Easiest to hardest bikes to work on

Subotai
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Subotai
Edited Date/Time 1/2/2020 1:16am
Which bikes are the most difficult and easiest to work on? I’d like some real world experiences please. I know a lot of bikes have odd idiosyncrasies. For example, the newer KTMs needed the swing arm removed to install the exhaust. Is the yamaha difficult with the reverse cylinder? Etc.
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crispytoast
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crispytoast 12/30/2019 12:12pm
12/30/2019 12:12pm
Ktm, hands down, no contest.

When the KTM frame splits in half it's really easy to remove the exhaust. The spark plug will remove itself when the piston shoots through the head. And it's also super easy to grease the headset bearings, again you just need to wait for the stem to snap half. It's even easy to split the cases because the transmission will start the job for you.👍
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motosmoke
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motosmoke 12/30/2019 12:14pm
12/30/2019 12:14pm
By far the newer KTM two strokes are the easiest bikes to work on. The 2012 to 2013 Huskies (pre KTM) were a dream to work on. Both two strokes and four strokes.

Out of the new 4 strokes, all are really the same. The RMZ is really easy to work on, no rocket tech in it. The KXF is a bit wack (450). The rest are pretty easy.
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Jeff_Crutcher 12/30/2019 12:18pm
12/30/2019 12:18pm
Easiest: the Alta
Hardest: any Yamaha- because when you bring a screw driver to the bike from the bench you needed a T handle and when you brought a T handle you needed a screw driver.

Honorable mention is KTM using 12mm nuts on the two stroke cylinder mounts. They’re the only ones on the bike.
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Hoseclamp
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Hoseclamp 12/30/2019 12:29pm
12/30/2019 12:29pm
Easiest bike is the xr50 or xr100. Never have to do shit, they are pretty much bullet proof!
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The Shop

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Bultaco
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Bultaco 12/30/2019 12:33pm
12/30/2019 12:33pm
crispytoast wrote:
Ktm, hands down, no contest. When the KTM frame splits in half it's really easy to remove the exhaust. The spark plug will remove itself when...
Ktm, hands down, no contest.

When the KTM frame splits in half it's really easy to remove the exhaust. The spark plug will remove itself when the piston shoots through the head. And it's also super easy to grease the headset bearings, again you just need to wait for the stem to snap half. It's even easy to split the cases because the transmission will start the job for you.👍
Your example of splitting a vehicle in half to gain access to parts applies to every vehicle that has ever been designed. You do KTM a disservice by singling them out in your sophomoric troll. Just saying.
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Chris99Flannery 12/30/2019 12:37pm
12/30/2019 12:37pm
Have to love Honda build quality, that's an ease of maintenance knowing your fasteners are up to scratch
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Forty
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Forty 12/30/2019 12:45pm
12/30/2019 12:45pm Edited Date/Time 12/30/2019 1:17pm
1981 yz 250 = easiest
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PTshox
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PTshox 12/30/2019 1:00pm
12/30/2019 1:00pm
Hardest: KTM 350. Removing the shock is a joke... especially the 2016 bike. That 1 piece exhaust header and the way they built the shock (the shock reservoir stick out from the shock body a ton!) makes that bike a pain to service the shock compared to a Honda, Yam and suz!
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H4L
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H4L 12/30/2019 1:11pm
12/30/2019 1:11pm
crispytoast wrote:
Ktm, hands down, no contest. When the KTM frame splits in half it's really easy to remove the exhaust. The spark plug will remove itself when...
Ktm, hands down, no contest.

