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KTM 640 Adv problems list
Suggestion: lets try to put our heads together to come up with a list of problamatic parts on the 640 Adventure. If everyone with this bike would list everything that broke on their bikes, I could try to compile this list. I don't want you to include common wear items such as clutch, brake pads, etc... unless they occured at an unreasonable mileage.
My bike: 2000 KTM 640 Adventure-R current KM: 34,000 problems: - CDI unit (low/hi octane version) at 15,000 KM after I bought it - front wheel bearings - clutch cable at 25,000 km - one of the fork seals at 20,000 km - front(engine) sproket came loose, which caused the seal to leak, then tear along with the o-ring behind it 24,000 km - Intermediate starter gear (52T) broke at 33,000 km ------------------ Improvement makes strait roads, but the crooked roads without Improvement, are roads of Genius - William Blake |
'02 640 Adventure, Fork seal at 13,000 km
otherwise fine Neil |
good idea by model year:
- Sommer´s neoprene gaiters protect the fork seals. my list excludes bits that fall off from the vibrations http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif 2000 - New - 100 miles rocker cover had hairline crack so oil leaked out - warranty. - 2,000 it vibrated so much i couldn't hold my teeth together so sold it. 2000 - secondhand - 5,000 miles - front wheel bearings changed 2003 - new 30,000 km - front wheel bearings changed 28,000 km - top triple clamp cracked (probably overtightened bolts) 26,000 km - gearbox output seal changed 18,000 km steering head bearings changed (too fast over millions of speed bumps) 10,500 km - gearbox output seal changed ------------------ Jerome http://www.fowb.co.uk [This message has been edited by Jerome (edited 20 July 2004).] |
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Within 4,000 miles:
Oil sight glass leaking - warranty 3 spokes broke on front wheel - new front wheel on warranty Electrics wiped out speedo, indicators, brake light, horn Within 6,000 miles: Clutch slave cylinder replaced - warranty One fork seal blown |
Got a '03 (new from Feb '04), no worries so far (6500km) but then again got fork gaiters!
and errh, the battery got replaced at 1000km under warranty.. Thats it, not very exciting.... |
I think my bike was build on Friday afternoon. Here is why:
@ 1,200 miles: leaking fork seals @ 2,000 miles: oil leak, bad valve cover gasket @ 6,200 miles: the top ring on the piston broke, shattered and killed the engine. The head might be saved (refinished) but the rest of the engine needs to be replaced, I am still waiting for an answer from KTM-USA, what are they gonna do about that??? P.S. Believe or not, I still love my KTM |
Nearly forgot - 02 640, broken front spoke at about 9,000km. Why do they use crap chrome plated spokes when the rest of the build quiality seems good???
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2002mod Adventure 22554 on the clock and only one blown forkseal. Changed both seals and fitted neoprene sleavs on the fork.
Compared to my previus XT600, and the Africa Twin this is the perfect bike for me. |
Just some thoughts. It is really important to bleed the USD forks, otherwise you asking for leaks and/or blown fork seals, with the KTM Hard Parts bleeders it just takes a push of a button to bleed them.
If you have a 2002, I would upgrade the front spokes, or at a minimum carry spares, and loosely zip tie the spokes, so a broken spoke will not cause a get off. Checking spoke tension, and not going to tight really seems to help as well. Always add grease inside the lip of the wheel bearing seals anytime the axle is removed, a small tin comes in handy for holding grease in the tool kit. The pre 2003 L/H main bearing should be replaced with a 2003up upgraded bearing ASAP, if it fails you will most likely be looking at a major engine overhaul. IMHO, it is best to use the kickstarter as much as possible, at least avoid multiple starting cycles by holding the button until you have a good start, as the electric starter geartrain is somewhat prone to failure. With a properly jetted carb, and consistant technique, kickstarting is fairly easy. |
Very good idea!
By model year: MY 2000 (buyed new) 33.000 Km: - both wheels spokes (a lot!) - clutch cables (if one had last more than 2000 Km I used call it: "a miracle!") - 3 connecting rods - 2 pistons - 1 cylinder - 3 gears (2nd,3rd and 5th) - several bearings under the clutch, with black stripes of tyre on the road, one at 130 Km/h in the highway (was not funny :-S ) - problems with fuel pump when close to reserve - several minor and mayor electrical problems - Trip master (once) MY 2001 (buyed new and still on my possession) 70.000 Km: - both wheels spokes (a lot, but less than the other, then I changed them with the reinforced ones) - a couple of bearings under the clutch, with black stripes of tyre on the road (when bike went out of warranty I substituted the item with cylindric SKF bearings instead of the turkish-low-cost bearings mounted by KTM... no more problems) - problems with fuel pump when close to reserve - clutch cables (a lot, but less than the other) - Trip master (twice) - magnet giving signal to the trip master on the front brake (ordered 1 year ago and not received yet from KTM, what a shame!) - some minor electrical problems Sure I forgot something :-/ Bye! Badwolf (aka Pietro) |
Here is another one on my 2000 640 Adv:
40000km - Generator loses a magnet causing all kinds of lovely modern art carving in the casing not to mention that my batery discharged and my headlights and computer wouldn't work at anything less than 6000RPM because it was making less than 12v under that. Fixed by a Russian with a file. $13 and a pack of Parliaments. I met a Russian with a 1998 640 Adventure in Omsk who also had his CDI die and the Generator do the same thing on him. Thanks for all the imput and please keep it coming. I'll try to come up with a list this winter. ------------------ Improvement makes strait roads, but the crooked roads without Improvement, are roads of Genius - William Blake |
2003 Update:
40,000 km - Seized cam follower bearing on the inlet rocker arm. I've since met four other 640 owners all of whom have had the same problem at 40-45,000 km. the inlet bearing is quite a bit smaller than the exhaust one. ------------------ Jerome http://www.fowb.co.uk |
Good idea, although I would not want this to look like a whinge list. And the caveat to some extent depends on the person looking after the bike!
