Posts
389
Joined
6/27/2022
Location
GB
Edited Date/Time
11/26/2022 12:30pm
Hi, I’ve been out the 4 stroke world for over a decade, thinking of giving one another try next year. My budget it’s putting me in the range of good condition 60 ish hour bike, with no engine rebuilds done.
I’ve got an option where the shop knows the previous owner looked after the basic maintenance well, the bike doesn’t look roosted to hell from fast racing, do you think I’ll be good to carry on for another 30 hours at least ?
If I’ve gotta face a top end, clutch etc then the money you save buying is soon lost & you have a older bike at the end of it.
Anyone with these bikes longevity? I’ll be using it for Mx racing vet expert local club.
Cheers for any feedback.
I’ve got an option where the shop knows the previous owner looked after the basic maintenance well, the bike doesn’t look roosted to hell from fast racing, do you think I’ll be good to carry on for another 30 hours at least ?
If I’ve gotta face a top end, clutch etc then the money you save buying is soon lost & you have a older bike at the end of it.
Anyone with these bikes longevity? I’ll be using it for Mx racing vet expert local club.
Cheers for any feedback.
Not quite apples to apples, but there are people here with 200 and 300 hours on unopened 350's, and the 450 of course will usually get less stick and much less high RPM use.
Some Jap bikes go on for ages reliably, but the Austrian stuff seems to do it more commonly. I'm gonna go to 100 hrs (350) then do cam chain, tensioner and piston I reckon, but I'm naturally paranoid.
I guess it’s impossible to know for sure just have a be careful when choosing used.
What’s the general maintenance on valve clearances ?
If the previous owners favorite pro is Justin Barcia, I’d look elsewhere.
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
60 hours at average vet speed will be like brand new.
I have a 2019 Kawasaki kx450 with 160 hours on it. I did a top end at 90 hours and put a crank in as well. The things that are wearing out are not engine related. But....there's a lot of ticky tack shit that adds up.
So 60h, no issue.
It is over 400h on mx bike. Sure he's not a rever, but still. Has a champion that has done 400h+ on his 350 enduro, that is also without piston change.
I'm not saying it is a good idea, or that 10/10 will last that long.
Pit Row
The 21- 22 motor is a workhorse with proper maintenance, easily going over 60 hours for an amateur rider.
That said, the valve stem seals will break down, as will the cam chain tensioner.
In my group of moto friends ranging from young local pros to fast vets. I would say 100 hours is no issue at all as long as the oil is changed and the filters were kept clean. The local pros are racing 30 weekends and 30 practices midweek a year and doing 1 top end because they are pushing the bike hard. The vets are doing 2 seasons on a single bike with no issues apart from maybe a clutch or 2 and of course the generic suspension, brakes, tire, and bearing wear and tear.
I do remember when 4 strokes were new in the mid 00's and the odd one would let go with lowish hours. But I don't recall that at all in the last 5-10 years. I don't remember the last DNF due to a seized 4 stroke and my local events have typically 100 adult riders.
If you think of the enduro guys especially out here in Australia. They are running 10000 km at 50-70km/h on average and selling the bike for good money to the next guy and he ends up doing the same. Then it goes to the next guy and still you don't hear of many issues.
I think a good 350/450 with a good quick local rider will be fine for 100 hours based on what I have seen both in the UK and Australia. Even a 250f with an intermediate vet rider would be hard-pushed to need a top end before that.
the whole bike was roached by 65. hours...
i think it all depends on how your going to ride the bike...
i think its more about replacing the gaskets than the physical parts....
once base gasket fails your sucking in dirt and burning coolant little by little, so gasket maintenence and replacement is KEY.
You must be an animal on the bike, or with a spanner, or both... Or neither, now that I think about it, abuse is often the cause of instances like that? Not telling you you did wrong, I don't know shit, just curious on the what and why.
Post a reply to: 60 Hours on a ktm 450 a big deal ?