KTM 525 EXC as an Adventure Bike

[Beardoge]

I was looking to purchase a 2004 525 EXC for $4200 with 1000 miles on it and it's exceptionally clean. Can some of you guys tell me if this is worth buying ? Any pitfalls or problems with this year bike ? It is registered with the Secretary of State and it's all street legal and ready to go so.... What say Ye ! Go or no Go.

[crazybrit]

Originally Posted by yondering

Yeah, the hi-low version is what I was looking at too. It was still offered as of last week, anyway. Hurry up and install yours so you can tell me if I want one!

Truth is, my stock '02 headlight with a 55/60W bulb works pretty well for my uses. I wouldn't mind a little more, but it's not bad as-is. I hear the light output of later models is a lot worse though.

I'll try and get to it once I get back from my trip. Still need to figure out the charging system issue My 2007 has the H4 55/60 also (square glass enclosure). Last long trip we swore we wouldn't ride at night but got caught out once and had to ride 20 miles of jeep trails in the dark. Light output isn't great, my buddies DRZ was much better. The 05/06 uses a 35/35w bulb.

[selaznog]

Originally Posted by yondering

Yeah, the hi-low version is what I was looking at too. It was still offered as of last week, anyway. Hurry up and install yours so you can tell me if I want one!

Truth is, my stock '02 headlight with a 55/60W bulb works pretty well for my uses. I wouldn't mind a little more, but it's not bad as-is. I hear the light output of later models is a lot worse though.

The one I installed is the HI/LO. I also have a 2007 with the square headlight (I have heard the other headlights have melting problems with HIDs). The HI/LO does what it is supposed to do. You want one.

I'm not worried about electrical output at this point. I have a TT stator and a lithium ion battery (not the light weight one with comparable power, but the big, overkill, I-refuse-to-kick-this-damn-bike-again one). I also replaced my brake light with a LED bulb, so more power saving there. We'll see what happens with the lights, but with the stock light it would never tame a trickle charge because it was always fully charged, even after sitting for a couple of weeks.

[crazybrit]

Originally Posted by selaznog

I have a TT stator and a lithium ion battery (not the light weight one with comparable power, but the big, overkill, I-refuse-to-kick-this-damn-bike-again one).

I assume you are also running the TT regulator? It and the Lithium Ion batteries are supposedly not a great combo. Trailtech told me that they are not compatible with the Shorai. And for the Turntech Lithium, from the horses mouth: http://www.thumpertalk.com/topic/817...#entry10104600. Probably good you got the one with lots of capacity and have the HID Talking to Joe, if you have a lot of accessory draw, it sounds like it can be borderline.

[bhorocks]

Originally Posted by Beardoge

I was looking to purchase a 2004 525 EXC for $4200 with 1000 miles on it and it's exceptionally clean. Can some of you guys tell me if this is worth buying ? Any pitfalls or problems with this year bike ? It is registered with the Secretary of State and it's all street legal and ready to go so.... What say Ye ! Go or no Go.

sounds like a lot of money for an 04... I just paid 2500 for an 05. yeah it has 110 hours 3000 miles but still....

better have alot of aftermarket.

[crash n bern]

[QUOTE=The Bigfella;19628357]A few more....



The last time I looked you were riding a 950 SE. What happened.

[sonic reducer]

I just picked up an '03 525exc to fix my lack of a thumper. It's plated already and seems in good condition although I have not rode it yet due to a busted radiator. however it starts up 2nd kick from cold.

I am going to change the oil(rotella t6), replace the radiator, bleed the brakes, check every bolt on the bike, and check the valves. what are some of the common issues should check? I already found out about the water pump seal thing and I do not believe the weep hole is weeping yet.

who is running on the street with no cush drive? can anyone give empirical evidence that this is a bad idea? the threads I read on this subject seemed to have a lot of arguing with little actual evidence to back up.

what coolant is everyone running? some say engine ice, but I'd prefer to run some kind of water based coolant in case of a leak out in the boonies to be able to top it with water. plus I'm in western wa not death valley although I will ride central wa a good amount I hope.

[selaznog]

Originally Posted by crazybrit

I assume you are also running the TT regulator? It and the Lithium Ion batteries are supposedly not a great combo. Trailtech told me that they are not compatible with the Shorai. And for the Turntech Lithium, from the horses mouth: http://www.thumpertalk.com/topic/817...#entry10104600. Probably good you got the one with lots of capacity and have the HID Talking to Joe, if you have a lot of accessory draw, it sounds like it can be borderline.

I am running the TT regulator with a Turn Tech battery. Joe makes a great product, but I think he is mistaken about conflict between a TT system and a lithium ion battery. My charging system has worked flawlessly for two years.

Prior to the time I bought the battery I had been having jetting issues (don't even get me started there!). The bike didn't start right away, the battery would die and I would start kicking. So, I then bought a TT stator and regulator kit. That didn't solve the problem, because no matter how much charge was going in when the bike was running, getting the bike to run in the first place was too much for the battery. I solved the jetting issue, (props to JD Jetting) but as anyone with a stock-sized battery on a KTM thumper knows, pressing the E-start on a cold bike is an exercise in divine faith...you can literally hear the battery drain with each press of the button, and you pray this won't be one of those times you have to kick. Enter the Turn Tech battery.

