Clutch noise?
 

Hiya

My Adventure has developed a bit of a mechanical type noise when the clutch is released first time after the bike has been left over night. Generally it will only happen once each day, the first time the clutch is releasd, but the cluth does also feel a little bit on/off as well. The bike is a 2002 model and has now covered about 24000k's with the original clutch in place.

Any info/advice would be appreciated, currently in Nepal on my way to Thailand.

Will

Will, What have you done to my bike! OK your bike.. I phoned 'Bracken' they said it may be, quote "the bearing behind the clutch basket" although he also said that they can be like this anyway especially when cold. As I remember the clutch operation was faily smooth. He didn't seem concerned that the mileage was 24k kil (18000 miles?) and said that they hadn't had problems with KTM's before. Does the problem happen between gears, 2nd to 3rd etc or is it only when pulling away in 1st.....Bob

Hiya Bob

The noise is only there the first time i use the clutch starting to pull away in first gear, and yeah your right, the clutch was fairly smooth and progressive but now does feel, especially first use after a while, a bit on/off. My conversion and yours! miles to Kilometers were both a little out, it has now done slightly under 15000 miles which i think is about 23000ks.

As a point of interest you may be able to help me with something else, when i got the left fork seal changed (the other has now just gone!), there was very differnt oil in each of the fork tubes, one black and one pink! I have a feeling Bracken had done something to the bike for some reason before flogging it to you. Regardless, the bike has done well and i love it, well most of me does anyway, there is sometimes one area of my body that doesnt always apreciate it, my arse! Such is life.

Aren't you two off soon? Cheers


Will

Hi Will, When I spoke to the guy at 'Bracken' yesterday he said that it wasn't unheard of for the clutch to be a bit "clunky and on/off" on initial take up when cold in first. Is it the same when you've been riding it for a while? I know its basic but is the clutch adjustment ok? If you get back to me with more details I can make more enq's tomorrow when their open.

With regard to the fork seals, they told me that the bike had a leaking fork seal from new and they had resealed and removed the fork leg for use on another bike, warranty claim I think, and ordered a new fork leg for your bike. Presumably when they got the new fork leg they filled with a different make of fork oil from the one fitted in the factory. Looking at the ktm thread on this site it seems to be rather a commom occurence that fork seals fail!!

Yes we're off on May the 16th wooopeee!!
The bike is away having the subframe strengthened (common BM occurence!!) pannier frames made to fit the new sub frame, crash bars to cover the cylinders, etc etc. Did you get Theft and Fire insurance for your bike? I can't make up my mind whether it's worth it or not, given that the get out clauses for the insurance company seem rather numerous and the stipulations that the bike has to be "secured to an imovable object" a bit daft, especially in the middle of the Sahara!!

Yeah it is just first thing in the morning that it happens but it has only started in the last week or so? Is it adjusted ok, MMMMM,i dont think i better answer that cos i might say something i shouldnt! even i can do that! i think!!

Glad to hear your preparations are going well and your getting near to being off, i didnt bother with insurance as it was expensive and figured that getting a payout if worse came to worse may be difficult cos of its conditions. I often pick accomodation purely on a good place for the bike but that is as much to stop kids, younge and old, assuming my bike is a play thing and climbing frame than anything else! I have had nothing stolen at all yet, touch wood, and i suspect that the bike is probably not the first one to get stolen as they would have a real hassle selling it on or breaking it up as it is so unusual in most countries. A good lock shuold stop joy riders but i should also have bought a bike cover with. Speak to you soon.

Will

Will, Telephoned 'Bracken' again (different bloke) He said that the bike should be run on fully synthetic oil and this will make a difference to the operation of the clutch when cold. Your probably using this anyway, but other than that he said it would be difficult to say without seeing the bike. Couldn't pop it into S.E.1. I suppose!!!Thanks for the other info. Hope this helps! Bob

Ok thanks for that Bob, i will see what happens and take it to the next KTM garage when i can, i think its Alice Springs! The universe will look after me! Hope your preparations go hitch free and maybe see you on the road sometime, somewhere. Will