my yz anyway, so no change there. This bike actually smokes all but the fastest 450's, makes 250 4-strokes seem slow. The power-weight ratio is quite high.

The Shop

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Faceaz
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Faceaz 8/28/2012 12:34pm
8/28/2012 12:34pm
-eagle- wrote:
A friend of a friend did this last weekend:
Ping Replica KTM
Are those aftermarket triple clamps with an integrated steering stabilizer?
kongols
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kongols 8/28/2012 12:43pm
8/28/2012 12:43pm
-eagle- wrote:
A friend of a friend did this last weekend:
Ping Replica KTM
Faceaz wrote:
Are those aftermarket triple clamps with an integrated steering stabilizer?
That was a first question that came to my mind.
kongols
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kongols 8/28/2012 12:51pm
8/28/2012 12:51pm Edited Date/Time 8/28/2012 12:52pm
-eagle- wrote:
A friend of a friend did this last weekend:
Ping Replica KTM
This is what you get for running POS aftermarket stuff.

FreshTopEnd
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FreshTopEnd 8/28/2012 12:56pm
8/28/2012 12:56pm Edited Date/Time 8/28/2012 1:04pm
Looks like a standard GPR UBM damper add on to the stock triple clamp. That's a pretty standard set up option.

OEM KTM clamps.


Took quite an impact I'd think to snap a stem like that.
mag23
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mag23 8/28/2012 12:57pm
8/28/2012 12:57pm
all I know is my '11 150sx is sweet, and I'm pickin up a '13 450sx this Friday... I'll let ya know how she rides, next week....

My focus will be on noticing if there is any mid-stroke harshness in the forks, how the shock 'settles' while negotiating a high speed sweeper, and if KTM got rid of the flat spot that is notorious between 2750 and 2800 RPM... Hopefully I don't have to cut down the subframe to lower the seat, or reweld the steering neck... I'll bring loctite, cause God forbid, I go to seat bounce, and the saddle has fallen off. I also heard the KTM motor might need to moved forward, like the yamaha, so I don't wash the front end on a sx track.
level
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level 8/28/2012 1:00pm
8/28/2012 1:00pm Edited Date/Time 8/28/2012 1:03pm
I feel different about KTM now since top riders are winning on it. I would never consider that bike before. Now with Decoster running the race team and giving feedback to KTM it makes me feel much more comfortable. Not sure if I would go out and buy one over a Honda but I would consider it.

Guess saying is true-what wins on Sunday or Saturday in this case sells on Monday.
Big
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Big 8/28/2012 1:32pm
8/28/2012 1:32pm
Big wrote:
Ask Banks-Brown? He's maybe missing this years British because of many bike failures. Otherwise he probably already had won?
Faceaz wrote:
Like Suzuki did for Dungey last year, KTM for Dungey this year = different outcome. My opinion of KTM hasn't changed. The only thing I'm blown...
Like Suzuki did for Dungey last year, KTM for Dungey this year = different outcome.

My opinion of KTM hasn't changed. The only thing I'm blown away by it how fast they got the new 450 up to speed.
And did i said Zuka was good? They are pretty same level as a 04 Honda 450 but Hondas are quality they are not?
fader418
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fader418 8/28/2012 1:39pm
8/28/2012 1:39pm
I will admit I was one of the guys who said Dungey won't win on that bike. I want to see him beat 22,2,41, etc...As far as the 350 what has changed? Obviously not very good if NOBODY races one in the US.
newmann
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newmann 8/28/2012 1:59pm
8/28/2012 1:59pm
I have a really good feeling about the 2013 150SX.

FreshTopEnd
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FreshTopEnd 8/28/2012 2:00pm
8/28/2012 2:00pm
Like a "parked in my shed" good feeling?
tmauto769 8/28/2012 2:03pm
8/28/2012 2:03pm
Markopolo400 wrote:
I got to ride all 6 of the 2013 KTM motocrossers at a demo day yesterday in NY, and I have to say the 350 is...
I got to ride all 6 of the 2013 KTM motocrossers at a demo day yesterday in NY, and I have to say the 350 is pointless, not a whole lot more power than the 250F, and not even close to the 450 which was a flat out rocket.