I have a 2001 Adventure: 25K's+ - UK to India then to Sydney. - Side stand joint (my fault - too much weight). - Fuel pump started leaking after 3K - membrane fixed. - Oil weep from rocker gasket - lasted 13K miles - no problems until recently fixed by mechanic. I should add that I unsuccessfully attempted twice to fix myself. Then gave up. - Oil weep from engine window - still ongoing, no probs though. - Clutch cable - Ha! Still intact (well lubed). - Couple of spokes. - Overheating problem (spark plug bad from too much shite fuel in India). - Loose electrical connection on battery relay causing intermittent breakdown (took ages to locate!). - Forks? Ha! - no problems - bled air often! - Squeaky brakes - took ages to find pads which would not squeak - insignificant but very annoying. Regards James ------------------ KTM LC4 640 Adventure-R 2001 Previous bikes... KTM Duke II 2000 Kawazaki ZX-6R 1998 BMW F650 1996 + others... ------------------ |
One more to add to my 2000 KTM 640 Adventure-R
55,300 km - Voltage Regulator I love Japanese stuff, but so far my only REAL problems have been electrics that are made by Kokusan in Japan. First the CDI, then the stator (alternator), and now the Voltage Regulator. ------------------ Improvement makes strait roads, but the crooked roads without Improvement, are roads of Genius - William Blake |
2005 ktm 640 Had to replace battery after 1200km would not hold charge. Front left fork seal leaking at 5600km and have done only 600km on good dirt also oil window seeping
Regards Dave. |
2001 23000 km
Here's my list; 2 front spokes ehhh, That's all. A little (motocross)tip; A leaking forkseal is not always a broken seal. Most of the time it's just some dust. Take a foto-negative(?), cut it so, that you have a sharp end. oil it, and press it between de seal and the forkleg. Go around the forkleg. Big change the leaking is over. [This message has been edited by Freek (edited 07 June 2005).] |
The dealer just fixed a leaky valvecover (u know, only sealant) on my 03 at about 24000km's. There were some minor issue's (bolts etc) but nothing worth mentioning, its
very reliable.... (and a beauty to drive offroad).... A good tip is to insulate your electrical wiring in the cockpit, its a job not well done by KTM. Most wires are rubbing against the frame which has caused a short on me before. While doing that i found some other wires with the insulation rubbed through.... [This message has been edited by gozell (edited 15 June 2005).] |
the good has turned bad, 200km after the last post the bike was not running good at all. after taking my earplugs out and letting it idle, it was quite clear... big-end bearing needs replacing... at the moment its a the shop, engine being taken out and split...
the bike is out of warranty.. any ideas why this happend at only 24200km??? oil and filter changes were done at 3500km on average with quality shell vsx oil... |
Argghhh!!!
The reason I spent ages looking for a 2003 model was to remove the worries about exactly this problem!!!! I'd also love to find out why this might have happened. Are there any clues from the garage after they split the engine?? Dave |
Jerome,
What are the symptoms of a seized cam follower, is it a show stopper or just a noise generator. I guess it could damage the cam if left too long. I am up to 40 K and will have a look at the next service. Steve the inlet bearing is quite a bit smaller than the exhaust one. |
Steve,
Yes, the inlet is weaker because it's smaller. Symptoms - the valve gaps get very wide very quickly (>40 thou after 500km) once the bearing has seized and/or disintegrated. The bike runs but only to the nearest shop. I did 1,500km on mine at speed and buggered the valves as well. Result - new cam (lobe really worn down) - new inlet rocker arm - 2 new inlet valves and regrinding - new exhaust cam for safety. If i go up Africa im going to replace the inlet again (at 70,000km) to hopefully avoid problems further north. ------------------ Jerome http://www.fowb.co.uk |
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FYI: make sure to put a small air filter on the brass carb tube when removing EPC... I didnt pay much attention to it and this is prob why sand ended up in the engine and started wearing things out.... As a result th e piston ring broke and caused some dammage, while engine was split big-end and a few other bearing were replaced in the process.... [This message has been edited by gozell (edited 24 July 2005).] |
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Steve I checked my inlet bearing at 39,000 km. It was in good condition. At 44,000 km it failed and took out the camshaft. Dont bother checking it, just replace it. I had no problems riding over 1000km with the failure. But the failure of a $20 part has cost me $500 (including shipping to Central America). Oh, bike is a 2003 640 Adv. Same as Jeromes. Dave |
Dave & Jerome
Thanks for the warnings. I had to fix an oil leak in the cam cover at the last service so I had a good chance to inspect them closely, the the inlet bearing looked OK but had some very slight pitting on the surface. Cam and everything else look good. Now I am up to 50k KM and I have a set of replacement bearings and pins and plan to do the job next week. Steve |
Thanks for this great topic. Just as I was concidering selling my trusty 650 Dakar and buying a 2005 640 Adv for my next trip to Africa, I came across this topic and remebered why I didnt buy a KTM in the first place :-)
Performance and cool parts is only of relative interest if it doesent take you all the way home |
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Oil leak from starter cover at 1600km on 05 Adventure
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Yeh but come on, non of us are stupid (debatably) why do you think we ride bikes that have knowingly less reliability than Japanese bikes. 1. Because the later models are proving to be increasingly reliable (just like the early/late F650 issues), so much so that I doubt there is that much difference from a japanese machine to the average rider using a well run in bike. KTM's are no longer the radical choice they have been used for numerous trips to some of the most remote locations in the world! 2. Utterly unarguably they are the finest handling, most amazingly capable off road large capacity bikes you can buy. They need no modification (Adventure models) and they are relatively cheap (try modding an XR650L to the spec of a KTM for under 4000 pounds). Come on, give it a try, if you're serious about your off road adventure riding you wont regret it!!!;-) All the best, Dave ps. sorry for hijacking the topic..... [This message has been edited by davidlomax (edited 24 March 2006).] |
My two cents
Hi,in Cameroun killing time waiting for parts.
