Had a 990 for a few years, beat the hell out of it, never a problem.
Is "KTM Quality" a lie?
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-Maverick-
Well-known member
Never seen an RM 250 with a broken frame. Nor a KX, nor a CR. This issue is all KTM.
Iceman
Well-known member
Not even close. It's the lower triple tree that breaks, not the frame.
And yes, I've seen two cr(s) and a kx do this, in person. Also seen it on YouTube.
-Maverick-
Well-known member
Post links.
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-Maverick-
Well-known member
These are accident pics and you knew they were when you posted them. You hit anything hard enough it will break:It is a KTM issue only
https://youtu.be/bmHeqCm0RsE
Show me a video of a Japanese MX bike breaking triple trees under normal riding conditions (not accident), you can't. On the other hand you could make a YouTube compilation of Team Orange breaking triple trees. KTM is overpriced hype.
"I was commentating at last weekends National Two Stroke championship round at Doncaster England. In the 500cc class this rider on a 500cc Honda jumped the massive table top. Upon landing the bike snapped in half, ripping out the fuel pipe and the bike burst into flames!Shocked "
http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/Bike-snaps-in-half-sets-on-fire,904409
"Normal" conditions?
http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/Bike-snaps-in-half-sets-on-fire,904409
"Normal" conditions?
nice article
but there are no production bike as CR500, it is a hot rod, or home made or Service Honda
"This just goes to show why you should never weld on aluminum frames very few people are capable of doing it correctly."
everything has a braking point
my body got a crack in his frame on 2013YZ450 on landing, overshooting the double by a lot
can you blame Yamaha?
did I mentioned that he broke 2 bones on his wrist upon landing too, but did not dumped the bike and saved few more bones
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Iceman
Well-known member
Ktm's are definitely not the only bikes to "break". However, after browsing YouTube I have to admit that I simply can't wade through all the "broken ktm" videos to find the others. Damn, that's a lot of broken ktm footage, I may have to just concede defeat on this one.
I do love me a good ktm 2t though, mine was a fantastic woods bike and I raced it hard for two seasons, plus trails for two more, never broke a thing.
I do love me a good ktm 2t though, mine was a fantastic woods bike and I raced it hard for two seasons, plus trails for two more, never broke a thing.
Never had any issues with mine,and I would not hesitate buy another ktm.And the ktm was a step above anything japan had to offer in a dirt bike.
I share your perspective. Never had an issue with either the bike or dealers. Having said that I also have never tried to launch myself and the bike way up in the air to land a couple hundred feet away.
Kind of off topic but does anyone know what years their 2 strokes are autolube and which aren't? I read that their older models were autolube but I found a 2000 model for sale and it is premix only but then found an autolube pump off a 2002 on eBay so that rule of thumb is apparently wrong.
-Maverick-
Well-known member
Those who write "I've never had a bad experience with "KTM bike or dealer", well, you have. You paid more for less. There is nothing superior about KTM, in fact they are inferior to their competitors. Don't buy them and watch their prices come down.
Motorcycle Mike
Well-known member
I've never ridden a KTM, but I ride with a few guys who do.
I've heard their talk of the maintenance schedule and various issues so I never really thought of them as the most reliable bikes but rather they were bought for performance. I can't help but laugh when I see Chase's melted reflector on his 690 though... what a place to put it, right behind the exhaust port.
For dirt only there might be better Japanese equivalents -- however my knowledge is very dated as the last time I was into MX, Jeff Ward and Rick Johnson were the top racers -- but my understanding is that in the dual sport world the blue plated KTMs are far superior than the Japanese offerings. I'll likely never buy a KTM mainly due to the higher price tag, but I have also read the countless threads of people trying to get the Japanese dual sports (like the WR250 or DRZ400) to be close to performing like the KTM equivalent.
If we could still blue-plate an off-road only bike, then you'd probably see a lot more Japanese bikes versus the KTMs when on the trails.
For me, I am not a competitive rider so I am not pushing limits or trying to best times, as such my DRZ is more than capable enough for me, has been very reliable, and was certainly cheap enough.
I've heard their talk of the maintenance schedule and various issues so I never really thought of them as the most reliable bikes but rather they were bought for performance. I can't help but laugh when I see Chase's melted reflector on his 690 though... what a place to put it, right behind the exhaust port.
For dirt only there might be better Japanese equivalents -- however my knowledge is very dated as the last time I was into MX, Jeff Ward and Rick Johnson were the top racers -- but my understanding is that in the dual sport world the blue plated KTMs are far superior than the Japanese offerings. I'll likely never buy a KTM mainly due to the higher price tag, but I have also read the countless threads of people trying to get the Japanese dual sports (like the WR250 or DRZ400) to be close to performing like the KTM equivalent.