The 2-strokes were amazing.
What? Sunday I got off my 350, and jumped on my buddies crf250 with a cylinder works 270 kit, and my bike will absolutly eat a 250f for lunch dude. No comparison anywhere on the track. You need to twist that wrist a LOT with this bike, not ride it like a 450. It is exactly what it is, 10hp more than a 250f and about 10 less than a 450.
newmann
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newmann 8/28/2012 2:03pm
8/28/2012 2:03pm Edited Date/Time 8/28/2012 2:04pm
FreshTopEnd wrote:
Like a "parked in my shed" good feeling?
almost

check's in the mail???
Big
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Big 8/28/2012 2:09pm
8/28/2012 2:09pm
If you are like me now, extrem slow it's the right tool for you maybe. i pass because iv'e learn't the hard way. 250f nearly ruined teams -07(friends and me teamed together 3 250fs for one rider),-08,-09,-10, ( other friends teams of course) -11 (250f) Everybody used at least 3 bikes (some had 5 450s) It wasn't enough. Our mech said he quit work if racing Ktms further since he felt guilty everytime they broke down enginwise. Never when swingarms broke (2 in short period and EVERY friend riding 250fs pretty fast same shit, no one got help from Ktmsuckers) He is one of Swedens best. He had also worked for Gp Ktm rider. A one year old Honda 450 saved rest of season. But i'm very happy that some still buying that crap because it makes the other bikes cheaper for everyone else. Don't ever compare the factoryteams or topteams bikes with those you buy in a shop. Ktm 250f used 1 engine for training during Gp and1-2 for the heats sometimes on heavy tracks. Musquin run out of engines in Des Nations in Colorado!But i'm very happy that some still buying that crap because it makes the other bikes cheaper for everyone else.Thank you! This is my belife and knowledge not a statement if course.Wink

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Faceaz
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Faceaz 8/28/2012 2:46pm
8/28/2012 2:46pm
-eagle- wrote:
A friend of a friend did this last weekend:
Ping Replica KTM
Faceaz wrote:
Are those aftermarket triple clamps with an integrated steering stabilizer?
kongols wrote:
That was a first question that came to my mind.
I think they probably are stock, came black in 2010. But, some funny things in that pic. Throttle grip, but no throttle housing. How does the brake master come off when it doesn't attach to the frame at all. No kill switch. Honestly just seems odd. If it's that new, I bet KTM will take care of it. Never seen the actual stem break, the ones I've seen are the lower triple clamp.
neverwasfastenuf 8/28/2012 2:46pm
8/28/2012 2:46pm
FreshTopEnd wrote:
Like a "parked in my shed" good feeling?
newmann wrote:
almost

check's in the mail???
They had one on the floor at Munn Racing Saturday and I was wondering if you got your's yet.
Katoom72
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Katoom72 8/28/2012 3:00pm
8/28/2012 3:00pm
Barrett57 wrote:
My KTM was great. Easy to work on and was always reliable. Awesome bikes.
Exactly! I don't get it how people complain about working on KTM's.
newmann
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newmann 8/28/2012 3:42pm
8/28/2012 3:42pm
Barrett57 wrote:
My KTM was great. Easy to work on and was always reliable. Awesome bikes.
Katoom72 wrote:
Exactly! I don't get it how people complain about working on KTM's.
I hear Pro Circuit race motors are only designed for 2 hours usage. Imagine how sick of working on those the mechanics are.....duuuuhhhh.Huh