getting concerned that I should check my inlet bearing after checking Jeremy's post! 02 adventure bought for transafrica trip 6 months prior to departure. Swampy changed my main shaft bearing to 03 spec. Besides that had the KTM front wheel upgrade prior to departure. On the trip some hassles have ocurred: -Leaking rocker cover - I resealed this in timbuctou with liq gasket. -Battery and regulator failure - battery is an Oddysey it is still under garauntee. The distributer is Tayna electrical. Tayna are disinterested in honouring the warrantee claiming their supplier needs the battery returned from Africa prior to replacement. the decision took them over a month to come to so leaving me in a compromised situation in Niger.FYI The replacement battery would be brought to SA by a friend to replace the oversize batt I have currently got that required me to raise the seat to accomadate it. I would not take this risk if I were you and travelling remote areas. get a Yuassa,end story. -Rear shock failure: Happened after a long line of hard bottom outs whilst desert riding with full gear load.Completely my own fault riding the bike like a motocross bike with full panniers, duffle bag and spare desrt tyre on rear. -Worn carb slide and pin: Important for anyone travelling in dusty conditions get some airfilters for the carb vent hose on the right of the carb. this will definetly save you hassle in the future -failed ignition Coil/HC coil- not confirmed yet as i'm waiting for replacements from Sommer and will know for sure whether My diagnosis (Swampy and Sommer really) is correct. That's all there is really. a fair amount for a bike with 18000km's on the clock. |
Its not THAT bad...
Gents,
good topic, if I read the stories I get drawn back to the trip... I was 42000 km on a 2000 model Adventure (that I bought with 16000 on the clock). Met Jerome and Dave on the trip of this Thread, good to chat... And good luck guys for the future... My failures were only few ones... 1. the front wheel bearing failed at km24000. But they were the originals and in 2000 the OE weren't of high quality. So the new ones are still in today... 2. The Revmeter failed at 25000 km, in the f... desert. Well, I pulled the plug and its still off and I finished the trip. 3. clutch basket made rattling sounds at 30000 km. I exchanged and upgraded to the 2004 solution. 4. Piston failure in Chile after pieces broke off following the Bolivian 70 octane gas at km 50000. At KTM Chile (by the way a super dealer) I got all new parts. And at that time (as the bearings made these funny noises since 5000) I exchanged everything, basically build a reman engine. 5. Rear wheel bearings failed at km 55000 in Patagonia. Everything survived 100 Rivers (up to the light), 60 degrees, 5300 meters altitude, minus 15 in Bolivia and so on. Besides the engine (which I do not blame the KTM for) all these little things were for me more or less wear and tear... And it never let me down... Super Bike.. Cheers Ras |
So far:
2006 Adventure. 5000km into Africa trip - in Egypt. Sidestand - aftermarket from KTM Sommer. Broken 2 bloody centre stands (the bolt) with it and now its bent and won't work. Dont bother putting it on, waste of money. You get used to the centre stand with panniers etc. Leaking a small amount of oil from the sighting window on the RHS of the engine. The seal on the window has gone. Apart from that, great bike which is doing the job well. Just wish you didnt have to remove the tank to get to the spark plug... |
Ok... posted an ironic comment on this thread 19th feb regarding Adventure vs Dakar. Now I have decided to give the KTM 640 ADV a try and bougth one
last week...... Havent started to ride it yet but the history from previous owner is: 2005 mod 5000km Neutral bulb changed. |
enjoy!!
Congatulations - and happy travels. Keep us posted!
