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-   -   KTM 950 high mileage? (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ktm-tech/ktm-950-high-mileage-9200)

Steve Pickford 16 Dec 2003 21:27

KTM 950 high mileage?
 
Any body out there racked up a lot of miles on their 950 yet? If so, how is the reliability & what are the costs for having it dealer serviced?

Thanks

Steve

amiller 26 Dec 2003 16:49

Hi Steve,I now have some 30,000kms on my LC8!the only problem so far has been a seal go in the slave cylinder on the hydraulic clutch,this is a problem as it is not an easy bike to ride out of London without a clutch !signs were oil comming out near the gearbox sprocket,then of course the clutch not woking.As for running cost rear tyres last about 14,000 kms and fronts last about 20,000 kms.Other running costs are realy no different than any other bike of this size,but beware the engine HAS to run on fully synthetic oil, say KTM.Also chain and sprockets have just been changed at 30,000 kms.

alpinerider 22 Jan 2009 00:23

newbie needs some advice
 
Hi there, I am a novice rider preparing for a south america ride. I own a KTM 950, it has low miles. I am a little concerned about the reliability factor on a big trip. I have an opportunity to trade it in on a GS 800. I know this has been done to death over at adventure rider but I am just interested from a travel point of view. I wont be doing any hard riding, rather climbing (the old fashioned way) mountains while I am down there. I would greatly apreciate any help I can get. Thanks

Jake 22 Jan 2009 10:43

I have now sold my ktm950 but had done somewhere in the region of 50 thousand miles (70 odd thousand kms I think) and have to say overall the bike was very reliable - few issues involved the clutch slave which was replaced with an upgraded aftermarket one which never failed, the back brake a constant problem even when replaced with a recall item, a fuel pump at 30,000 and a few other small items, I had every confidence that the KTM would easily have kept going for another 50 thousand the only thing was the price of parts and the maintaining of the beast which was more complicated than it need have been.

I always kept ontop of thing and replaced them before failure so things like wheel bearings, clutch, head bearings various seals etc were replaced sometimes and maybe too often but I did not want failures of these items when out of europe if possible.

I did however get a bit sick of the high cost of some parts and the short life span of items like the clutch -was onto the third one when I sold it, needed a new clutch basket in the forseeable future (cost over £400), what really stopped me keeping the bike was two things

1) ktm would not sell me a new replacement short engine - this would have meant I could have switched engines at say 100000 miles and the parts cost to rebuild the engine were frankly totally insane. KTM s Rob Brown reckoned an engine rebuild would be in probability be needed between 75000 and 100000.

point 2 -Also I needed something far easier to work, slower and more fuel efficient/comfortable two up/ less attractive to prying eyes when away for longer trips so the old BMW r80gs won the day. Still think the KTM was and is a fantastic machine bit to complicated for constant long overland trips - but hey so are most the big GS and many other bikes.

By the way mine was a 03 model from the first batch released - i really reckon KTM were very careful on quality control and build with this first batch to get them as right as they could - if they failed too much the results for KTMs future would be well shaken, as it seems to me the later models (04-05) had loads more problems and I do know of several 03 models that are still going well now without to many issues.

alpinerider 5 Feb 2009 00:23

mucho gracias
 
Thanks jake that was helpful

mollydog 5 Feb 2009 01:00

What year is your 950? As you know from ADV, .... or don't have.

Cheers,

stickysidedown 7 Feb 2009 01:03

Well I bought Jake's (adventure950) 03 KTM at 40 odd thousand miles, racked up another ten thousand miles before part exchanging it against a new 990s. Jakes wasnt wrong saying the clutch needed work in the forseeable future as the carrier failed on the way back from his house to mine the day i bought the bike!

That said in general terms the bike itself performed brilliantly and ran like a swiss watch, I've dragged it through river crossings, up mountains, done 1000 mile days 2 up, scratched with sportsbikes and offroaded with 250 strokers. at that sort of mileage you can anticipate some faults and these included. the clutch carrier bolt shearing off due to a worn indent on the back of the carrier (£120) the ignition barrel contacts corroding causing headlamps to not always work (cleaned up but replacement was £70 unless you wanted the key to match the fuel caps in which case £280)
A Battery failure (£130ish) A rear caliper that was completely U/S as a result of corrosion £160 and a fuel pump failure (Jake supplied me with a part used spare that did for me so dont know the cost) and to be fair the fuel pump failure had as much to do with my deep water play on salisbury plain as anything else

at the 55,000 mile service the valves were within spec and the cam chains were also within spec. replacing with the 990 was just because I could, not because I should neccesarily and I was sad not to put more miles on her

gary and loo 4 Oct 2010 12:27

orible rattle
 
I think I now own your old 950, got it on e-bay from Devon, it has now done 54000 and I think it has gone tits up!
Nasty rattle and low oil pressure with the oil hot or cold.
Any body know if a 990 motor will fit?





