I had an 01 640ADV for 5 years / 15,000 miles only 3,200 miles on it. Plus it comes with racks, windscreen and Gobi hard bags. How reliable are these bikes? Never stranded me and I went solo into some remote places. I don't want to be tinkering with stuff all the time, Don't buy this bike I have 20,000 trouble free miles on my KLR and I love the reliability, and low cost maintenance. It has never let me down, but I hate the weight, brakes and suspension (or lack thereof) The KTM suspension was really good after an $800 tuning. The ADV weighs about 400 lb with gas, doubt it's lighter than the KLR. The Enduro is lighter. Realistically, how many miles can I expect to get out of the engine before a new top end, or total rebuild? I had a lot of minor issues but didn't have to open'r up. Water pump, seals, tstat, wiring breaking, carb parts wear out, linkage bearings, lot's of rear tires... What kind of fuel mileage are you getting out of yours? 40 mpg How viby are these bikes a 80 mph? Is it bad enough to make your hands go to sleep? When I first got it it put my hands to sleep a little. I rode 1300 miles the first half at 80. It took 3 days after the trip for my body to stop vibrating. It smoothed out a little with miles, and the Renazco seat helped. How difficult is it to convert a 640E to a 640A? How strong is the subframe on the 640E, is it different than the subframe on the 640A? Are they interchangeable? Are there tanks of 5 gal + available for the 640E? I want to keep my 300 mile range if possible. If I was to do over, I would get the Enduro with 5 gal tank. Lighter and better balanced. That would be 200 mile range maybe. I don't want a high maintenance nightmare. .......... I wouldn't call it a nightmare but it's not a Honda or even a Kawasaki. If mechanically sound, would this bike be a good one at $3,800? I sold my ADV with 18000 miles for $3500. Enduros go closer to $3000 even low miles ones. The Gobis are worth something.
Floor, Will you imagine yourself on the start line for the PD race in '02. Which machine would you chose to run the race? A killer or a KTM. Ever spent a couple of years with a complex woman who was smarter than you? Do you have small fingers? Ever fix an engine in a motel room? Answer yes and you are a KTM mensch. It will be hard sometimes. bill
Many here have converted from double to single. I personally think mine (double disk 2005) was over braked for the dirt. Converted it to single and had no problems stopping on dirt or road (but I don't use it for a lot of road miles). There isn't an easier (or cheaper) way to get rid of 6 pounds of unsprung weight that I know of.
dhally, bmwktmbill, thanks for the replies. I am looking into my funding options (what can I sell fast?) and doing quite a bit of research/reading, trying to decide if this would be a good move. Either I shitcan the KLR ( I know it is an ugly old p.o.s., but I love her) and get the 640E, or keep the old bitch (put on those USD forks that have been leaning in the corner of the garage for a couple years) and pick up a second, lighter DS bike so I can quit taking the old kawi stupid places. Either way, my wife is gonna be pissed decisions, decisions bill, I can only answer yes to a couple of those questions. I have spent the last 16 years with a very complex woman, she drives me bonkers some days:huh. And I do occasionally daydream of running the Dakar, on a KTM. I havn't had any more trouble on the road than a blown fuse or a flat tire, motels rooms are for drinking beer And I have rather large hands, and long fingers (finding gloves that fit is a p.i.t.a.) that don't start threads on tiny bolts, in tight places, very well.
In a perfect world, I'd be looking at a shiny new 690, instead of a decade old 640, to park next to my 15 other bikes, but in my real world (my family's needs have to be met before my wants), I'm damn lucky to have the bikes I do, and even $3,800 for the (barely) used 640E is a bit of a stretch I'm a KLR rider more because of circumstance, than choice. I would much prefer to be riding orange, but I don't want a bike that turns into a money pit. I am going to think this one over very carefully. Thanks again
Or hold out for an Adventure rather than the Enduro. If you ride a Kawi the adventure bike is THE replacement. bill
Yeah, I know. I didn't even know the 640 ADV existed until about two weeks AFTER I bought my KLR. I had wanted one of those for a very long time, thinking it was the closest thing to what I was looking for in a bike, had I only known......
Hi Guys, I am looking at 2002 KTM LC4, not an ADV. 18,000 miles on the clock, the guy says it is in perfect condition, mechanic owned. He is asking $2500. Should I go for it?
Offer 2K for it, a new one off the showroom floor isn't perfect. Ask what upgrades or work he has done to the motor ie. bearing upgrade, top end, etc. Got mine used (99LC4 E) low miles(4200) in 2000 but had to do upgrades not cheep. 23K mile and counting now and loving it. .
Hi guys, I've been reading lots about my new to me 2004 SMC625 and have found a lot of these threads to be helpful. not sure if i'm posting in the right place, but my left exhaust flange is a bit weepy with oil. How do i fix that? I wanted to PM creepy, but i see he hasn't posted since 2010.
1. This may not be the best thread to post questions like this. There are a couple of other LC4 threads that get more traffic. 2. Have you looked at this thread?: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=141397 3. No good PM'ing Creeper, but the man can work in mysterious ways. Post up a question and you never know when he may chime in (you may just not know it). Also, as he has stated, he hasn't owned a LC4 for about 4 years.