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Just curious, to some of you who posted on this thread a couple of years ago, do you still own your Adventures and if so what kind of mileage are you up to now? I own a 03 and so far other than a rocker cover oil leak it's been pretty much trouble free for 41,000 km. regular wear and tear items:
12,000 km new sprockets and chain 17,500 repad brakes 20,500 replace worn needle/needle jet 23,500 sprockets and chain 26,200 new float +needle valve assembly 30,300 new countershaft seal + o-ring 31,000 rear wheel bearings+ renew exhaust hanger bushings 37,100 chain and sprockets + countershaft seal and o-ring 38,000 repad brakes 41,000 rebuild water pump + replace cam follower and main cam bearing + replace float needle/seat + new jet needle {preventative maintenance} So far so good......... |
Island Hopper,
Your experience mirrors mine with my '02 640 Adventure at 20K miles-32K Km. I have not had rear wheel bearing problems though. i just removed them, regreased them and put them back in service. Hope I don't regret that decision. With regard to your other problems, I think I had them all. Bill |
640 advt.problems
The only problems I had with my 2004 640 advt. was:
5000km Leaking fork seal after 3500km of badly corrageted gravel roads and station tracks in the Pibarra region of N.W. Wester Australia. 9500km Slight weeping of oil from the cam cover seal - replaced under warranty with no problems they even gave me a loaner bike for the day whilst the seal was changed [ Thanks Motorcycle City.] I have found this a fantastic bike for gravel road and dirt track touring. My wife was also on this trip riding here 640 hard enduro fitted with the 18 litre tank and also had only minor problems eg:blown headlight globes x 2 and a minor oil leak and 3 broken front wheel spokes.[ we had spares] I have found these 640 bikes to be ultra reliable and economical 520 km range from the advt. on gravel and loose dirt mix at speeds averaging 80 to 100kmh. These bikes have been riden hard and well prepared and maintaned but definatly not pampered. |
Not long after my last post my 03 640 Adventure suffered a major failure. From what I could see it started with a broken piston ring and went from there. I completely stripped the engine down to nothing and started replacing the damage. The list of parts is as follows:
complete set of gaskets new crankshaft new crank bearings new crank seals+ keys and end nuts cylinder replated new piston kit cylinder head remachined to remove pugmarks {from piston hits crunching ring debris} complete valve job {new seals +2 intakes and 2 exhaust guides} I feel KTM is extracting to much performance out of this engine at the cost of reliability and have done a couple things to change that: #1 Had the machine shop take a little extra material out of the combustion well to reduce compression a wee bit {could also be done with a thicker base gasket} #2 I switched the ignition to the low octane setting for a softer hit and will leave it like that. With these changes I hope to make it past 100,000 KM without to many more problems. This is a mark that seems rare for the LC 4 engine to reach without having some kind of major meltdown sometime before it's reached. |
2000 KTM 640 LC4 Adventure R - GREAT bike!
Hello...
I ride a 2000 KTM 640 LC4 Adventure R. It has been a GREAT bike, and required periodic maintenance of course... but I have only had two 'failures', and they are both known. 1) ~ 4,000 miles: Clutch cable break. 2) ~ 8,500 miles: Front wheel bearings replaced. I have just ordered the SW-Motech sidestand so that I can retain the centre stand but still mount and dismount such a tall bike with the Touratech ZEGA panniers mounted. This bike ROCKS. It's absolutely capable of anything, has great power and versatility, rock-solid reliability, and is (relatively) devoid of all the superfluous crap that would make a lesser bike less good. i suppose I'm preaching to the choir in this thread, but I thought I'd sing the LC4's praises anyway. I am looking forward to a long lifetime of exciting adventure touring on this faithful steed! Cheers, -southpaw, Seattle. |
640 Adv problems
I bought a new 640 Adv ( 06 model ) last year. It was run in properly, had it's first service plus a service at 2,200 miles before leaving for Morocco.
The bike was standard apart from luggage and changed tyres (TKC80,s) and took me to Morocco from the UK with no problems. Whilst crossing the Atlas mountains I experienced carb icing at 14000 metres with a temperature just above freezing, which later cleared at the same altitude on the descent the other side. The front brake discs warped, the usual oil weep from the sight glass and I had to be recovered from France on the return journey when a tooth on the starter motor sprocket which engages in the gearbox failed. I was not impressed with the reliability or the responce from KTM ( who failed to honor the warranty) and I sold the bike back to the shop at a great loss. Need I say anymore. Just hope the 690 Adventure will be more reliable. |
'02 KTM 640a
40K km-blew the headgasket, please see this: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-warning-29819 Using a Proiler for chain lubrication, chain and sprockets are lasting 25K km. Only other failures were carb float needle plus needle and needle jet and the countershaft sprocket seal. b. |
yo
Adventure 2002 about 20,000 km Fork seals 3000 and 7000 km Battery contacts 5000 km Stator holding screw fell in and destroyed stator 13,000 and 20,000 km Rear wheel bearing 17,000 km but still runs strong and is a lot of fun to have .... mattmexico |
ktm problems
2004 KTM 640 Adventure. 17,000 miles.
1. Cam cover gasget (more than once). 2. Summer engine and tank bars broke to pieces after 1500 miles, had it repaired by my ktm dealer. Lasted les than 600 miles and broke again, now given up and taken off the bike. Not happy with this product and dont recomend it to anyone. 3. worn and perished fuel pipes. 4. Perished vacume pipes. 5. Badly cracked sump guard, had to get it strengthend. 6. Their is a cliking noise coming from the top of the engine, not the tapheds but posibly something to do with the decompresion. It only hapend ocasionaly in the bigining but now its all the time, have tried raising the tickover but didnt do much diference, need to fix it this winter. If anyone can advise me on the cliking noise from the top end I would be very gratefull. I would like to fix it my self to learn about the engine and to save on garage costs. |
There has been quite a few reports on the cam follower bearings failing on the '04-'07 LC4 640
Might be prudent to have a look see, symptoms are the valve lash gets much bigger over a short period of time Lar |
ktm
Thanks Laromonster.
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KTM HQ Contact
Hi;
I have a problem about KTM Service in Turkey. Is there any contact e-mail in KTM Headquarters Austria? Thanks |
I've got 14k miles on my LC4, and have had 2 problems, first had a kill switch short out a certain RPMs when accelerating the bike, causing the bike to act like it was a fueling issue. I just unplugged the switch until I replaced it with a new one, easy fix. And now I've got a hole in the top of my motor.
