771 Wants to know what KTM was thinking...

[butcher bergs]

Ok, next time I'm aiming the camera at my face instead, I need to see that stuff!

Don't do it. You'll be thinking about that rather than kicking some ass.

Oh, and Gen works with landscapers, trust me she hears far worse near daily.

Wha???? Her????? I don't believe it!

She's.....errr.....uh, how do I say this?........well, she's dainty, Josh, and I just can't wrap my head around that visual. There! I said it!

[butcher bergs]

Why is it going to take 47 minutes to load that video?

I'd like to see it sometime before I die.

[Kurlon]

Why is it going to take 47 minutes to load that video?

I'd like to see it sometime before I die.

Vimeo delays converting the vid if you don't pay for hosting... so just hit the link tomorrow and it'll stream properly.

[butcher bergs]

Word.

[LowSider]

Big congrats Josh. I was working six when I was like "wait, isn't this going to be a double header for him?" Hope your wife was force feeding you water with a funnel!

Was nice meeting your wife. Glad I didn't scare her away.

[Kurlon]

Big congrats Josh. I was working six when I was like "wait, isn't this going to be a double header for him?" Hope your wife was force feeding you water with a funnel!

Was nice meeting your wife. Glad I didn't scare her away.

Hah, she was in the bleachers in 6 taking pictures. She offered to play water bearer but there really isn't any time to get any between races. The last time I did this by the time I came around from my cool down and hit pre-grid they were already waving us out onto the track. I had a bit more time this time, but I think I would have screwed myself if I stopped to spool down and get some water for a min... : )

And nope, you all failed at scaring her off, we'll see if she can make the October round. : )

[LowSider]

Hah, she was in the bleachers in 6 taking pictures. She offered to play water bearer but there really isn't any time to get any between races. The last time I did this by the time I came around from my cool down and hit pre-grid they were already waving us out onto the track. I had a bit more time this time, but I think I would have screwed myself if I stopped to spool down and get some water for a min... : )

And nope, you all failed at scaring her off, we'll see if she can make the October round. : )

Pretty sure that means dinner at Fridays in September!

[Kurlon]

Addendum - Got the orange catastrophe into the shop today to see why it was trying to evict it's plug cap constantly... plug is loose, cute. Go to pull the plug to inspect, came out real hard, end was rusty from water, fuck. Try to get a new plug in cleanly, threads are buggered. I have a plug in there now, weather or not it's fully seated, I've no idea. Head will need to come off to have the plug hole heli-coiled before another plug will go back in.

Spun the bike on the dyno, 35hp. It's not healthy. This is going to be an expensive winter. Fuck.

[LowSider]

Spun the bike on the dyno, 35hp. It's not healthy. This is going to be an expensive winter. Fuck.

HAHAHA!!!! Pretty sure the GS had more than that!!!!

Just busting your balls. Ptwins was borning without you last weekend.
Seriously though, that sucks badly. If you need or want help, let me know and I'll ride up- been pretty bored these past few days.

[lrrs313]

Spun the bike on the dyno, 35hp. It's not healthy. This is going to be an expensive winter. Fuck.

You're losing compression somewhere. My 560 (stock except exhaust) ran 59.7 with a worn (1 full race season) piston and valves that were out of adjustment. I'm thinking that she needs to come apart and be checked out. If you need any help, let me know. I might have had a KTM motor apart once or twice.....

[Kurlon]

You're losing compression somewhere. My 560 (stock except exhaust) ran 59.7 with a worn (1 full race season) piston and valves that were out of adjustment. I'm thinking that she needs to come apart and be checked out. If you need any help, let me know. I might have had a KTM motor apart once or twice.....

I expect I'm still loosing some out the plug, and can't see it not needing rings if not a new piston and cylinder at this point given it's age. The head needs a full rebuild anyways, valves, springs and guides should all be updated, along with a bunch of little things just due to it being an 01. It's still got a paper center gasket (which leaks at the swingarm pivot) that needs to be replaced as well. I knew this going in, just wasn't expecting it to be quite this off given that it seems to run 'well' on the track.

I'm going to run it as is (rejetted to salvage some hp) for this coming weekend, and have to look at the numbers to see how I'm going to proceed from there. To do all the updates I want, along with some needed repairs, I'm looking at a good chunk of change, might be just as easy to buy a newer motor and part mine to cover some of the cost?

I don't dare tear into it right now, I don't have any spares, gaskets, etc, and having never ripped one open I don't want to get it half way torn down only to run out of time at the shop. I've got a week of vacation coming up, if I can sort out a parts list and the cost makes more sense to repair/update I'll see if I can do it then.

[Pittenger5]

ran 59.7

HOLY SHIT, you kidding me?

[seth399]

is it a 125

jk, ya man it must be an issue with that plug sealing up there...you would have felt that like a lead anchor if it was running with 30 somethin hp

[Kurlon]

is it a 125

jk, ya man it must be an issue with that plug sealing up there...you would have felt that like a lead anchor if it was running with 30 somethin hp

The plug was loose enough that I could rock it in the head before, it's at least sitting 'tight' now. If I can't get 40hp out of it as is, I'm gong to cancel my pre-reg and call it done for the season, just won't be safe out there that far down on power.