Rather than order off the web, I called Turn Tech, and told them my woes, told them I had a TT stator and regulator, and asked for the most powerful battery I could fit in the space. They were more circumspect about whether there was a conflict. They said it was a maybe. I was willing to try anything, so I ordered a battery at $199. They shipped it to me, and in two years it has worked great with a stock (except for a LED tail light bulb) lighting set up.

Proof is in the pudding as they say, and here is where IMHO the proof lays. Turn Tech recommends that you do not use a trickle charger regularly, and in fact I spoke with Turn Tech about this. They said it is fine to use one the night before a ride if the bike has been sitting, but not beyond that. In two years I have attached the trickle charger many times, only to see that the bike was already fully charged. I even wondered if I was getting an error reading from the charger, so leaving it plugged in I turned on the lights to get a power draw and a different reading from the charger. No error; the bike was fully charged. If Joe were right about the conflict (remember, he says the lithium battery needs a slightly higher voltage charge, and the TT system runs lower, thus failing to charge the battery), then a bigger battery would have more room to charge when placed on a charger, and yet my battery consistently has no room to charge.

I also don't notice a difference when riding different styles. I live in the desert but also ride mountains often. On my particular trails/roads, the power draw is much higher in the desert due to fan and lugging on tighter trails, whereas I tend to get a heavy wrist on the more flowing forest/jeep roads in the mountains. Either way, the bike stays charged.

Who knows, maybe I got lucky. but you couldn't get me to give up my TT system + Turn Tech battery.

[crazybrit]

Originally Posted by selaznog

I am running the TT regulator with a Turn Tech battery. Joe makes a great product, but I think he is mistaken about conflict between a TT system and a lithium ion battery. My charging system has worked flawlessly for two years.

Well, like I said, if you ask Trailtech they'll tell you their system isn't compatible with a Shorai (same battery chemistry). However when I tested a Trailtech on a 530 last week it was outputting 14.5V into the battery. Neither of the new regulators I have will output more than 13.6V which was Joe's experience also. When I mentioned the 14.5V test reading to the R&D engineer at Trailtech he told me that was over spec even though the owner of the bike had never touched the epoxy sealed adjustment pot and like you had been happy with charging for last 2 years. I believe yours works for you. Since I'm having issues getting the system working on my bike I decided to not complicate things further and just stick with their recommendation of Lead Acid. The Turntech looks like a great product and Joe is indeed a great guy!!

[yondering]

Originally Posted by crazybrit

My 2007 has the H4 55/60 also (square glass enclosure). ... Light output isn't great, my buddies DRZ was much better.

I haven't figured out why my '02 has such good light output, more than the later models, but it's much better than my buddies DRZ. Maybe a different reflector? Only thing I've changed is to add heavier gauge wire to the headlight circuit; maybe that's the difference. The stock wiring is pretty small.

[selaznog]

Originally Posted by crazybrit

When I mentioned the 14.5V test reading to the R&D engineer at Trailtech he told me that was over spec even though the owner of the bike had never touched the epoxy sealed adjustment pot and like you had been happy with charging for last 2 years.

Examples like this one reinforce my belief that manufacturing/performance specs on many moto products are often a guess at best. One the one hand my charging system works when supposedly it shouldn't. Your charging system doesn't work as it should even though there are no identifiable faults, and I have a garage full of products that don't work as well as they should.

[Cruiser]

I have a full summer running the trailtech reg with a ballistic battery and no issues.. but then again,, my voltage during charging is the correct 14.4 what a charging system should put out.. If I had a reg doing less, like under 14 at less than 1K rpm it would be going back to the manufacturer. I have VR's on small kawasaki single 11hp motors that have no issue going to 14.1 just off idle.. DC current. I have issue with TT regulators if they have less or should have less. I'll buy a ricky stator next, I bought the ricky stator brand stator and even tho its rumored that is who makes TT ones it looked nicer in terms of windings than the last TT one I installed. and it was 13.8 idle with the crappy lead yusa 4 battery, and just over 1000-1200 rpm went over 14, best I got was 14.6. The lead yusa 4 was only good for 3-4 tries starting the 450 so I went ballistic and its been great all season. not had one issue yet. Knock on wood.. and I run a 85w h4 on road, led signals and reg bulb tail light.

[bhorocks]

speaking of trailtech stators.. I just put one in my 05 525 stator/reguilator 8310 kit. doing this does it convert everything to dc just plugging it all in per instructions or do I have to do anything else?

I did not use the DC harness.

[crazybrit]

Originally Posted by bhorocks

speaking of trailtech stators.. I just put one in my 05 525 stator/reguilator 8310 kit. doing this does it convert everything to dc just plugging it all in per instructions or do I have to do anything else?

I did not use the DC harness.

Yes it converts to all DC. "DC Harness". Do you mean the jumper that runs from behind the headlight for switched DC? I think you only need that if you have a Euro harness (whereby the lights will otherwise always be on).

[bhorocks]

Originally Posted by crazybrit

Yes it converts to all DC. "DC Harness". Do you mean the jumper that runs from behind the headlight for switched DC? I think you only need that if you have a Euro harness (whereby the lights will otherwise always be on).

right on thanks.

how many watts does the KTM fan kit take and charging? that leaves me with what 60 usable?