I appreciate the feedback and you've validated one of my main concerns -- slogging out long miles of road.
Yes. Just to reiterate, I rode from the US/Canada border to Alaska on a Vstrom 650. You should consider a long distance road bike and serious rain gear.
Is anyone running a plated 500 XCW in Oregon? I'm fixing to pick one up Thursday night. Also, can you just swap an exc wiring harness to get all the turn signals and lights or are the after market kits more sorted out wiring wise? Thanks guys!
I just did my 500 using turn signal wiring from the EXC, you may want to check out a kit. The W is missing the extra power wire running to the front. The existing wire is pretty small so I added a bullet to the plug and ran one. I also added the Adventure Euro start/stop/headlight switch to the right side and the typical signal/horn/high beam switch to the left. The W uses a ground wire to activate the starter solenoid so I modified the start stop to interrupt the starter button while it was in the off mode so I don't run the battery dead trying to start it in off position. When the rocker is "off" the ground goes to the coil to kill the motor, "on", if goes to "power" the start button, if that makes sense. The middle is for lights, off-parking-running positions
This might assist you with the gearing questions and future gearing selections https://www.gearingcommander.com/ .
Thanks. I've had that site bookmarked for a while. But I still have no idea what the parenthetical vs. non-parenthetical information in the KTM manual signifies.
depends on which model you have and if you bought your bike in the USA . US and all EXC models have 13 tooth front.
Again, I must be missing something obvious; The chart says "All 450 EXC models." It does not make a distinction between US and non-US models. But it lists two different ratios. Same for the 500 EXC. For the XC-W, it says USA in parenthesis. So is one to assume the parenthetical ratio is the US ratio and the non-parenthetical is all other models? It's not like this matters much. I know my USA 450 XC-W has stock 13/52 gearing. I'm just trying to figure out how to properly interpret this chart.
What year book? My 15 book only shows one ratio for the W and two like yours for the EXC which makes sense. As far was I knew, the W is only an American model, the EXC tag is world wide. Michael
I appreciate the fact that the chart is confusing. But, as I'm sure you know, the right gearing is the ratio that works best for you and what you are riding. Riding a 2012 500 XCW myself, I will comment that 13/52 is pretty damn low. I ride a fair amount of high elevation and slow technical stuff with 14/52. Things might change. But at this point the only gearing change I can see would be going higher--probably 14/50.....YMMV
I'm at 14/52, I may try the 14/50 as well, just to see if it brings the road rpm Dow without sacrificing the low end in the woods Michael
I pretty much finished up my initial round of farkeling, though my BPD radiator guards took forever to arrive, so I'll have to pull the tank again. EDIT: Only needed to remove the radiator shrouds. No need to remove the tank. The BPD guards are stupid-easy to install. Yes, I could have used a Sicass wiring kit but I chose not to. For lighting, I installed mostly OE EXC harness components on my 2014 450 XCW. All worked well, with only a couple of minor hiccups. The bike already had a Sicass rear brake switch, installed by the previous owner, so I removed the Sicass intermediary harness and simply plugged the Sicass switch into the newly installed OE EXC lighting harness. The Sicass switch is probably the same as OE. I used Sicass/DRC LED rear signals mounted to the stock XCW under-fender. I had to trim the fender a bit to clear the signals, which I didn't realize I'd need to do until I attempted to reinstall the rear fender. For front signals, I simply used adhesive LED strips with OE JWPF connectors and adhered them to the hand-guard deflectors. The 3M tape didn't stick very well. For now, I've got a bit of glue helping. We'll see if the adhesion holds up. I used the Tusk/Sicass LED flasher. I'd read that these bikes don't like LEDs on all four corners, even with an LED specific flasher. I tried using an LED dash indicator bulb and also completely omitting the indicator bulb. No dice with either configuration. I'm getting the typical "hazard" light response with no indicator bulb installed. With the LED indicator bulb, it still wasn't correct but it wasn't the full all-four "hazard" light response. I guess I'll have to get my hands on Sicass 22-299 and see if that corrects things. EDIT: Sicass 22-299 installed. All flashers function perfectly. I used the Euro headlight switch gear. I like this! Very simple and compact. I didn't install a horn but I ohm'd-out the leads and the Euro horn switch works. So does the high/low beam switch, the blue dashboard high beam indicator and the kill switch. I installed the Acerbis 3.0 gallon tank and a KTM 90 degree fuel fitting. EDIT: The 77707988017 fitting I used is listed as "Fits: SX-F / XC-F 13-17" but it is the correct 90 degree fitting to use with an Acerbis EXC/XC-W tank. I initially used Oetiker clamps and immediately had a leak at the 90 degree fitting upon activating the fuel pump. I replaced the Oetiker clamp with a fuel injection style clamp and all is well. I'll probably change the other Oetiker clamp just to be safe and consistent. I simply tucked the OE licence-plate light lead under the fender for the time being. I doubt I'll install a license plate light. I'm typically on the road during the day while connecting trails. Not much riding after dark with this bike. There's still no keyed ignition switch and using all of the OE EXC wiring components, the bike behaves as stock insofar as starting and lighting power cutoff. Hit the start switch and the bike starts. Hit the new Euro kill switch and the motor dies, followed by the lights timing out in 10 seconds. I used the stock front brake micro-switch. To use this, you have to remove the stock spring from the brake lever. The switch works but it engages by just breathing on the brake lever. I wonder if the normal vibrations of trail riding will cause the brake light to flicker? If if does, I'll remove the over-priced OE Brembo micro switch and install a hydraulic activated switch. Most of what I used is listed below: 77711081000 FLASHER WIR. HARNESS 14 77711079000 WIRING HARNESS LIGHT CPL. EU 77711050000 BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FRONT 2014 58011024300 INDICATOR LIGHT 58011021300 INDICATOR LIGHT 77711091000 CABLE INDICATOR LIGHT 49111425200 BULB 12V 2,3W (W2X4,6D) (2 of these) 59033034044 SCREW & WASHER 10912050303 AH SCREW DIN0912-M 5x30 78111070000 LIGHT SWITCH 78111029000 FLASHER SWITCH (Euro) 78111070000 LIGHT SWITCH (Euro) Sicass Part #: 22-300 LED Flasher Sicass Part #: 22-100c LED Signals
McStagger, The part you listed for the KTM Factory Fuel Pump connector is for an: Fits: SX-F/XC-F 13-17 (PN# 77707988017) for $34.99 The part for the 500EXC is about twice the price: Fits: 350/450/500 XCF-W/EXC 12-16 (PN# 78107988017) for $79.69 I was all happy, getting ready to order this, until I checked the details. Guess, I'll get it ordered anyway. I have a Acerbis 3.2 gallon tank that I need to get installed. I've always seen the fuel routing line from the tank as a potential issue. While I've never ripped it off, I don't like it hanging out there. Nice work on your bike, looks like it's coming along very nicely.