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62 000 km - No Major Problems
Mine's an 03 640 Enduro, I've maintained her more or less by the book & she's been pretty good. Apart from the usual consumables of chains, sprockets, wheel bearings, brake pads, suspension servicing etc here's my list:
Countershaft seal @ about 12 000 km (they musta had a bad batch as the replacement is still going strong) Re-sealed the seeping cam cover @ 20 000 km, Use good goo & there'll be no more problems. At 45 000 km the intake valve clearance seemed to be opening up a touch so going off Jerome's recommendation I stripped the head at the 50 000 km mark & found that the intake cam follower roller was indeed showing signs of wear. Replaced that, all the other bearings in the head & the timing chain. The other bearings & the timing chain all seemed to be in good shape but the parts weren't too expensive so they got done. 5/2009 update: At 75 000 km now, (47 000 miles) & she's still going strong. From my experience I would rate the KTM 640 as a very well made reliable bike. And it goes fast! 6/2010 update: At 90 000 km now, (56 000 miles) she's still never let me down. Gave the carb a rebuild at 80K km as it was getting well worn. Also welded up a crack in the subframe & reinforced it. Keep a eye on the rear of the tool case mount tube, this seems to be a common failure point. Mine did a serious amount of loaded up, high speed, rough road hooning before it cracked though. Did another countershaft seal too to fix a slight seep. I think I'll give the ol girl a rebuild at 100 000 km if she needs it or not. Cheap fun in my book. :funmeteryes: Cheers Clint |
edit doesn't seem to be working...
I forgot to add the starter sprag clutch which I replaced at 50 000 km also. A simple job if you have the right puller, & not very mission critical anyway as the beast is fairly easy to kickstart once you have the knack. Cheers Clint |
It's been almost 2 years since my last update so I guess it's time..... I've gone through 2 riding seasons with very little problems from the bike but late last fall another one crept in....
Nearing the 85,000 KM mark my bike developed quite a coolant leak into the combustion chamber so I pulled the top end and found a faulty head gasket.... While I had the head off I sent it in for a valve job to restore the seats.... I ended up having to replace all the valves and guides due to wear at this time..... I then installed the restored head and upon inspection after the test ride I detected a very minor coolant leak in the right exhaust port.... To make a long story short: I ended up with a very small {almost undetectable} leak between the head and the valve seat.... My cure for this was to pick up a used head and fork out another hefty sum for more valve work and a new head gasket.... I don't mind paying for one valve job every couple of years but paying for a second one kind of hurts.... |
Ktm 640
I own a 2007 ktm 640 and road it from Cape Town to Cairo , not one problem
it is the only bike i would use on a trip like this. cheers Philip |
Was the list ever made?
Hi everyone
Do you know if CountPacMan who started this thread back on 14th July 2005 actually did finish the compilation of an issues lists covering the KTM 640? Alternatively did anyone else? ... for those KTM 640 Adventure enthusiasts who dont know I recommend the following link: KTM LC4 (640) Thread Index - ADVrider Cheers Gade New owner of 2002 640 Adventure :scooter: |
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I read this topic before going on my trip, i never thought i would get to post in it too. I have a problem, BIG one that is, so i'm asking for your advice.
Being in Altai mountains, near Ak-Tash and going to Mongolia, i dropped my bik in a big pond, with some mud on it. Not gettng to stop the engine quick enough, in got a few gulps of dirty water in the carburettor and then in the engine. Changing the air filter and the sparkplug seemed to make it work fine at that time, so i went on with it. But after 500km or so, it started consuming lots of oil. So much that it freaked us and decided to head back to Barnaul, where we opened the engine and found the piston rings were worn out. Changed them, and the bike still has little power, low compression as one can feel in the kick pedal and also most alarming of all consumes lots of oil, about 1 liter/300km. At this point i don't know what to do next, if it is valve rings wear, then mybe we cantry gettingand fixing them in Amaty, as we are now 900km from it, but if it is cylinder wear we have no choice but to drive it as it is and complete the oil every 100kms. When weopened it, we could not see any visible signs of wear, and yet, the oil is going away like crazy. Thanks for your help, Alex |
It's time to update again: The last one was at 85,000 KM... I am now up to 122,000 KM....
My auto decomp cam is now worn out so I use the handlebar lever to assist on cold starts... I've replaced the needle jet/jet needle again due to wear..Replaced the chain sprockets a few more times{since 85,000}... Replaced the suspension dog bone link due to wear.. Replaced the exhaust follower roller and rebuilt the waterpump as well.... Over the winter I plan to do a bit of engine work: Replace the camshaft, camchain and sprockets.... Replace the intake follower and piston rings... Replace the clutch, check and replace {if required} the oil pumps and the oil bypass piston spring.... Measure gear shaft and crankshaft slop and replace bearings if required.... Send the head in for valvework.... |
Link on post no 52.
Hi there,
On post no 52 there´s a link to the ADVrider site for problems on the LC4. Now, i got the problem that i need to replace the oilseal at the drive shaft. I´ve never done that before and thaught it would be a good help if i can print that description on that site how to do it. I opened it a couple of weeks ago and i could see everything. Now, i´ve tried to open it through different browsers but the pictures don´t open. So i only got the text. Can somebody tell me what´s wrong? Is it the site or does it depend on the internet connection, or something else? Hope to hear from you. Cheers, Bossit! :-) |
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Most of the time it's not the actual oil seal that leaks at the countershaft.... Before you attempt to change that seal check the condition of the O-ring behind the countershaft bushing... A shagged O-ring is likely the cause of your leak... I believe the replacement is a 2x25 MM... |
KTM LC4ADV 2003, 30000km
6000 km - new cylinder (micro crack... leaking water) no warranty, was in 2009
30000 km -nothing but normal wear parts :thumbup1: |
Just started a major rebuild on my 640 at 95 000 km, details over on advrider:
Clintnz's KTM 640 95,000km service - ADVrider There are a couple of other guys doing some maintenance on their well travelled LC4's also & posting up the details on advrider, plenty of good info for anyone with lots of miles on their 640. Cheers Clint |
Bumping this thread so that peeps can update or add their history!
