Post by: citabjockey on October 26, 2011, 01:29:37 PM
Post by: citabjockey on October 26, 2011, 01:33:55 PM
Besides that it clearly needs a new chain, a new rear tire, and the fork seals are weeping. The rear suspension is great -- some sort of work was done by 3 Brothers Racing for the original owner (I am number 3). Bike looks like it has pretty low hours on it. Went through the shock mounts and swing arm pivot today:
Cleaned up the shock, regreased the upper heim joint. Leaving it alone:
Post by: streaks383 on October 27, 2011, 01:40:56 AM
Post by: citabjockey on October 27, 2011, 02:17:32 AM
Anyway, here is some video from the shakedown. A *somewhat* steep hill is at 0:30 into it. Trivial for the 380:
I was always curious about these bikes. IMO 300 seems to be the Magic 2 stroke number and 500 is just plain crazy. I always wondered what the power delivery on these was like. When you get some seat time let me know if you don't mind.
Post by: eprovenzano on October 27, 2011, 05:51:38 AM
As far as the jetting goes, I had to change the slide, and all the brass. KTM's are very susceptive to temp changes. I know on my last ride, the temp?s dropped more than I anticipated and I should have dropped the needle one spot as it was starting to run lean.
The 380 can be a pussy cat, and will allow you to crawl in the tight woods, or twist the happy stick and she becomes a tiger while you hang on for arm ripping fun?
Post by: streaks383 on October 27, 2011, 06:58:49 AM
Post by: maicoman009 on October 27, 2011, 07:08:25 AM
Post by: Dirt Addict on October 27, 2011, 08:51:53 AM
btw that bike looks time capsule clean. nice.
Post by: citabjockey on October 27, 2011, 10:13:44 AM
I have owned 2 380's. An 01 mxc and a 02 sx. I prefered the sx. That bike would idle down to individual pulses and still not stall. It was a cheater bike climbing up anything. Mess with the jetting, they are finicky from bike to bike. Gas mileage sux even when leaned out. But all in all an excellent bike that will last you a long time. Lots of info on ktmtalk in the oldies section.
btw that bike looks time capsule clean. nice.
Post by: citabjockey on October 27, 2011, 01:18:51 PM
Post by: SachsGS on October 27, 2011, 11:15:17 PM
Post by: scotty dog on October 28, 2011, 03:30:46 AM
Post by: ford832 on October 28, 2011, 05:20:46 AM
The 380's were famous for jetting woes.I'd look into a JD kit.
I had two KTM's of this era and their wedge shaped,hard as a rock seats are what taught me to ride standing up.
These years were prone to leaking fork seals as the dust wipers didn't seal and allowed everything to pass.Yours may have been corrected already.
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.
On the upside,all KTM bearings(wheel,engine,head)are all standard sizes so,unlike the japs,you can get a top of the line bearing from any bearing supply place for about 1/4 the price of the factory stuff.
Pivot works makes a good heim joint set for the rear shock that will outlast KTM's.The original KTM has a coating that will deteriorate if you grease it and they don't last that long anyway.You grease the PW stuff and it stands up much better.
Likely you've been there multiple times already but if not,KTM TALK is a great resource.
Awesome ride.Enjoy.
One last thought.One mandatory mod,if you do nothing else,is to get a set of one touch fork bleeders.These forks pump up a lot making the front end harsh and prone to deflection the longer you ride.With my first one I wondered why I was ok at the start of a race,and bouncing off everything later on.When I got home to wash the bike I put it up on the stand and unscrewed the bleeder and the pressure blew it off in to the grass when I had it almost out.
I got a set of the bleeders after that and would stop for a second in the middle of a race,grab the front brake,pull back on the bike and touch each bleeder.Night and day difference.I'd do it often trail riding as well.They're pretty cheap and a must have for these imo.
One last,last thought.What can I say,old age-things come to me slowly at times
Have a look at the lower mount for your rear shock.If there is a groove worn in it on the rear,it's from the corresponding raised section on your mudguard.Shave it off with a razorblade and it won't wear anymore.
Post by: TMKIWI on October 28, 2011, 06:22:36 AM
I have always wanted to have a ride on one of those.
There seems to be a few of them down this end of the world.
Post by: citabjockey on October 28, 2011, 01:59:04 PM
Spacers are wearing and I had to put in new bearings in the rear. I did grease the heim joints as they looked near dry. I guess I will have to swap them out soon. The forks are leaking plenty. When I get that fixed I will also add those quick bleeds you mentioned.
New pilots made no difference to the low throttle blubber. Ktmtalk folks say JD kit is good, some say a number 7 slide is a win too, still others say do a squish mod. I will start with the slide and JD kit. Have the new rubber on the back, swingarm pivot is re-greased, ready for another test run if I can find the time.
Bike takes a massive boot to kick over. My WR500 yamaha was child play in comparison. Must have pretty high compression.
Thanks for the nice comments guys.
Post by: ford832 on October 28, 2011, 07:49:37 PM
Another interesting note,if you have any play in your rear brake pedal,it is easily fixed.The japs use a bushing but KTM uses two small bearings pressed one on top of the other.Take the brake pedal off,pop off the snap ring and tap them out from the other side.For a couple bucks you're all good again.I always loved the little touches like that on the KTM's.
