Dirt Bikes

[Tocchi]

sweeeeet nice choice dan

[oneredED]

Great looking bike Dan, let us know how it goes!

I'd be up for a ride sometime too, I haven't ridden the hills around Melbourne yet, I've only done the Grampians and the Pyrenees ranges.

[t1MMy]

Noojee is a good place to ride, if you river crossings and steep muddy hills.

[my5.0l]

I just brought a 98 rm 250 wich has jus had a full rebuild and i got it from the shop because my mate had no money to get it out cost me $1500 ,i rode it before it went into the shop and it smashd my mates crf250 and sits on the tail off my mates crf450 .

I also have a lifan 125 thumpsta thing but i killed it again so another $180 for another motor but still fun but yeah the fun disapears when u get on a real bike hahahaha

my old flatmate had a done up 08 r1 and he didnt like riding the crf450 cos it kept goin up on the back wheel????? ud think hed be used to it owning a r1, but not that easily apperantly hahaha

I like riding the 450 it has power everywere but im only 5'7 so its real hard for me to get on and off but i do prefer the rm over everything else ive rode

[Dansedgli]

Well I got a chance to test the bike on Friday down at Walhalla where we went camping.

Im a hack but I got better as the day went on. Being good mates they made me tackle a big fark off rocky hill with was dry and had very loosely packed dirt on it. The rocks were pretty big, probably around the size of a basketball and there was 11ty of them scattered everywhere.

I did pretty well then dropped the bike. An experienced mate came and helped me up, I got another couple of metres then nearly stalled so got on the gas and did a big backflip. 2 stroke goodness

That knocked the wind out of me so I turned around and let my mates go on without me slowing them down.

The next day I noticed that my expansion chamber had a crack in it where the springs go to hold it in. I had a closer look and the cast ring on the engine that the pipe slides into had snapped off.

The pipe was pretty bent too.

Im waiting on prices from bike shops to replace the cast engine piece but googling looks like Im up for about $415 for it.

The FMF gnarly which I fucked is also $450 and I broke the clutch lever too. So much for getting a bike so I can stop spending cash when I break the 4wd. lol

So the shopping list is now:

Barkbusters
New pipe
new engine piece
traitech engine piece support. Its a ring that adds bracing to it.
A better pipe guard
New clutch lever
and a kickstand. The one that came with it is fcked.

Fun times.

[t1MMy]

I snapped the clutch lever on mine too and almost paralysed a mate in the process.

Up at Noojee and he was in front of me spitting up all the mud so I couldn't see shit and he went over a blind hill and on the other side was a 10 foot drop that neither of us realised, next thing I know he dissapeared from sight and I went over the jump next.

Wasn't till I was in mid air I could see him lying in the mud face down coz he crashed his bike. Not much I could do while I was 10 feet above him so I kicked off the bike trying to avoid him but still managed to collect his bike bending my bars and snapping the clutch lever right off, also bent the shit out of the faring.

Bike riding can go from "fun - 0" in a split second.

[Dansedgli]

Bloody hell, that woulda sucked.

Another mate jumped a small mound on the weekend near a river we stopped to check out. On the other side was a mine. It dropped about 10 metres into the ground. He was lucky he had enough pace to clear it!

[t1MMy]

Dropping the bike whilst crossing a river isn't much fun either, especially when there's a strong current and the water is the run off from the snow. F*** the bike, once ur feet get wet, they stay wet!!

[Dansedgli]

Faaaaaarrrrkkkkk.

Peter stevens just called with my quote for the exhaust flange.

The exhaust flange for that year only comes with the cylinder and its $1216!!!! The 05 model is slightly different and they sell the flange seperate.



I wonder if I can get it fixed at a machine shop or something cheaper? It needed a new piston soon so this would be a good excuse to rebuild it I guess. It should be like brand new shouldnt it?

New flange + cylinder + pipe will be nearly $2k.

[t1MMy]

Wholy shit!!

Call Top Gear in Seaford, they specialise in KTM's and might have a better solution for you. 9776 9991.

[Dansedgli]

Thanks Timmy,

Gave them a call and they confirmed that is a complete part with the cylinder. They wanted $1400.

They gave me the name of a wrecker to try though.

Hopefully I can get one.

[Dansedgli]

Forums ftw.

I posted up on a dirtbike site and they gave me a part number of a flange that I can buy seperately and will fit with minor adjustments for $380. I also got the details of a guy in the states who fixes the flanges for $125usd.

Crisis over.

[TUFED6]

Whats a good dirt bike forum?

[Dansedgli]

dirtbikeworld.net for an aussie one.

Thumpertalk.com for a US one.

Apparently KTMtalk is where the guy that fixes the flanges is but I cant access it at work.

[nstg8a]

lol, i like ktms but what idiot designed that bit?


but, that a damn fine looking bike mate, good score.

[TUFED6]

Caved. Bought a dirt bike. This isn't going to help my knee which already needs a reco.

[t1MMy]

Dirt bikes are baaaad.
Sisters boyfriend went out yesterday up in Leongatha, was at the front of the pack and pulled up at the bottom of a hill to wait for them to catch up. His mate who was next behind him lost control of his bike over a jump and let go of the bike which came flying over the hill.

