Tonkaman
Well-Known Member
- Location
- West Jordan
8 days ago I bought my daughter a 2018 KTM 85. The bike looked super clean and only had a little over 39 hours on it. Fast foreword to 41.4 hours and the bike is already ROASTED.
My suspicions of trouble started on the first day. I found a wet spot on the cases just below the reeds. It appeared and smelled like fuel, but nothing near there was damp. After a few motos I began to worry that the moisture was coming through the cases since it seemed the only explanation.
The bike ran great, had crisp throttle response with no sputtering or popping so I figured I’d keep an eye on it.
Day 2 of motos I started finding more small issues. My daughter was complaining that the bike kept “knifing” and tossing her over the bars. After a closer inspection I realized the compression was dialed way in and the rebound was way out. Those are strange settings so I assume some kids were just playing around with the clickers. I also discovered that the fork seals were blown and are probably out of fluid. The only reason I know is because the bottom fork cap was full of oil soaked dirt that didn’t get cleaned up well by the seller.
Unfortunately the “knifing” feeling happened again so my daughter was getting really frustrated and wanted to just go home. As I was loading the bike I realized the front wheel bearing is completely blown out. This thing was so bad I heard it clunk when I lifted the wheel off the ground! No wonder she was wrecking! The front break would grab the rotor and the wheel would bind instantly.
Day 3 of motos. I’ve got parts on the way, but we decided to practice anyway. After her second moto ended I watched her cross the finish line and just come to a instant stop when she landed. The engine seized while it was in the air!
I quickly went home, washed the bike and started disassembly. I found a chipped piston, cylinder full of metal shavings, and melted crank stuffers lodged up inside the cylinder ports. The cranked is seized due to melted stuffers so a full tear down is in order. Too bad tomorrow is her first race of the summer season
My suspicions of trouble started on the first day. I found a wet spot on the cases just below the reeds. It appeared and smelled like fuel, but nothing near there was damp. After a few motos I began to worry that the moisture was coming through the cases since it seemed the only explanation.
The bike ran great, had crisp throttle response with no sputtering or popping so I figured I’d keep an eye on it.
Day 2 of motos I started finding more small issues. My daughter was complaining that the bike kept “knifing” and tossing her over the bars. After a closer inspection I realized the compression was dialed way in and the rebound was way out. Those are strange settings so I assume some kids were just playing around with the clickers. I also discovered that the fork seals were blown and are probably out of fluid. The only reason I know is because the bottom fork cap was full of oil soaked dirt that didn’t get cleaned up well by the seller.
Unfortunately the “knifing” feeling happened again so my daughter was getting really frustrated and wanted to just go home. As I was loading the bike I realized the front wheel bearing is completely blown out. This thing was so bad I heard it clunk when I lifted the wheel off the ground! No wonder she was wrecking! The front break would grab the rotor and the wheel would bind instantly.
Day 3 of motos. I’ve got parts on the way, but we decided to practice anyway. After her second moto ended I watched her cross the finish line and just come to a instant stop when she landed. The engine seized while it was in the air!
I quickly went home, washed the bike and started disassembly. I found a chipped piston, cylinder full of metal shavings, and melted crank stuffers lodged up inside the cylinder ports. The cranked is seized due to melted stuffers so a full tear down is in order. Too bad tomorrow is her first race of the summer season