[seth399]

The plug was loose enough that I could rock it in the head before, it's at least sitting 'tight' now. If I can't get 40hp out of it as is, I'm gong to cancel my pre-reg and call it done for the season, just won't be safe out there that far down on power.

ugh, ya i hear u

[Kurlon]

Brian, can you pull a top end on these in the frame? And if so, any parts required on hand? I know the cam chain is a rivet type, never dealt with one that you have to press apart before?

[lrrs313]

Wirelessly posted (BB Tour: BlackBerry9630/4.7.1.40 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

Yup you can do a top end in frame. Just need head gasket, cam chain master link, special tool for the chain, and some silicone gasket maker. It' just as easy to pull the motor. With the right parts I can get it done in a few hours if nothing goes wrong. Let me know and I can figure out a complete list of what you need.

[lrrs313]

HOLY SHIT, you kidding me?

DB, I've gotta have some advantage to cart my fat ass around that track and keep ahead of you and Jackie!

[Kurlon]

Wirelessly posted (BB Tour: BlackBerry9630/4.7.1.40 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

Yup you can do a top end in frame. Just need head gasket, cam chain master link, special tool for the chain, and some silicone gasket maker. It' just as easy to pull the motor. With the right parts I can get it done in a few hours if nothing goes wrong. Let me know and I can figure out a complete list of what you need.

I've decided I'm going to take one more crack at it Tuesday, see if I can verify the plug is sealing or not... if I can't get a reasonable pull out of it, I'm going to call it the end of the season and start tearing it down to refresh for next year. No point ripping the top end off to do a quick patch only to have to rip it off again in a month for a proper rebuild.

[lrrs313]

Also check to see that the valves are adjusted correctly, etc. Something's definitely not right. How hard was it to start? Sound/act weird? Let me know if you want a hand.

[Kurlon]

Also check to see that the valves are adjusted correctly, etc. Something's definitely not right. How hard was it to start? Sound/act weird? Let me know if you want a hand.

Starts after a few kicks cold, no choke needed. Once warm, just takes a proper kick to get it to light. Definitely has SOME compression, doesn't feel any easier to kick than my first outing on it a month or two ago. No unusual noises, or anything else to make me suspect 'something's wrong' other than the crazy low numbers it's consistently putting out.

[lrrs313]

OK, now I'm curious. FYI, I just checked on motosport.com. You're lucky, they have the head gasket for your bike for less than $40. I think mine's around $90. Spark is good and strong? Did it feel that weak last weekend? Because I saw you a few times coming into 1 and it looked like you were getting up to speed on the straight.
EDIT: also check the connection between the plug wire and the cap. The wire kind of "screws" into the cap, and has been known to come loose/corrode/break there. If the bike kept vibrating the cap off, it may have caused some weird shit to happen in there, and weak spark could be cutting your power numbers. Do you have a baseline dyno run to know what it should be making when the motor's healthy?

[Kurlon]

OK, now I'm curious. FYI, I just checked on motosport.com. You're lucky, they have the head gasket for your bike for less than $40. I think mine's around $90. Spark is good and strong? Did it feel that weak last weekend? Because I saw you a few times coming into 1 and it looked like you were getting up to speed on the straight.

I haven't noticed a change in perf on the track since I've had it, and yes, it'll top out by the start/finish line. Good spark, no idea on the timing as I haven't checked, gotta find a manual with specs so I know HOW to check...

[lrrs313]

I'm assuming the timing is the same on all the RFS motors -- put the piston at TDC and there are 2 dots on opposing sides of the cam sprocket. They should be horizontal, even with the surface of the head. From the sounds of things, it's something to do with the spark plug replacement. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't top out by start/finish if you were only making 35 hp when you were on the track.

EDIT: If you want to helicoil it, I have the cam chain tool. We could very easily put it back together Friday night at the track.

[Kurlon]

If it comes apart, it'll be at the shop, which is where my lack of time to do anything before the next race comes in. The shop happens to be a Tues through Saturday operation, 9 to 6. I happen to work an hour away, M-F 9 to 5... Normally my only time to wrench is on Saturdays, assuming things are slow. I'm definitely not keen on taking it apart, dragging it to the track in pieces, and trying to hustle through reassembly the night before a race, as much as I appreciate the offer.

This last time out, it was down on power, or had to be given that I could wiggle the plug and it was leaking enough compression to work the plug cap off with an unclogged weep hole. It was still topping out by start-finish, although I think a lot of that is gearing, if I remember correctly it's geared 15-39 or possibly 15-40, and it has the close ratio 5th and 6th rather than the wider setup (from an MXC I think?). So what I thought was good yank was just short gearing I suspect. I certainly wasn't gaining time on anyone down the front straight.

Looking at my times, I went from a best hitting a 25 to working hard to maintain 27s, which I think is another sign that it was loosing power.