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I have had all the well known issues with my 2006 adventure.
Cam follower bearing at 40k Broken tooth of starter gear destroyed stator. Broken rear sub frame Steering head bearings Leaking base gasket at 50 k so did a top end rebuild at the same time. Leaking fork seals Clutch replaced at 55k Usual consumables chains sprockets brake pads wheel bearings tyres etc Frayed wires under the dash caused all sorts of issues. Currently have the carb off chasing a bogging issue. Bike has now done 65 thousand hard klms and I still love it, although the relationship gets a bit strained at times. If they were still making them I would buy a new one. Would love a 690 adventure but obviously never going to happen, so I am going to hold on to the 640 |
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Cheers Clint |
Sorry Should have pointed out that it wasn't a clutch failure as such just replaced the plates.
Still got the Current issue of a flat spot just off idle and bogging after landing off small jumps or climbing rough hills. Have replaced the needle & seat and cleaned carb but its still there. Going to raise the needle 1 notch to see if that helps. |
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Yep thanks mate. Looking at that this week.
Can't seem to find what the correct height is though. |
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You can check your bowl fuel level with the carb on the bike by doing the following: Pull the drain hose off the bottom of the carb and replace it with a length of clear line that you can observe the fuel in it... Then run this clear line up the side of the carb and tape it in place so the tip sits a couple of inches above the bowl gasket surface... Then crack the bowl drain screw a couple of turns until the fuel runs up the line... It should stop at whatever level the fuel is in the float bowl... The fuel in the line should stop at a couple MMs above the gasket surface, if it is at or below the gasket surface then the carb should be removed and float tang should be adjusted to bring it online.... You can also check the level using this method with the engine running and make sure the fuel level does not stray too far from where it sits at rest... Sometimes if the float needle is near the end of it's life the extra push from the fuel pump while the engine is running will cause the needle seal to fail and push up the fuel level causing a very rich boggy condition which will make the bike stall and misbehave at low revs... |
Thanks island hopper.
Will give that a try |
Need Help
Good Day
Myself and 2 friends are doing a 8000Km trip through Africa (South Africa – Namibia – Zambia – Malawi and Mozambique) We got KTM 640 Adventure 09 and 2000 models and bought them from a guy in South Africa Both of them got around 43 000 Km on them so what I would like to know as I’m not very familiar with KTM (Honda Man) what must we have looked at before the trip and most important what spares would you recommend taking along on our adventure. Now the bikes did a trip from Germany to South Africa so it got all the long trip conversions done. Any recommendations will be appreciated Thanks Peter |
I'd start off by reading this thread from the beginning ... it started in 2004!!
Then go over to ADV Rider (Thumpers section) look up the 640 ADV specific threads over there. Some VERY comprehensive ones by guys who have been dedicated to this bike for ages. A TON of knowledge. Look up a Canadian guy on ADV Rider (Gunnerbuck) He knows the 640's very well. Don't read too much ... or you may never go on your trip. Not ALL news is good news regards this bike! :eek3: I love the 640's ... to ride, but not so much to own or to travel on. But if you deal with all the common issues, carry spares and know your ins and outs of the bike ... you should be fine! :thumbup1: Safe Travels! bier |
Time to update: At 127,000 KM I rebuilt my engine, including splitting the cases and replacing a worn countershaft, since then the bike has been worry free for a few yrs... I am now approaching 202,000 KM and it is just starting to use a bit of oil meaning the rings and valves could probably use a service in the next 20,000 km.. One thing I have found is that the top end component life increases considerably with a more free flowing exhaust installed instead of the OEM unit...
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A motorcycle that lives a soft life is going to in all likely hood last longer than ones that see hard miles ... For my personal type of riding I don't see a motorcycle out there that would stand up any better than my 640 has to what I have asked of it... I have been waiting for yrs for a better ride {for my needs} to come out and it hasn't happened... So far the manufacturers only seem to be focused on the fat pig Adventure market as to where they are producing large displacement, heavy, high hp multis and labeling them as Adventure bikes... They do for sure fill that role for a certain segment, but for some people an Adventure bike signals something that is more capable when you leave the beaten path.. |
In the process of buying a '05, will update once I get it :)
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Following islanders hoppers instructions above totally cured the problem. Have done several thousand Klm's since then and. All good.
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Still familiarising myself with the bike, can anyone tell me what the black cylinder is? It was in the workshop getting some stuff done and I'm assuring they forgot to put it back correctly. It's just hanging there not mounted to anything. Scanned through the manual but haven't identified it yet.
UPDATE: identified it - capacitor for ignition coil. And looking at photos online, it shouldn't be anywhere near there Attachment 16083 |
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I'm curious how that capacitor fits into the elec. ignition system and what role it plays.
Normally wouldn't the CDI unit do that job? I don't recall that unit being on either of my 640's ... but I did not know them very well. ('99 and '01) Both would kick start nicely on a low battery. (Duke ll and Dual Sport) I'm wondering if that KTM will run with the battery dead like many Japanese dual sport bikes will? Perhaps that is the reason for a capacitor the size of a Beer can ... so it will kick start with a dead battery? Any ideas? In the old days, capacitors like that would fry (from over heating) and leave you stranded. How's the reliability of that unit? Is the engine dependent on it to run? |
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I believe the Capacitor was added when they 640 moved to the Kokosan ignition... I believe it was a measure put in place so the bike could be started with a dead battery.. I know from experience that they will kickstart with a dead battery but are a bugger... A lot of guys install a shutoff switch on the headlight and say that makes it easier as the light is then not stealing from the spark... As for reliability I haven't even thought about it, going problem free for over 208,000 km it is a forgotten item on my bike.. |
A capacitor is used like a battery. It stores energy until it reaches it's peak.
