2012 ktm 500 exc?

[Dirty in all]

I tried to do a top speed run on the highway downhill and I couldnt get it above 97 in 5th or 6th. This was at about 5 hours on the engine tho so I didnt push issue too much. I have the stock 6days extremes on there and its like riding a stick of butter on pavement. To be expected I would think. The front was super twitchy too but I also own a SXV 550 so for me the EXC was a pleasure to control. Get more weight on the front end by just sitting forward or you can get crazy and start lowering the triples on the forks or changing triples to something adjustable to gain more stability but for the amount of times you do 90+ ... you have to weigh the options for yourself. What gets me is the wobble from not being balanced. I dont balance my supermoto wheels and they are fine but Im going to take care of that asap, well probably when I get a new rear tire which should be next week. Dont think I ever got less than 600 miles out of a tire but I guess they didnt expect me to do so much street riding ? I actually love the front tire for both speed and cornering but again I ride supermoto so I like it squirrely on the street.

While Im on tires .. hehe, I guess Im looking for a long life hard surface tire. Connecticut is just all rocks and hard packed dirt roads with some pavement for me and I havent bought a enduro tire in probably 20 years so anyones suggestions would be appreciated :)

[gonridn]

Originally Posted by ABYSS

you can call Brian at Acerbis USA and he will confirm. they dont even have the KTM plastics contract at the moment.

fi you want one of thse tanks Carson Motor Sports had a few but I bought one and I sent lulu for the second one. i am not sure if they have any more but these guys are top knotch!

thanks for the kind words dave, we try.
you just need to steer clear of them rough towns!

craig

[ridethedesert]

Originally Posted by hyperliteric16

Took my bike on the street the other day to see how fast it will go stock. I hit 90 no problem with more throttle to go, but damm it was so squirrely I had to slow down. Does anyone else have this problem? Has anyone added a stabilizer?

That was one of the first things I did. In my opinion, KTM's are twitchy in the steering compared to other bikes. I put a Scotts stabilizer with an under the bar mount.

[Lulu7404]

Originally Posted by motomark39

The stock front tire is very squirrelly on the road, just about anything is better that it on the road

Agreed. I just mounted Shinko 705's, did not balance them, and the pogo effect is gone. I "MAY" even think that the 6 days up front made the bike feel like it was lurching more than the motor. I rides MUCH smoother and I even left the rim lock on. But take into account that I am coming from 500lb street bikes with cush hubs.

[Lulu7404]

Originally Posted by Dirty in all

While Im on tires .. hehe, I guess Im looking for a long life hard surface tire. Connecticut is just all rocks and hard packed dirt roads with some pavement for me and I havent bought a enduro tire in probably 20 years so anyones suggestions would be appreciated :)

I will chime in on wear and performance on the 705's as I get some miles on them... for now on the street they are great.
Decent tread, will have a chance to use them on some trails over Memorial Day weekend. I will be taking the 6days just in case but don't plan on using them unless the Shinko's are slipping everywhere or its muddy.



Shinko 244's are on my wifes CRF230M in 17" sizes. I bit more dirt oriented. So far about 700 miles on them and they handle pavement fine on that bike anyway.



Both sets were just over $100 for the set. Worth a try in my opinion.

[Colemanfu]

Gave it a rack and a rise.

I'll put a little Dirt Bike Gear bag on the back to hold some tools and crap.

Remember, I'm slowly trying to turn it into my old bike. Just a more modern and agile version .

[tenerejay]

Can someone tell me what they do when removing the gas tank to keep the fuel from flowing out - do you have to drain the tank, or pinch the hose - there is no cut off valve that I can see - page 53 of the manual at the bottom says "disconnect the plug-in connection of the fuel line" - when doing that with gas in the tank, is it gonna start spilling everywhere?

[Dirty in all]

So far while removing my tank and my buddies tank both 500EXCs you just unplug the connector and it has a pressure valve in it that the male end holds open. Theres minimal fuel in the line that comes out but its maybe a teaspoon and the rest stays in the tank. The plugs that come in the bag just keep dirt and debris out. They dont stop fuel flow.


Thanks for the reply Lulu , I'll check them out.

[tenerejay]

THANK YOU - - I love this forum - for being a bunch of inmates you guys are alright by me - Shit - im an inmate too now!

[ABYSS]

Originally Posted by gonridn

thanks for the kind words dave, we try.
you just need to steer clear of them rough towns!

craig

we have a screen name to put with the person now!


FELLOW INMATES TAKE NOTICE - These guys are the stuff of CJRACER, Highwaydirtbikes, blackdog,Evo,Chip Munn and alot of the other Quality inmates/vendors out there. They are here for us and do what they say and say only what they can do.

Alot of shops out there that talk to you like a friend but wont invest any valuable time in the customer. These guys look at whats out there and stock in house what useful things that we need. They dont have to rely on the KTM NA to send it to them first like alot of shops do.

I wish you guys were closer I would have bought my bike form you.

[heetseeker]

Originally Posted by ABYSS

FELLOW INMATES TAKE NOTICE - These guys are the stuff of CJRACER, Highwaydirtbikes, blackdog,Evo,Chip Munn and alot of the other Quality inmates/vendors out there. They are here for us and do what they say and say only what they can do.

Agreed. Too bad Highwaydirtbikes didn't sell tires and other consumables. They would be my KTM Costco! Great vendor!!

[ABYSS]

Originally Posted by heetseeker

Agreed. Too bad Highwaydirtbikes didn't sell tires and other consumables. They would be my KTM Costco! Great vendor!!

Are you listening

[Colemanfu]

Don't forget Sanjoh and his wicked lights. He makes a flaring specificaly for the 500 to hold his lights. Very slick set up. Seen it in person and it's a quality piece. He's also a good dude .

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=607184

[Raceforever]

My new fairing !!!!!

[Colemanfu]

RF - that's some wild fairing action .

Beyond the bike Italia looks nice.

I put the Dirt-Bike-Gear bag on.http://www.dirt-bike-gear.com/ Used some mini U bolts to attach it to the rack.

I had to nip the end of the threads at the bolts for a custom fit/maximize space. The rack is a real slick piece. It attaches to the mini sub frame and hovers above the rear fender.