Quote:

Originally Posted by stickysidedown (Post 227335)
Well I bought Jake's (adventure950) 03 KTM at 40 odd thousand miles, racked up another ten thousand miles before part exchanging it against a new 990s. Jakes wasnt wrong saying the clutch needed work in the forseeable future as the carrier failed on the way back from his house to mine the day i bought the bike!

That said in general terms the bike itself performed brilliantly and ran like a swiss watch, I've dragged it through river crossings, up mountains, done 1000 mile days 2 up, scratched with sportsbikes and offroaded with 250 strokers. at that sort of mileage you can anticipate some faults and these included. the clutch carrier bolt shearing off due to a worn indent on the back of the carrier (£120) the ignition barrel contacts corroding causing headlamps to not always work (cleaned up but replacement was £70 unless you wanted the key to match the fuel caps in which case £280)
A Battery failure (£130ish) A rear caliper that was completely U/S as a result of corrosion £160 and a fuel pump failure (Jake supplied me with a part used spare that did for me so dont know the cost) and to be fair the fuel pump failure had as much to do with my deep water play on salisbury plain as anything else

at the 55,000 mile service the valves were within spec and the cam chains were also within spec. replacing with the 990 was just because I could, not because I should neccesarily and I was sad not to put more miles on her


mcgiggle 4 Oct 2010 12:45

I met 3 people on the road who had clutch slave probs. Having to get the parts shipped from home to keep them going.
Not being a owner I don't know the offending part but would recommend carrying a spare going on my third had experience.

Pete

garmei 5 Oct 2010 09:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by gary and loo (Post 307766)
I think I now own your old 950, got it on e-bay from Devon, it has now done 54000 and I think it has gone tits up!
Nasty rattle and low oil pressure with the oil hot or cold.
Any body know if a 990 motor will fit?

Dont write it off just yet!!!

Sounds like Cam chain clatter? Not too much of a big job and there's even a ghetto fix whereby by you put a spacer washer on the cam chain tensioners, effectively extending the tensioners to compensate for some slack in the chain.

If it aint burning oil then it's good. The engines in these bikes are solid, just some parts and components get worn too easily.

There's a wealth of information at advrider and google 'ktm hall of wisdom'. I'm learning to wrench on the 950 (not an easy bike to start on!), but it's so rewarding to work on. I've just done a major service and the bike runs like a train 46,000 miles on it now

Edit: Low oil pressure (sorry, missed that bit) - there's a spring in what I think is the oil pump that gets stretched and loses its boing. Look at Zasgers KTM story thread on advride and it is in there somwhere....

garmei 5 Oct 2010 10:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgiggle (Post 307770)
I met 3 people on the road who had clutch slave probs. Having to get the parts shipped from home to keep them going.
Not being a owner I don't know the offending part but would recommend carrying a spare going on my third had experience.

Pete

In the UK: Oberon replacement and in the US: Evoluzione replacement.
Both fit and forget items and no more clutch slave cylinder worries. £95 and ~£150 respectively.

frinch11 5 Oct 2010 16:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by gary and loo (Post 307766)
I think I now own your old 950, got it on e-bay from Devon, it has now done 54000 and I think it has gone tits up!
Nasty rattle and low oil pressure with the oil hot or cold.
Any body know if a 990 motor will fit?

Increase your engine idle speed, should be 1400 rpm

George1 23 Oct 2010 21:37

I sold my 950 and bought the 800gs, great bike but lacks the fun and speed you can approach obsticles on the KTM. Its down to the suspension not being as good. On the road in and around London its great. Keep the 950 and get the BM for the trip, then sell it when you get back. :mchappy:


Quote:

Originally Posted by alpinerider (Post 224671)
Hi there, I am a novice rider preparing for a south america ride. I own a KTM 950, it has low miles. I am a little concerned about the reliability factor on a big trip. I have an opportunity to trade it in on a GS 800. I know this has been done to death over at adventure rider but I am just interested from a travel point of view. I wont be doing any hard riding, rather climbing (the old fashioned way) mountains while I am down there. I would greatly apreciate any help I can get. Thanks


stickysidedown 19 Apr 2011 20:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by gary and loo (Post 307766)
I think I now own your old 950, got it on e-bay from Devon, it has now done 54000 and I think it has gone tits up!
Nasty rattle and low oil pressure with the oil hot or cold.
Any body know if a 990 motor will fit?

