New bike for me - 2000 KTM 380 SX

[citabjockey]

Dicks wants about 900 for forks and the shock.  Thats darn near half what I paid for the bike. A local shop will swap the seals for me for $100 (or I can try it myself). I don't know what the breakdown of the 900 was...  If I was going to spend that much money I think I would be better off with a steering damper. I also have a larger gas tank on my wish list -- of course I come to find if I move away from the SX tank I have to get a EXC/MXC seat to get it to fit. *sigh*.

i dont think a revalve/rebuild is as expensive as you think, and that would def stop the fork leak.  im not talking a factory connection rebuild. 

[Premixed]

as long as you buy a seal puller and the little slide collar tool for your fork diameter, changing the seals isnt a big deal. 

[ford832]

100 bucks is good.If you're happy with the susp as is,get the seals done and be finished with it-get them to ck the bushings though as if you put new seal in and have worn out bushings,they'll leak again in short order.Also ck closely for small nicks on the tubes.It doesn't take much and these can be polished out.
I'd still at least get the nitrogen ck'd in the shock.Just a pressure ck with a press guage and a refill is just a couple bucks if you're low.

[citabjockey]

Ok, when I drop off the forks I will give them the shock too to check.

Rode the bike some today. I think you are quite right about the forks and bleeding. I did a 60 min session on some misc single track. About 50 min in I noticed the forks were much more harsh. When I had my lunch I undid the bleed screws to release the pressure. After that the forks were good once again -- for another 40 min. Then started to get harsh again. Overall I am pleased with the suspension as is. A revalve would be wasted on me.

The engine -- well, I just love that engine. Even with the ridiculous 1/8th throttle jetting. It pulls down to nuthin, revs to the moon, shifts like the proverbial hot knife, and makes quite enough beans thank you. Hills that I would be shifting down on with my WR500 I shift UP while climbing on this thing -- thanks to the slick shifting tranny, the strong power, the good suspension, and the close ratios. Love it. If I get some time I will post video if anyone is interested.

I did it all today, some straight and steep drag-race  climbs, some rocky trails, tight single track, wide open single track and fire roads. Lotsa fun. Its ALL good on the 380.

Oh and did I mention the hydraulic clutch? I never had one of those before. Magic.

I think I may keep this scooter for awhile!

100 bucks is good.If you're happy with the susp as is,get the seals done and be finished with it-get them to ck the bushings though as if you put new seal in and have worn out bushings,they'll leak again in short order.Also ck closely for small nicks on the tubes.It doesn't take much and these can be polished out.
I'd still at least get the nitrogen ck'd in the shock.Just a pressure ck with a press guage and a refill is just a couple bucks if you're low.

[TMKIWI]

Oh and did I mention the hydraulic clutch? I never had one of those before. Magic.

Every bike should have one. It's 2011, not 1988.

[citabjockey]

Video of some trail riding fun yesterday on the 380:

[ford832]

Oh and did I mention the hydraulic clutch? I never had one of those before. Magic.

Every bike should have one. It's 2011, not 1988.

What are you saying?   " title="Angry" class="smiley">  


Cool vid.That looks like a fun place to ride.There's something desperately wrong with your bike though.It doesn't seem to generate much rpm for the speed it has.Maybe you need a 125 kit for it  


When do we get to see the vid of you jamming it to the stops and rowing the gearbox? 

[citabjockey]

When I grow a pair.

[SachsGS]

What area are you riding at? Looks like fun.

[citabjockey]

Carnegie state park, behind Livermore CA

What area are you riding at? Looks like fun.

[ford832]

When I grow a pair.

When exactly will that be?   

[citabjockey]

Wish I had the answer to that question! 

I have my jet kit now. Also new seals arrived so will take the forks off Monday to take them to the shop for the swap.
Probably will not have results on the jetting until the following weekend...

When I grow a pair.

When exactly will that be?   

[citabjockey]

Looks like MSR has the steel-banded spacers available. A rider in a local club posted that his KTM wheel bearings need swapping every 12 to 18 months and was wondering about this. He tried the MSR version and saw better life.

Watch your wheel spacers as they,like all ktm spacers,are made of cheese.The seal wears a groove in the spacer and dirt/water destroy your wheel bearings in short order.I had a buddy machine the part where the seal rides and press on a stainless sleeve and machine it smooth.End of problem but harder spacers are available aftermarket.

[SachsGS]

Bearing dealerships sell steel sleeves for repairing worn shafts - a .038 skim of the wheel spacer,press the sleeve on and you are done.

[citabjockey]

Skim? is that lathe work on the spacer and then press on the sleeve? I don't have a lathe... Not sure how many other riders have one?

a .038 skim of the wheel spacer,press the sleeve