Serious Design Flaw: Super Enduro!

So I'm out riding, 150 miles from home and am jumping some water-bars as is my usual routine. A few miles later I stop for a break and see lots of steam coming from the front of the bike.

To make a long story short I must have bottomed out and the Skid-plate crushed the lower row of cooling fins on my radiator.

The design flaw is that the skid-plate is attached to the oil reservoir, which in turn is connected to the radiator. So any force imparted on the skid plate is driven into the radiator.

I have Black Dog skid-plate w/ the additional "Shok Blok" which braces the skid plate on the bottom of the engine case to help absorb those REALLY big hits.




I was able to top it off and get to a gas station and add some stop leak which got me home.

Anyone else have this happen to them or have a viable solution for the problem?

The ADV has a cast aluminum sub-frame that the skid plate bolts to. On the SE it bolts directly to the oil reservoir.

ADV


vs

SE

So you hit your skid plate, which in turn pushed up on the oil resevoir, which in turn hit and damaged the radiator? Did you notice the hit? Or was it just one among many?

When I read your question(s), there was one particular inmate who came to mind. He is not a big fan of that plate, for that exact reason.

The rear of the B-D plate mounts to very stong points, but eliminates the mid-mounts (to the best of my knowledge). Another inmate, here, cannibalized the oil tank, and told me that the damn thing could probably take a hit from an IED. So, since (like water) force is gonna' take the path of least resistance, the rear of the plate is gonna' act like a hinge...on some really bad, or awkward, hits (just from a mechanical perspective). And, in the front, the oil tank will absorb a good hit. However, the stuff above it won't.

Kurt makes great products, and (I believe) tried to address this issue by adding the Shok-Blok. And, in my very humble opinion, I think that 95% would never go beyond the limits of B-D's design. It appears that you are one of the 5%...congrats.

Anyhow, the inmate (who is not a fan) seems to prefer the G-it (Guard-it Technology) plate...as it mounts at three points.


Cheers...


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I did the same thing but from big logs so I built a steel bracket that attaches the oil tank to the other 2 mounting points on the bottom of the rad. It's not perfect but spreads the load a bit and has held up since.

Correct.

Just another typical ride. I did not notice any impact bigger than usual.



I've taken bigger jumps before.

Pics Please.

I'll have to take a look at the Guard-it Technology skidplate.

Will do, gimmie a couple days until I'm home.

I hope he doesn't mind me putting it out there...But, I think Misery Goat has (had?) one on his SE. If you PM'ed him, he might give you a firsthand opinion.



He can even be pretty nice, at times...

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This is indeed a fatal flaw in the original design. However, mounting a skid plate to the oil reservoir, with the knowledge that the reservoir is critical and in turn mounted to/ready to crush the rad is insane.
I too have suffered this fate.

Surely someone can design a skid plate that anchors itself to a frame point up front ? At the very least, the forward mount points should have significant cushioning (not simple rubber grommets) to absorb the hit.

Who sells G-it in the States?

So you hung a seven pound floating skid plate to a three bolt oil tank that is part of the radiator support and you are calling it a design flaw on KTM's part? :huh

That skid plate is poorly designed, every SE I have seen with a BD skid plate has had a damaged radiator.. That thing is so wide even if you do not bottom it out just dropping the bike on its side shoves the oil tank side to side and in turn moves the radiator..

Its a full floating canoe..

That so called Shok Block is a joke to...

There are better built skid plates out there...

G-iT... problem solved.

That's one of the best built ones out there.. Mounts to the lower frame solid and back to the motor like the stock one did and supports the oil tank and radiator, nothing moves..

It is what I am running after loosing a radiator with the Blackdog skid plate...

Just order it directly from them in the UK, it won't cost any more in shipping and will be there in a couple of days.

I'm pretty sure the design flaw is the lack of frame under the engine to bolt a skid plate to.

+1.

+2


I see the 690 has this same issue. Why in the world they dont put a small subframe for a skid plate on these dirt bikes is beyond me.