Only just seen this so probably to late to offer any help, fwiw my bike was part x'd through a dealer who were informed of any known issues to the extent of me paying out a few hundred more in the deal than i needed to, just to keep it honest. and I got it fully serviced by another dealer including valves

Anyhoo hope you got it sorted in the end

for anyone reading this and thinking they have similar symptoms I would first consider the water pump seal, these need changing periodically (KTM have revised the part now) but essentially the oil and water pump of the bike share a common shaft seperated by a seal, if this goes water can start creeping into the oil, the standard oil filter is paper (s/steel versions are available) and swells up blocking the oil flow, which in turn causes loss of oil pressure and subsequent cam chain rattle


Gary and Loo if you are still about the site and in the duchy then we might well bump into one another some time, I feel bad having read this even if i couldnt have known you would have had drama I would happily buy you a pint if you told me more about the bike and how/who you came by it, if it was mine and was the dealer pulled a fast one I shall at the very least refrain from being their customer in the future

Zimi 26 Feb 2012 09:36

Hi guys,

i saw I nice ktm 950 adv from 2004 with 80'000km to sell on auction, price might be interesting and the bike looks very good.

What do you think about such a high milage?

Do I have to count with an engine rebuilt?

Thanks for information

camnz 26 Feb 2012 10:31

get an africa twin mate mines done 100000km original clutch ,new wheel bearings:thumbup1:

Walkabout 26 Feb 2012 11:31

Zimi,
This link might help you to make a judgement:-
950 Issues

As for all makes and models of bikes, it very much depends on how the bike itself has been treated and maintained in its' earlier life.
Only you can make that call when you inspect it; I think this is a key reason why people buy bikes from their friends and other people that they know can be trusted.

colebatch 26 Mar 2012 22:39

FWIW, the guys I know with 950s / 990s tend to look to swap them out after about 50,000 miles / 80,000 kms ...

ElChico 16 Apr 2012 14:27

950 Adventure - solid
 
Mine's an 05 950 - now on 72,000 miles. Seems fine to me, might be selling if I can't afford to keep that and a BMW 650 Sertao fed and watered...
The thing is that I would'nt use the 950 for a RTW etc, too thirsty and unnecessary amount of power. Great bikes though with amazing handling.
Cheers
Col

wantok 2 May 2012 05:01

Info for those considering a 950 Adventure
 
Hi people

I've got a much modded 2004 950 Adventure. They're a well made, reliable machine with great performance & suspension but like all bikes, have their particular areas of weakness. These are best addressed once & for all prior to undertaking a big trip. Ist, replace the standard clutch slave with an aftermarket one. I used an Oberon unit made specifically for the 950 & it's easy to install & solves that issue. 2nd, the standard fuel pump (same as the one on Honda africa twins) will eventually fail due to the contacts wearing. There are several fixes for this - I chose the popular Facet fuel pump replacement. These are very reliable & designed for ultralight aircraft. There is an excellent kit available which provides all of the items to install it, including fittings & fuel line. Others have installed a vacuum pump & there is a kit (Dr Bean's) which replaces just the contacts on the standard pump with reliable solid state. The standard sidestand mount design bolts to the engine case & can crack the case in a getoff on the left side - this has happened to several owners & is a major expense & pita to fix. There are several sidestand relocator kits out there which solve this problem & give you a much stronget sidestand mounting, well worth doing! Like many bikes, the voltage regulator can fail due to heat - mine did. All I did was replace it & drill some small holes in the l/h wing of my bashplate to allow more cooling air onto the reg. No dramas since. Some people install a 2nd radiator fan kit which is a good idea for lots of slow riding. Once again, there are several cheap, easy to install kits out there. The 950's aren't the most fuel efficient engines around - you can spend heaps & install a 44 litre Safari tank, but I just take a 12litre fuel bladder & roll it up when not in use. The 990's are fuel injected but still not much better fuel wise.
The best thing about these bikes are that they do everything really well - great for the road & offroad, the Paris-Dakar design (they were originally designed for Dakar & won outright on their 1st try) gives them a very entertaining, lively feel when riding & they go very hard when you want it. Like some bikes, the rims are a bit soft (esp the front rim). Many people replace them with a stronger rim. Great machine though, I've owned many bikes & this beast is definitely the best. There is a magic resource on the ADVrider website under "orange crush" (specifically about the KTM twins) look under wisdom of the forum for anything & everything associated with the 950/990 Adventures. All you'll need is there. Good luck & all the best.