They're often used to smooth out voltages for lighting on an AC only bike like XR650R for example. Does the 640 use a CDI ignition ? I guess like said, it's probably used to give the coil enough voltage to create a strong spark when using a kickstart. But I dont know KTM's... I'm just guessing. |
I don't know KTMs yet either..but becoming increasingly familiar..
My (new) battery died the other week while I was trying to start it using the button. Mine still needs a top end overhaul so suspect the auto-decompression isn't working as I have to use the decompression lever to get it started. But I didn't know that at the time..hence the goosed battery. But I recall pulling in the decompression lever as the battery was dying (and not the starter button) and oddly it was trying to turn itself over.. like the charge was coming from a capacitor maybe? Anyhow, I tried the kick (am used to doing this on my XR600R) but it just wouldn't do anything. Even pushed it up the hill and tried bumping (lot's of fun in Malaysia..), all to no avail. So I ended up using jump leads and then a battery charger. So now, I use the starter button and pull in the decomp lever for a second and starts easily enough. I'll need to try kick starting it again now the battery has some charge but it's a still wonder why it didn't start with the kick with a dead battery (unless my technique was off), any ideas? |
Kick starting a 640 is all technique!
This is my technique from 8 years of having a 640 Adventure. This technique requires practice when you do not have to use the bike, so you do not shortcut and wonder why the bike will not start!
When – not if, you do get the bike up and running any starting/idling problems may be down to the idle fuel mixture screw being incorrectly adjusted. Easy to do. Top tip buy a longer adjustment screw to make easier (Demon Tweeks or similar) and then drill/lockwire it to the tickover adjustment screw when done so its secure and the screw does not drop out (no idle at all them) and is relatively easy to adjust if required. Lots about this adjustment on Avrider/youtube. Do not be put off, these are good bikes that once set up and maintained properly are brilliant, possibly just you getting to know it and/or previous owner care/abuse issues. |
Thanks man, however that's almost the exact same procedure I was using for my XR which I had down to a tee, I could even start it wearing my sandals (not recommended..) :)
Any reason it won't start off the button alone? (although it does very rarely, on occasion start with just the button without the decompression lever, guess it depends where the piston is). I'm putting it down to the auto-decompression not doing it's job which presumably can be rectified during the top end overhaul. |
The procedure KTMAndy describes is one I've used for over 20 years of kick start bikes. (2 KTM 640's, numerous dirt bikes, 4 XL, XR Hondas)
Most riders fail because they can't resist opening the throttle when kicking or cranking on starter. The Fuel Screw thing is VERY important. Once set correctly and with a slightly HIGH idle for starting, the KTM should start more easily. If still having starting trouble even with a FRESH, STRONG battery, then it may well be a compression problem (top end), either worn valves or rings ... or other? (Ignition, pick up coil, stator?) A few simple tests (leak down, compression tests) can determine if valves are holding pressure or leaking, same with rings ... IF these tests are done correctly. :thumbup1: (TIP: Don't get suckered into a rebuild you don't need by some dodging mechanic tossing up false flags .. doh) Good luck! bier |
Usually the 640 is one of the easier to kick start thumpers... If you are used to kicking an XR to life the same procedure will apply to the 640 and it should light up easy for you... I just fixed a friends 640 that was having a hard to start issue.. The bike has nearly 70,000 KM on it and after going over it I discovered that the fuel pump had worn a small hole through the diaphragm and a bit of raw fuel was making it through, bypassing the carb, going directly into the intake tract... This caused an overly rich condition at sub 1/4 throttle causing minor flooding at start up.. I rebuilt the fuel pump and now the engine starts up with a quick stab on the start button...
Other starting problems I have come across working on these bikes have been caused by a worn auto decom locator pin, the cure is to replace the cam and in some cases you may be able to file the pin where it has worn round back to a square edge... A slipping starter sprague clutch will also cause issues as to where the E-start slippage does not turn the engine fast enough to generate a good spark... A poor battery will also do it as to where there is not enough cranking boost to spin the engine fast enough for a good spark.. Make sure the ground strap from the battery to the frame lug has good contact... |
My KTM Duke ll was the easiest kick start bike I've owned. Wonderful! A delight compared all my XL's and XR's. bier
But the main shaft sprocket nut never came off on the Hondas like the KTM! :help smilie: (at 90 mph!) (left hand thread nut left loose at factory? or :innocent: |
Well I gave up on the official KTM guy who basically wasted my time and I suspect he had no idea what he was doing. I took it to a trusted mechanic friend who confirmed that the valves were a mile out, a bolt missing from the head and a bit of an oil leak, the radiator bone dry etc, all basic stuff that the KTM workshop should have raised and rectified.
Anyway, got it back last night and it's starting off the button every single time now :) |
If an official KTM workshop really made such glaring errors I'd FOR SURE contact KTM in Austria and let them know. I doubt KTM would allow them to continue as an official workshop.
Are you saying they returned your bike to you with an empty radiator? :eek3: Outrageous! I know you really have to stay on top of KTM mechanicals ... the top ends especially as well as valve gear, water pumps, hydraulic clutch. Guys who really learn the bike can keep them running ... not a bike for beginners! Good luck Mike! bier |
Yup, I have a catalogue of issues with this guy and his team of KTM 'specialists', but he's still to return my engine bars so will hang back until he does so.