If we could still blue-plate an off-road only bike, then you'd probably see a lot more Japanese bikes versus the KTMs when on the trails.
For me, I am not a competitive rider so I am not pushing limits or trying to best times, as such my DRZ is more than capable enough for me, has been very reliable, and was certainly cheap enough.
Chasem
Well-known member
To be fair KTM does offer high performance machines... I bought a KTM 690 Enduro R because I wanted a lightweight, powerful dual-sport that can go practically anywhere. There was literally nothing in this category from Yamaha, Suzuki or Kawasaki that even closely matches the 690 Enduro. I have encountered a few niggles here and there... but I have with every other manufacturer. I could talk in length about the ****-tastic cam chain tensioner on the FZ-09, but I don't think the point would get across. I paid more for a substantially higher spec machine than the competition. To be fair JAP manufacturers don't really care about enduro.
* 9.8" of suspension travel
* Wet weight - 320 pounds
* 66 HP
* EFI
* ABS (works great with greasy knobby's)
* fuel efficient (if I'm not riding like a maniac)
* phenomenal brakes & suspension (fully adjustable)
* Hydraulic Clutch
* 6 speed
Not sure where all the hate for KTM comes from... they generally offer bikes with fantastic capabilities (suspension, power-to-weight, etc).
In regards to "There is nothing superior about KTM, in fact they are inferior to their competitors" I have a feeling you have never test ridden comparable bikes back to back. I'm not saying KTM is superior, I am merely stating they offer high performance machines and simply saying they are all inferior is ludicrous. Some people prefer performance over dependability, and all motorcycles can have failures.
Also every JAP dealership put up a huge stink with test rides except KTM. Two different KTM dealerships practically tossed the keys at me for a demo ride. I'm not talking organized demo rides. To me it felt they were MUCH more confident in the product they are selling.....
Chasem
Well-known member
Oh the dreaded reflector... Talk about embarrassing! The LC4 doesn't really require high maintenance. The maintenance interval is every 10,000KM IIRC.
I will say that I can't even come close to using the power of the 690R offroad...... It's actually a bit bonkers. The first time I thought I would really test the power on a gravel road... I almost looped the bike
After checking my pants, I realized I needed to respect the bike more, and not test the limits. More so my limits.....
-Maverick-
Well-known member
Saying they are inferior is spot on. I go over a jump like this on my RM 250, I have no worries that my frame is going to snap. Surprised there is no class action lawsuit against this company. Someone will be killed eventually:To be fair KTM does offer high performance machines... I bought a KTM 690 Enduro R because I wanted a lightweight, powerful dual-sport that can go practically anywhere. There was literally nothing in this category from Yamaha, Suzuki or Kawasaki that even closely matches the 690 Enduro. I have encountered a few niggles here and there... but I have with every other manufacturer. I could talk in length about the ****-tastic cam chain tensioner on the FZ-09, but I don't think the point would get across. I paid more for a substantially higher spec machine than the competition. To be fair JAP manufacturers don't really care about enduro.
* 9.8" of suspension travel
* Wet weight - 320 pounds
* 66 HP
* EFI
* ABS (works great with greasy knobby's)
* fuel efficient (if I'm not riding like a maniac)
* phenomenal brakes & suspension (fully adjustable)
* Hydraulic Clutch
* 6 speed
Not sure where all the hate for KTM comes from... they generally offer bikes with fantastic capabilities (suspension, power-to-weight, etc).
In regards to "There is nothing superior about KTM, in fact they are inferior to their competitors" I have a feeling you have never test ridden comparable bikes back to back. I'm not saying KTM is superior, I am merely stating they offer high performance machines and simply saying they are all inferior is ludicrous. Some people prefer performance over dependability, and all motorcycles can have failures.
Also every JAP dealership put up a huge stink with test rides except KTM. Two different KTM dealerships practically tossed the keys at me for a demo ride. I'm not talking organized demo rides. To me it felt they were MUCH more confident in the product they are selling.....
https://youtu.be/XKIKAN76ttw
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Chasem
Well-known member
I guess I will take my inferior bike and go back to riding... I'll let you know if I have a catastrophic failure.
-Maverick-
Well-known member
Nothing personal.
Usually the hate for KTM comes from people who never owned one,or doesn't want to pay a little more for all the nice pieces(never had a bike before with an adj.power valve........)Next will be yeah but the parts are so expensive and take forever to get here lol.