Cool vid btw.How about a vid of a big ass power wheelie coming down the hill you climbed.That would be sweeeeeetttttt,and show the power of those things as well
Post by: citabjockey on October 28, 2011, 10:57:46 PM
Thanks for the tips on the seals and the brake pivot. How tough is it to do the seals myself? Fork parts explosion pics look kinda scary.
Post by: psychward26 on October 29, 2011, 03:50:02 AM
Post by: Dirt Addict on October 29, 2011, 04:59:15 AM
The 43mm forks can be made to work very well for offroad. A nice upgrade is a later year shock, up to 06.
the squish mod is supposed to make jetting easier and less sensitive to changes. i just messed around with the a/s from ride to ride and it worked well.
btw, I have an 06 shock for sale. I also have a 2k3 ignition with a heavier flywheel and higher output ignition. The sx came with a 2k1 ignition. With the 2k3 you can run lights, grip heaters.... and you don't need a fww.
Post by: citabjockey on October 29, 2011, 09:24:00 AM
Again, how bad is it to deal with a fork seal swap myself? Are any of the special tools a "must have"? I have a shop that will do it for me for $100 in labor so I guess I have that much to spend on tools should I decide the chances of messing things up is reasonably low...
Post by: ford832 on October 29, 2011, 09:29:14 PM
Post by: citabjockey on October 30, 2011, 06:50:43 AM
Will see if I can pry some time to remove the forks next week.
Post by: Dirt Addict on October 30, 2011, 06:53:49 AM
Post by: ruskee on October 30, 2011, 07:05:31 AM
Post by: 2STROKEREVOLUTION on November 02, 2011, 08:00:43 AM
Rode it a bit more today. Even with the lousy jetting I am starting to really like this motor. Pleanty of beans but not uncontrollable like a 500. You actually can give it full throttle every now and then, I went down two clicks on the forks compression and rebound and it is getting closer to the cushy feel of the rear end. Still spewing oil of course. Having a rear tire with knobs helps some...
Will see if I can pry some time to remove the forks next week.
Just wait until the jetting is good, you will LOVE the motor. I will suggest, which I think I told you on KTMTalk, is the head mod. Not just a squish change, but a full mod. That is a squish change AND a reshape. Instantly my jetting was good(and I don't have JD) and it gives you more torque.
JD fixes jetting. Head mod fixes jetting and gives more torque. Not much of a price difference either.
Forks on one of mine leak, even with new seals. Changing was fairly easy. You do need a seal driver and a impact wrench(to get the bottom apart). Or they probably have a special tool.
Post by: 2STROKEREVOLUTION on November 02, 2011, 08:02:38 AM
Post by: Premixed on November 02, 2011, 08:55:36 AM
Post by: 2STROKEREVOLUTION on November 02, 2011, 10:25:15 AM
there are tons of offroad suspension specialists that could revalve/ rebuild that suspension to your liking. box it up, ship it off. they'll want to know where you ride and how much you weigh/skill level ect.
That would help, but from what I have heard, it will never match the newer suspension. The newer shocks are better and in 2003 they switched to the 48mm forks from the 43mm. The only downside is it would cost more money to go that route. But you get what you pay for.
Post by: citabjockey on November 02, 2011, 12:43:06 PM
there are tons of offroad suspension specialists that could revalve/ rebuild that suspension to your liking. box it up, ship it off. they'll want to know where you ride and how much you weigh/skill level ect.
That would help, but from what I have heard, it will never match the newer suspension. The newer shocks are better and in 2003 they switched to the 48mm forks from the 43mm. The only downside is it would cost more money to go that route. But you get what you pay for.
Post by: Premixed on November 02, 2011, 07:05:40 PM
Post by: citabjockey on November 03, 2011, 12:23:36 AM
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.
Post by: Premixed on November 03, 2011, 08:17:03 AM
Post by: ford832 on November 03, 2011, 08:20:58 AM
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.
Post by: citabjockey on November 03, 2011, 09:45:31 AM
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.
Post by: TMKIWI on November 03, 2011, 03:52:56 PM
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.
Post by: citabjockey on November 04, 2011, 07:33:35 AM
Post by: ford832 on November 04, 2011, 08:55:23 AM
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?
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?
Post by: citabjockey on November 04, 2011, 10:02:41 AM
Post by: SachsGS on November 04, 2011, 01:33:42 PM
Post by: citabjockey on November 04, 2011, 11:54:24 PM
What area are you riding at? Looks like fun.
Post by: ford832 on November 05, 2011, 01:22:31 AM
When I grow a pair.
When exactly will that be?
Post by: citabjockey on November 05, 2011, 02:18:32 AM
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?
Post by: citabjockey on November 06, 2011, 12:33:10 AM
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.
Post by: SachsGS on November 06, 2011, 01:21:46 AM
Post by: citabjockey on November 06, 2011, 01:32:54 AM
a .038 skim of the wheel spacer,press the sleeve