Seems like a lot of questions similar to mine are getting answered here so I'll give it a try. 2001 KTM 640A, from the pictures and what the dealer told me I would describe it as being in good condition (best guess as I have yet to lay eyes on it). All updates/service bullitens have been done. The big problem is that the speedo quit working quite a while ago. I was told the bike is estimated to have around 15,000 miles, but who knows if that is true or not. It is under consignment with an asking price of $3800. Not going anywhere near that due to the speedo issue. I am thinking of anywhere between $2000 to $2500 based on what it looks like in person. Am I low-balling, reasonable or should I go less because of the speedo? Not afraid to to tear into the bike if necessary to fix it up. I have a nicely set up 08 990 that I love, but I would like a lighter bike for the rougher stuff. The 990 will go just about anywhere you point it, but turning it around or picking it up tends to be a pain in the ass. I'm almost at the point of selling the 990, buy a 690 and kit it with RR tanks/fairings if I can't find a low price 640.
Shoelessjoe, I cant be of much help with used 640 pricing, but It would be great to hear from some inmates who have ridden or owned both a 640 / 690. I can't say I fall into that category but I had a friend who owned a 690 after a Yamaha WR 450... He sold the 690 after three months and bought a 530 EXC; which he held onto for two more years. He said the 690 was overkill (too heavy) for his tastes. He rode the Rocky Mountains and foothills of southern Alberta. He is a very good rider, 6' 2" about 205 lbs and in great shape. Not a motorcycle racer (bicycle racing background), preferred to trail ride but capable of higher speeds. I was surprised when he sold it - but he was even happier on his 530. He probably did about 70% dirt and 30% pavement. I think if he was still into dual sports today, he would buy a 500 EXC and would be as happy as pie. .. Given what I have heard and read about the new 500! Myself, I love my 640 but would love to try a new 500. Circumstances predicate me keeping the 640 (must ride to the trails) - no truck or trailer- and prefer off-road or at least gravel (former cross country motorbike racer and mountain biker)... I consider pavement as a necessary evil yet somewhat enjoyable portion of my rides, but I am off-roader at heart. I am 6' and 215 so I fit the 640... but I have tipped on the single track on the downhill side (solo) and have spent 20 sweaty minutes extricating myself while slapping mozzies and sweating under my ATGATT! At that point, I was pining for my KDX 200 or a KTM 500! I guess you need to consider your optimum riding conditions, talk to those with experience on those bikes, and maybe do a black book search with the specific year - this will give you retail and wholesale pricing. Good luck and enjoy whatever you get!
If you think about it and ride the 640 Adventure I believe you will come to the conclusion that it is a travel bike that excels in the second and third world. It is a secondary and tertiary road bike offering wind protection and additional fuel range to the traveler. It's a race bred travel bike...that's why it is so cool and there is no other motorcycle quite like it in the world. It isn't the easiest motorcycle to work on until you learn it. After around 40K miles it really comes to you and nothing else seems quite like the right motorcycle. That said I never rode the 690 with a big tank and wind protection set up with a 33 inch seat height. The 690 is a better engine in every way except that it lacks simplicity. The 640a's will be running 20 years from now like the BMW R80GS. Some motorcycles get it all and change the way we think about motorcycling in general by raising the bar with their standard of excellence. $2500 for a 2001 640a is a deal I'd have no trouble justifing to myself. I do my own mechanics. bill
Bill, That is a very accurate and concise description. I have never read one done better. Well done! I knew I wanted one when I first saw it... I never thought it would happen, but boy am I glad it did (even though I haven't rode it near enough for my liking!)
I sold one in Washington about a year ago for $3500. It had about 18000 miles, Renazco seat and tuned suspension. If there is no history of repairs, there could be some deferred maintenance and repairs in store at that mileage. And they aren't easy to pick up, either.
Thanks for the replies. My trail riding days are over as I had a tendency to break out in stitches. That and the lack of trails available to me where I live doesn't help either. More looking for a lighter weight adventure bike and I have alway thought the 640A was a good looking bike. Didn't realize until recently that it lacked a 6th gear. Must not be a big issue since I have not read any complaints about it. The bike in question is at a KTM dealer which claims to have recently performed all updates/maintencance. I like tinkering around with the bike in the garage so I am not afraid of a project. KBB/NADA prices are very low for this bike, anywhere from $1200-$2800 so I don't think I am too far off on the price. Going to see it this weekend in addition to looking a '12 690. My 990 ended up low siding after getting rear ended. With time and a little insurance I put a lot of work into the bike and totaly changed the look. Now I am a little wary of taking it off-road on the rough tracks that we typically end up riding and unfortunately it is doing commuter duty now. Looking at a partial TAT/CDR ride this summer.
I have a 2000 640E that I picked up 1 year ago for $2600. It had 4800 original miles on the odo. I sold my 2000 DR650 for $3200 - not bad. A little profit never hurt right? Even if I sold the DR to a Priest! I have other KTMs, but didn't realize how much I didn't like the DR until I rode the 640. I've also ridden a 690(08 Model) and prefer the more dirt-worthy 640 over the 690. The 640 happened to have the suspension done by the previous owner(same weight as me) as well as other upgrades and I got about $1000. worth of extras. I like my 640 so much, I don't ride my set-up V Strom 650 that much anymore. Besides, I'm an offroad guy and everyone knows Stroms are just streetbikes with a high pipe! Anyway, a year of dual sport riding with a buddy who happens to have the same model year 640E and three rear Metzeler Karoos later.. I'm lovin my girl more every time I ride her. In my opinion, if you can find one..buy it. These bikes are fairly rare(at least in my neck of the woods) and I was lucky to find mine in almost showroom condition. I'll keep her for an extra long time.. even if I got the silver version... I bleed orange too!