Nick - Darwin, Australia :palm::thumbup1:

Nick

ErikBrazil 16 Jul 2012 02:55

KTM over 120.000km
 
My one has today 120.000km at the moment i going from Sao Paulo to Alaska for the second time (same bike)
Few things to mention, i HAD NEVER HAD A mecanic problem on this bike
Oil Change every 5000km, oil filter every 10.000km ( I use washable one) and air filter every 20.000km
At the end of this gtrip it will be 150.000km. Sorry it,s not for sale.:nono:

Genghis9021 19 Sep 2012 02:28

950 "high mileage"
 
Well, there's "miles" and miles.

Mine has 47k KM and has see ALOT of off-road, never out of 3rd gear riding.

They're wonderful. Fun. Capable (always reminding you that the weakest link is the fool holding the handlebar) and great all-rounders.

Like the "OLD" GS they have a few niggles that can be addressed a la @Wantok describes (and I have). I'd add the VRR for remote travel (a problem on MANY bikes !), and a Fumoto oil valve to make oil changes quick and (not) dirty. With each year from 2006 the niggles are more & more addressed at delivery.

Once those are addressed . . . it's pretty much free wheeling fun. The exception is to see the necessity of a valve adjustment after the initial one, though it's a PIA to check.

What other bike's rider is grinning so much on such an ugly bird !

MilesofSmiles 21 Sep 2012 20:15

I have an 07 with ABS.
In this post I read that the back brake can be a problem even when the TSB was resolved. I have experienced this myself. Because the ABS bikes have the ABS switch, which requires one to think ahead of time, we all make one error time after time. That error is; We forget to turn off the ABS when we hit dirt. Braking on the dirt with ABS, activates the unit. This in turn forces what air bubbles are in the main unit under the seat to travel down the line to the rear caliper. This is the 1st problem.

2nd problem: Dot fluid attracts moisture. The rear reservoir has a piss poor seal and generally will let air in and out at the right hand side Phillip screw head. When you are hot dogging about and heating up the rear brake, you literally boil the moisture in the fluid causing air bubbles in the line. Over a long time this builds up and a bleeding is in order.

Use high temp 700F fluid, squeeze the calipers for your final action before butting up the systems and do not ride in dirt with ABS on. Following these suggestions have made my brake work every time for thousands and thousands of care free miles.

wilbjr21 27 Oct 2012 02:02

My KTM - admittedly the 990 Adv - has done 53,000 completely trouble free miles. I did fit the Oberon slave cylinder and the BDCW side stand re-locator to try and avoid any problems.

Uncle Brad 13 Jun 2013 13:52

100,000 miles...or more?
 
Food for thought.

The Original: KTM 950 Adventure Bike

The Great Adventure !

Walkabout 21 Jun 2013 11:52

Fumoto valve
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Genghis9021 (Post 393073)
and a Fumoto oil valve to make oil changes quick and (not) dirty.

Does this fit to the sump drain, that pretty inaccessible oil tank drain, or both?
I looked at the Fumoto website and it has just one of their models of valve recommended for this bike - maybe this valve fits both locations on the bike (if the thread is the same dia and pitch)?

Genghis9021 21 Jun 2013 12:11

Fumoto F109
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Walkabout (Post 426826)
Does this fit to the sump drain, that pretty inaccessible oil tank drain, or both?
I looked at the Fumoto website and it has just one of their models of valve recommended for this bike - maybe this valve fits both locations on the bike (if the thread is the same dia and pitch)?

The LC8's are dry sump motors like most modern engines. So, as you may know, very little oil comes out of the sump.

Therefore the "quick drain" valve goes on the oil tank, out of harm's way. A length of line, perhaps a small bit of grinding/filing and some have used a few washers to ensure good access to the valve switch.

Mine works great !

Quick Change Oil Valve

Walkabout 21 Jun 2013 12:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Genghis9021 (Post 426830)
The LC8's are dry sump motors like most modern engines. So, as you may know, very little oil comes out of the sump.