When the KTM frame splits in half it's really easy to remove the exhaust. The spark plug will remove itself when the piston shoots through the head. And it's also super easy to grease the headset bearings, again you just need to wait for the stem to snap half. It's even easy to split the cases because the transmission will start the job for you.👍
Laughing Laughing Laughing
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lostboy819 12/30/2019 1:12pm
12/30/2019 1:12pm
KTMs are the worst, They even throw in a few Torx head fasteners. Pinch
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Chris99Flannery 12/30/2019 1:26pm
12/30/2019 1:26pm
lostboy819 wrote:
KTMs are the worst, They even throw in a few Torx head fasteners. Pinch
Is that the torx head emoji?
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captmoto
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captmoto 12/30/2019 1:39pm
12/30/2019 1:39pm
Forty wrote:
1981 yz 250 = easiest
Toss up with the 81 YZ465.
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Jeremy Macbeth 12/30/2019 1:48pm
12/30/2019 1:48pm
lostboy819 wrote:
KTMs are the worst, They even throw in a few Torx head fasteners. Pinch
Nevermind the fact that torx fasteners are superior.
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captmoto
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captmoto 12/30/2019 1:48pm
12/30/2019 1:48pm
Some you guys must have never worked on an aluminum frame bike with a carb. Remove seat and subframe to get to the carb out to raise or lower a needle. Honda air filters were a pain in the ass to get in and out.
You also never had to switch up from an air cooled bike to the latest greatest water cooled bikes.
You can call me boomer.
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Motox627!
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Motox627! 12/30/2019 2:34pm
12/30/2019 2:34pm
captmoto wrote:
Some you guys must have never worked on an aluminum frame bike with a carb. Remove seat and subframe to get to the carb out to...
Some you guys must have never worked on an aluminum frame bike with a carb. Remove seat and subframe to get to the carb out to raise or lower a needle. Honda air filters were a pain in the ass to get in and out.
You also never had to switch up from an air cooled bike to the latest greatest water cooled bikes.
You can call me boomer.
Feel ya there! My wife's 03 Cr125.... Any internal carb adjustments and its tear half the bike down. Luckily, that doesn't take very long on that bike
SoCalMX70
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SoCalMX70 12/30/2019 2:40pm
12/30/2019 2:40pm
captmoto wrote:
Some you guys must have never worked on an aluminum frame bike with a carb. Remove seat and subframe to get to the carb out to...
Some you guys must have never worked on an aluminum frame bike with a carb. Remove seat and subframe to get to the carb out to raise or lower a needle. Honda air filters were a pain in the ass to get in and out.
You also never had to switch up from an air cooled bike to the latest greatest water cooled bikes.
You can call me boomer.
This is why I like Yamaha's approach with the YZ. Still fairly simple to work on. I doubt they'll ever do a frame update before retiring the line, but if they do I hope it follows the same type of design.
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Mike_Lawlor
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Mike_Lawlor 12/30/2019 2:44pm
12/30/2019 2:44pm
Any twostroke I’ve worked on has been a walk in the park compared to modern 4 strokes. You could pop the subframe off a twostroke with three bolts and loosening the air boot from the carb. The most pain in the ass bike I’ve ever worked on is the 10-13 CRF250r. The fucking thing is a nightmare to get the throttlebody on and off. The frame is literaly right in the way and all the wires are crammed in around it.
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endurox
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endurox 12/30/2019 3:32pm
12/30/2019 3:32pm Edited Date/Time 12/30/2019 3:33pm
Any PDS KTM 2 stroke on the easy side to a Ducati on the difficult side.
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Scull79
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Scull79 12/30/2019 3:40pm
12/30/2019 3:40pm
RM 125 hands down!
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Moto Norcal
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Moto Norcal 12/30/2019 3:44pm
12/30/2019 3:44pm
The 1982 RM125 I'm restoring. It's refreshingly easy to work on, because it's so simple.
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theycallmeebryan 12/30/2019 3:56pm
12/30/2019 3:56pm
Any Alta Redshift. Whistling

Tires every 10 hours
Brakes seem to last like 50 hours.
Sprockets - dirt tricks rear lasts so long.... 75 hours on my and still perfect.
Need to rebuild shock? its stupid easy to remove the shock on this bike.
And.... thats basically it.
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Markee
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Markee 12/30/2019 4:07pm
12/30/2019 4:07pm
Hardest, dressed out vintage FLH Harley, easiest, any motocross bike.
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BobPA
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BobPA 12/30/2019 4:16pm
12/30/2019 4:16pm
Anything that requires tools for an air filter change is just barbaric. Any bike that needs the tank removed to change a spark plug. KTM OEM headers was a piss poor design.
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ATKpilot99
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ATKpilot99 12/30/2019 4:29pm
12/30/2019 4:29pm
I know the question is for modern bikes , but honorable mention goes the the 96 - 2000 RM 250s for having to split the cases to change a water pump seal. I think the 125 got that design at some point during that model year run also.
FGR01
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FGR01 12/30/2019 4:31pm
12/30/2019 4:31pm
KTM65 is pretty high on the stupid rankings. The bike is very sensitive to temp and elevation changes. This would normally be no prob on any 2-stroke but on the 65SX you can literally do nothing to the carb without a PITA. For some reason KTM spec'd the air screw on the right hand side of the carb unlike every other 2-stroke in recorded history. So you have to remove the top shock bolt to get at it and make an air screw adjustment! You also can't make main or pilot changes with the carb on the bike. Have to remove the subframe and entire carb. Oh, and the placement of the power valve thingy on top of the head makes getting at the plug a joy too.
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motosmoke
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motosmoke 12/30/2019 4:37pm
12/30/2019 4:37pm
captmoto wrote:
Some you guys must have never worked on an aluminum frame bike with a carb. Remove seat and subframe to get to the carb out to...
Some you guys must have never worked on an aluminum frame bike with a carb. Remove seat and subframe to get to the carb out to raise or lower a needle. Honda air filters were a pain in the ass to get in and out.
You also never had to switch up from an air cooled bike to the latest greatest water cooled bikes.
You can call me boomer.
SoCalMX70 wrote:
This is why I like Yamaha's approach with the YZ. Still fairly simple to work on. I doubt they'll ever do a frame update before retiring...
This is why I like Yamaha's approach with the YZ. Still fairly simple to work on. I doubt they'll ever do a frame update before retiring the line, but if they do I hope it follows the same type of design.
TM’s have a full size aluminum frame and they are still incredibly easy to work on. Can do every carb adjustment without taking anything like a subframe or seat off.
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reded
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reded 12/30/2019 4:42pm
12/30/2019 4:42pm
Easiest: Any single backbone split cradle MX bike. The ‘97 CR250 ruined simplicity for generations to come.
Hardest: Any four cylinder carbureted motorcycle...FML.
Drtbykr
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Drtbykr 12/30/2019 4:51pm
12/30/2019 4:51pm
My RFS motored 525 is pretty easy to work on for a four stroke.
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ohiomotoxer
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Cleveland, OH US
ohiomotoxer 12/30/2019 5:28pm
12/30/2019 5:28pm Edited Date/Time 12/30/2019 5:29pm
Easiest: Top end job on any vintage air cooled downpipe model.
Hardest: Honda Gold Wing stator job.
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