You won't believe it but the reason he delayed finishing what he started (he was talking about it needing a top end overhaul - but only because he sent a video clip to HQ in Austria of the valves/cam and they suggested this was what might be required..) was that as my bike is a 2005 and his mechanics are in their 20's, this meant that they were still at school when my bike was made therefore they don't have any mechanics familiar with my engine and so no one would commit to quoting. When I told him I had no faith in his shops abilities and would take it elsewhere, the funniest thing he said was if I can find someone familiar with the engine, the mechanic would need to be in the 'elderly region' haha. Scary huh? Anyway, it's going great now :) and for a fraction of what I'd likely have had to pay this guy |
You're very lucky to have found a good guy you trust! Treat him well! bier
Good luck with the KTM! (I still hope you'll let KTM know ... if not, things will never get better and others will be screwed by this clown ) |
Was out for a nice ride on the weekend but still think that the 640 is lacking in power, ie acceleration isn't that great but am assuming that this shouldn't be the case. It's pulling 'ok' but really nothing special and any kind of overtaking at speed is a struggle. My mechanic friend is still to do a compression test so will see what info that gives but curious to know what others think of the power delivery. My XR600 was good at pulling my arms out but this one is a more stately affair.
Checking the consumption, I filled up on 360kms and it took 24L so its getting 15km/L but would have thought this would be higher. |
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Having owned an XR600 and XR650L and two 640's (Duke ll and dual sport) the KTM should be more powerful everywhere. I'd guess worn valve gear. :innocent:
A comp. test should tell the tale there. I doubt it's rings but the valve gear is suspect if last head/valve rebuild was not done correctly. Could be jetting ...?? but I think you'd know if you were so far off that the bike lacked major power. Good luck ... hope you don't end up with the only "slow" KTM on the planet! (Most go like absolute stink!) bier |
It will touch 150kph but it's slow getting there. A lot of throttle is required for not much speed increase hence the high consumption perhaps so something isn't right for sure.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk |
So I went for a long (1,000km) ride this weekend. Here's my observations:
General lack of power - the throttle response is very poor, pretty flat really. Doesn't pull like I believe it should. On Saturday, it topped out at only 110kph and rpm was maxing at about 5k. The next day, after rev'ing the heck out of it, the revs got up to 7k max where it started coughing but at least the top speed improved again (150-160kph) but still very poor throttle response over the full range. The mechanic had said he'd only adjusted the air/fuel mix by 1/4 turn for slight fuel increase as apparently exhaust popping is due to lean mix?. At low speeds, its 'ok' but the problems are more noticeable at mid/higher speeds. It felt a bit like riding a 4 cylinder bike which was only running on 3 cylinders. (have since discovered a reason for this - tank had accidentally been left on 'reserve' by mechanic hence I suspect some crappy fuel got into the carb) Fuel economy is bad - this weekends long run returned only around 14km/L. As mentioned below, this should be up around the 20 mark. Aftermarket exhaust - very noisy and pops like hell on deceleration. My riding friends even experienced some 'spray' on their visors when riding behind me and saw a little smoke and actually a flame on deceleration which although quite cool, is not really desired.. Valves - have been adjusted Oil/filters - have been changed Battery - new I've read about various elements that can wear out in the carb on these bikes and that the top end sometimes needs to be overhauled at this mileage however my mechanic doesn't believe these should be so worn at this stage. Unfortunately I don't have a proper work space here and my decent tools are all back in UK so can't do much personally. |
You're going to have to start with a compression test..
Is there a diagnostic port in the 640 ? I can't remember.. |
Yup, I requested that be done...still waiting
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From your description it almost sounds like whoever did the valves got them set at 180 degrees off. Or ... it also sounds like a throttle limiter or throttle stop/restricter has been installed. (they do this in countries where younger folk have HP limitations so throttle is limited to Half or less)
So ... recheck valves making sure clearances are correct when at TDC on compression stroke. Lots of guys on the DR650 forum get this 180 wrong. Bike runs ... but runs like poop. Easy to check on throttle. Have someone operate throttle while you look in at Carb. Once its wide open, turn throttle actuator and see it it will go further or is it on the stop? (as it should be) Something is most definitely WRONG with your engine or carb. I suppose it could be electronics but that would be weird indeed. (and rare) Try to go through everything step by step. Get onto KTM 640 forum, maybe someone can help. Very strange goings on. Good luck :D |
Haha yes, I actually did that with my DR650, very quickly realised and sorted it lol. No restrictor, that was clearly from some crap in the bottom of the tank I think. First, we are going to check the timing and advance to see what's going on there.
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Something is very off with that bike... First thing is to pull tank off and have a look at the carb... You can get at most carb wear items without removing the carb from the bike... First off pull the plastic cap off the top of the carb and remove the slide and inspect the diaphragm for defects... Have a look at your jet needle, make sure it has the metal washer on the bottom and the 2 plastic sandwich washers in place... The Jet needle sometimes will wear so much that it will break in 2... With a 17 mm wrench to unscrew the bowl plug you can then access the main jet with a right angle screwdriver and a bit of fiddling.. Take the main jet and the tube washer out and then you can pull the plastic slide guide up through the top of the carb... Inspect the slide guide for wear by looking at the wear indicator depressions on the slide running surface... Look at the needle jet{emulsion tube} to see if it has worn oval and check that the o-ring is in place on the bottom of the slide guide... All this can be done with the carb on the bike... also check the main jet #, it should be between 152.5 and 160, any larger than that usually causes an overly rich condition.. It has happened before where the pilot jet has rattled loose and found sitting in the bottom of the float bowl..
Like I mentioned before, issues with the fuel pump can also cause problems... |
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