Scott (sisters bf), heard the bike coming but when he turned around to see what the noise was about it was too late.

Bike cleaned him up in a bad way. Broken back, peeled all the skin off his back, 2nd degree burns on his neck from where the bikes exhaust landed on top of him, broken ribs and a ruptured kidney.

He's still in the Alfred hospital drugged up and unable to feel his feet. Luckily he's not paralysed from it but goes to show how dangerous these things can be.

[TUFED6]

Fark. Broken back is serious business.

[Dansedgli]

Fark that's bad Timmy. I hope he turns out ok.

What did you buy John?

I sent my broken flange off to the states today to get fixed and reinforced. Hopefully the turn around time doesnt take too long.

[t1MMy]

I'll try and get pics when he comes home and put them up.

[BLKPHN]

Well I got a chance to test the bike on Friday down at Walhalla where we went camping.

Walhalla huh... great place to go riding! try some of the deep creek tracks to the north. My family owns about 4 propertys in walhalla but i never seem to get enough time to make it up there.

[TUFED6]

What did you buy John?

An old banger RM250. Its cheap and parts are cheap so its going to be a good platform to fcuk around with I reckon.

[ELDanny]

might as well post my bike up
Its a 2000 YZ250, awesome fun
Had it for about 2 years, when i got it, it only had 4 tanks of fuel through it since new
Its a bloody weapon, and sorry but this is the only pic i could find haha, i usually do track riding + trail every now and then

[nothin suss]

Found a few snaps of us on the bikes... Still have my trusty DT200R... Going strong since new in 1999. Wow, i've had it ten years, gone quick!!! We mainly ride between Anglesea and Lorne in the Otways. With Rec Rego you can basically get from Anglesea to Lorne in the bush. Alot of those tracks being closed down now
Pics are a few years old in the Otways, near paddys swamp (when it used to rain)

[TUFED6]

Went out yesterday into Bunyip state forrest. Top fun

[Dansedgli]

Fark that's bad Timmy. I hope he turns out ok.

What did you buy John?

I sent my broken flange off to the states today to get fixed and reinforced. Hopefully the turn around time doesnt take too long.

1 month turn around from the states is pretty good.

Got my part back today. $1200 less than fixing it how KTM recommends = winnah.

Need to get a new expansion chamber now and organise rec reg then Im back in business.

Before and after shots:

[t1MMy]

Farrrk that's some awesome welding. Is it done by machine?

[Dansedgli]

I think he does it by hand. Its good work either way and I cant argue with the cost!

A++ service.

[Parfrey]

why didn't you just take it to a welding/machining shop and get it fixed? wouldn't that be easier?

[Fritzz]

shit, they did a nice job...


i broke my wrist on the ktm about 6 weeks ago...

if you ride dirt bike regularly then i would recommend combine insurance.... pay outs from broken bones = awesome.

ive seen allot of broken bones in my time from dirt bikes... ive been a lot more lucky than my mates.

[Dansedgli]

why didn't you just take it to a welding/machining shop and get it fixed? wouldn't that be easier?

Cos i know this guy had done it before.

Posting something is easier than going to several different machine shops when you work in the CBD too. I hate where I work. I cant do anything related to cars and bikes without taking a morning off.

[nstg8a]

Found a few snaps of us on the bikes... Still have my trusty DT200R... Going strong since new in 1999.]

lol, my first decent bike was a dt200r, was brilliant... didnt think a bike could get any easier to start or have a smaller kick start than my dt. until i traded it on a wr200r...

[93edxr6]

nice bike love ktms

picking up my crf 450 1/2 through next week cant wait

[nothin suss]

Found a few snaps of us on the bikes... Still have my trusty DT200R... Going strong since new in 1999.]

lol, my first decent bike was a dt200r, was brilliant... didnt think a bike could get any easier to start or have a smaller kick start than my dt. until i traded it on a wr200r...

She is an awesome rig. Went to the Grampians last weekend, loved it. Can mix with all the big 4-stroke bikes no probs in the lower gears. Bike could lose 10-15kg but i'm used to it now. I freak out when i jump on a KTM 450 or something, same weight, twice the power...

[Parfrey]

why didn't you just take it to a welding/machining shop and get it fixed? wouldn't that be easier?

Cos i know this guy had done it before.

Posting something is easier than going to several different machine shops when you work in the CBD too. I hate where I work. I cant do anything related to cars and bikes without taking a morning off.

i guess it would be easier then.. but taking the morning off couldn't be too bad either!

[Dansedgli]

Had some fun yesterday.

Dropped half of myself into here while riding up the side in thick mud. The bike stayed upright.



Crossed this river and hit a big rock so bailed and had to walk from halfway with water up to my knees. Bike stayed upright.



Then crossing back over the same river but using a different line which appeared less rocky hit a rock and both the bike and I went scuba diving with no snorkels.



I hit the kill switch just before the bike went under which was lucky. We poured about 5 litres of water out of the exhaust and airbox. It took 30 minutes of kicking to get it started again and a whole lot more water came out. My mate had already gone to get the ute so that was the end of the day.

Another group was ahead of us with the same problem then while I was trying to start my bike it happened to a 3rd group. Apparently its not usually that deep.