Therefore the "quick drain" valve goes on the oil tank, out of harm's way. A length of line, perhaps a small bit of grinding/filing and some have used a few washers to ensure good access to the valve switch.

Mine works great !

Quick Change Oil Valve

Thanks.
I couldn't see a deal of advantage for draining the sump but it's a whole different game for the tank.

I see you got the one with a nipple for attaching the drain hose.
So a washer, or two, allows the valve handle to point in the best direction for future operation of the valve.

Genghis9021 21 Jun 2013 15:39

Shims/Washers
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Walkabout (Post 426835)
Thanks.
I couldn't see a deal of advantage for draining the sump but it's a whole different game for the tank.

I see you got the one with a nipple for attaching the drain hose.
So a washer, or two, allows the valve handle to point in the best direction for future operation of the valve.

Yep. you still use the fiber washer that's beneath the sump drain bolt and then enough thin washers/shims for orientation.

Very reliable fixture - used by nearly every car manufacturer.

andrew fenn 11 Aug 2013 06:27

'Long distance KTM problems'
 
Hi, this is to Mr. Steve Pickford. (yeah only my second post and unsure to whom I'm addressing.....
I rode a 2004 950 from the UK, two up. starting out with 20,000km on her dial.
I carried a water pump rebuild kit and a fuel pump as EVERYONE said they were poor. After riding 25,000km to Cape Town, no problems (two rear punctures one rear ((thank god)) spark plug. At 60,000km the fuel pump failed outside of Tennant Creek in NT Australia. One hour to diagnose and fit. Water pump still going strong (quick look to the skies). Odo now at 70,000 after a circuit around Oz. Monster service done and since setting valve clearances at 20,000 they have not changed. All work done by me as that's my trade (so sorry cant quote dealer prices but as there is 40 mins at the start and finish of the valve job service it probably is more than a BM) but its not rocket science and the manual is very very good. The extra work for me is justified by there are not a heap of them on the road we travelled and I love her and she's orange!!
Tyres? the new rear from the UK got to Cape Town and the front was changed there, from new, 45,000 km, good eh?
However in Oz the front did 23,000 and the rear did 16,000km, not sure why. As we now had two bikes I can only put it down to I was trying to keep up with Diane on her 650 Transalp!!!!
Going to NZ or south America next and the KTM is definitely coming with!!

Hope this ramble helps, if you need help or whatever,
on Vibre +61403961516
www.rimorterra.wordpress.com

best regards and best of luck, with your travels,

Andrew

outdooredjim 5 Jan 2014 21:36

bike and a spare 's backup !
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Pickford (Post 41922)
Any body out there racked up a lot of miles on their 950 yet? If so, how is the reliability & what are the costs for having it dealer serviced?

Thanks

Steve

iv been looking for high mileage ktm's ,as my market research,.
I have just read an article from motorcycle sports and leisure july 2013.
ktm 990 with 100,000 and still going ! .
thing im worried about ,is after sales back up !! iv email my local dealer in wales twice ,and had no reply !! if they don't reply for a bike sale ! what chance have you got of getting spares if you are in Mongolia !!, and on top of that , bmw in Cardiff ,showed no interest in making a sale ether ,!! I gues we should all have to be wearing a suet to get a cash deal ! :nono:
so if you want a bike to make the trip ! then you will need a reliable backup too ! so may be a Honda 90 is the way to go !

Steve Pickford 19 Apr 2014 09:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by outdooredjim (Post 449232)
iv been looking for high mileage ktm's ,as my market research,.
I have just read an article from motorcycle sports and leisure july 2013.
ktm 990 with 100,000 and still going ! .
thing im worried about ,is after sales back up !! iv email my local dealer in wales twice ,and had no reply !! if they don't reply for a bike sale ! what chance have you got of getting spares if you are in Mongolia !!, and on top of that , bmw in Cardiff ,showed no interest in making a sale ether ,!! I gues we should all have to be wearing a suet to get a cash deal ! :nono:
so if you want a bike to make the trip ! then you will need a reliable backup too ! so may be a Honda 90 is the way to go !

There are several good KTM dealers I use who are more than capable of shipping parts worldwide. Try Premier in Didcot on 01235 519195.

Demetris Z 3 Jul 2015 11:00

I've had an 05.5' 950 Adventure for 8 years.
75000 Km on the clock, water pump fixed once at 25k, three clutch slaves so far. Valves measured and left alone twice so far. Rides like a dream , wouldn't change it for any new bike.


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