When did this KTM swingarm break in half? There is a time limit here on Vital about how far back you can go to complain about something. Or so I've been told.Laughing
Denn700
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Denn700 8/28/2012 4:48pm
8/28/2012 4:48pm
I've never owned a ktm 4 stroke but my two strokes have been top notch. I have owned an 09 200xc and an 09 150sx as well as my current 12 250 sx. I love them all. I am really interested in the 350. Hopefully, I can find one to try out when I get better.
brimx153
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brimx153 8/28/2012 5:50pm
8/28/2012 5:50pm
crusher773 wrote:
I've never understood it either. I am on my 3rd one and have been on them since 2002. They have been head and shoulders more reliable...
I've never understood it either. I am on my 3rd one and have been on them since 2002. They have been head and shoulders more reliable over any of the Japanese bikes we ever rode. Hondas and Yamahas. They stand behind them more when there is an issue too. I would never go back to the Japanese bikes. I converted a couple buddies and now they finally believe too.
out of intress , 2 stroke or 4 stroke , there s a big difference in reliability , the 2 strokes are bullet proof , the 4 stroke all i here about is cranks going in them , and engines blowing , id say the new ktm s are great and all , but dont have the money to be rebuilding a 4 stroke , i ll stick to my honda
yzmatt
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yzmatt 8/28/2012 6:09pm
8/28/2012 6:09pm
I love my (first ever) KTM!
machine
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machine 8/28/2012 6:21pm
8/28/2012 6:21pm
I never doubted KTM, I've owned one, I was sold after that.
Katoom72
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Katoom72 8/28/2012 6:23pm
8/28/2012 6:23pm
Im on my 6th KTM now and had 1 Yamaha. the Yam was a great bike...but it was no KTM...
KTM_Pat
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KTM_Pat 8/28/2012 6:29pm
8/28/2012 6:29pm
Got my 02' KTM 520 a couple month ago and rebuilt from ground up. Always been and Kaw and Honda guy and currently got 10' KX450F, 92' KX500, 97' CR250. Wow huge difference in engineering, infact maybe a little over_engineered. But gotta say... LOVE that KTM... Especially STREET LEGAL. Nothing satisfies me like coming home from work and going out to the shop, starting the bike and rippin right from home. It's like riding my KX450 on the street, super fun. Best investment for NJ mx'er with all the problems with the tracks lately.
FreshTopEnd
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FreshTopEnd 8/28/2012 6:35pm
8/28/2012 6:35pm
KTM_Pat wrote:
Got my 02' KTM 520 a couple month ago and rebuilt from ground up. Always been and Kaw and Honda guy and currently got 10' KX450F...
Got my 02' KTM 520 a couple month ago and rebuilt from ground up. Always been and Kaw and Honda guy and currently got 10' KX450F, 92' KX500, 97' CR250. Wow huge difference in engineering, infact maybe a little over_engineered. But gotta say... LOVE that KTM... Especially STREET LEGAL. Nothing satisfies me like coming home from work and going out to the shop, starting the bike and rippin right from home. It's like riding my KX450 on the street, super fun. Best investment for NJ mx'er with all the problems with the tracks lately.
Can't speak to the new 4 stroke engines, but the older RFS engines with the early bugs worked out are bullet proof. Broke the sight glass on a high speed run in Nevada and dumped the oil, resulting in about a two mile rule at about 90 with no oil. Got it patched and a quart in bummed from a nearby ranch, and the thing never missed a beat over the next couple years.
tmauto769 8/28/2012 7:46pm
8/28/2012 7:46pm
Big wrote:
If you are like me now, extrem slow it's the right tool for you maybe. i pass because iv'e learn't the hard way. 250f nearly ruined...
If you are like me now, extrem slow it's the right tool for you maybe. i pass because iv'e learn't the hard way. 250f nearly ruined teams -07(friends and me teamed together 3 250fs for one rider),-08,-09,-10, ( other friends teams of course) -11 (250f) Everybody used at least 3 bikes (some had 5 450s) It wasn't enough. Our mech said he quit work if racing Ktms further since he felt guilty everytime they broke down enginwise. Never when swingarms broke (2 in short period and EVERY friend riding 250fs pretty fast same shit, no one got help from Ktmsuckers) He is one of Swedens best. He had also worked for Gp Ktm rider. A one year old Honda 450 saved rest of season. But i'm very happy that some still buying that crap because it makes the other bikes cheaper for everyone else. Don't ever compare the factoryteams or topteams bikes with those you buy in a shop. Ktm 250f used 1 engine for training during Gp and1-2 for the heats sometimes on heavy tracks. Musquin run out of engines in Des Nations in Colorado!But i'm very happy that some still buying that crap because it makes the other bikes cheaper for everyone else.Thank you! This is my belife and knowledge not a statement if course.Wink
hmm I have seen some pretty fast dudes riding them over here as well, with none of the problems you are speaking of. Maybe there is some maintenance issues you guys needed to address who knows. And I don't think by me buying a ktm this time around has made honda sell any crf450's cheaper. I think Honda will be ok with one less 2013 sold this time around, maybe next time I will get another honda or not as I don't have a brand loyalty.

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