Turn your KTM950 into AWD in 3,4,5,??? easy steps

This project has been hidden away from public view for some time now, over 1 year. So it may have slipped out to a few friends or anyone stopping by the shop that may have caught a glimpse of something odd.

I'm sure the neighbors have been wondering why the lights are still on at 4am???

My opinions on AWD have been stated before and this build report will try and start from the beginning. I'd like to try and document this the best I can. I may get long winded from time to time, so bear w/ me as I try my best to get this out.

The building of an AWD KTM 950 ADV.

It all started here about 2 yrs ago:

http://www.christini.com/news.php

I spent countless hours reading old articles and test reports on Christini's AWD system.

Being a mechanically minded person, I liked how his system worked and the fact I could see the parts. Yes, there is alot of stuff going on, but it all has a purpose.

One of my good high school friends works at a local tool and die shop. I stopped in to say hi a few years ago and see this on the shop floor.



I've been in a few CNC shops over the years, but you don't run into cool stuff like this everyday. We get to talking about it and they actually helped produce parts for these bikes.



Up until now, I've only ever seen these in magazines.

So after a few pics...




I tried to get a time set up for a test ride.

A few weeks later....




It was so much fun. I'm not a fast rider, but I could tell it was helping me out and made riding so much more fun. Isn't that what it's all about?
Enjoying your riding time to the most.

CJ,
You never cease to amaze me with your engineering prowess.

Great Job!

Well said. Suffice to say, there's a lot of people tipping our hats to what you have done and will do.

That thing was the center of attention at the Rally

Well thanks guys. That's so kind.


So after this little test session the gears started to grind away in my head "How can I get this to work?" "Would it work?" "How long will this take me?"

In the end in knew I had to try. That's been a problem of mine for some time now. Once an idea gets stuck, it won't leave until I build it. That's why we have welders and CNC machines now. Not much you can't fix.

Around this time a good riding buddy of mine (Jeepboy), had an incident at his farm.

We had done several trips together and he was an early 950 lover.

Read more here.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=380796



I headed down to take a look and see what his plans were. The bike was totaled and off to auction soon, no way I could buy it from him or the insurance comp. Some IL Rules.

A few months go by asking him if he knew what was up w/ his bike. I was now on the hunt for a 950 to use as a doner.

A few frames popped up in flea-market. I picked one up from James Renazco, the seat god. He had just parted a bike out and the frame was left. Perfect. This is a start, I thought. No way was I was going to let me 06' 950 sit apart while I build this. I need to ride.

Up on the bench it went to start looking, thinking, and drooling over.

This is going to be sweet! I've been waiting for this thread to happen!

Oh man, bring it on!

My workplace performance is bound to suffer during the course of this thread.

I'm locked into this thread. Tell me more, tell me more.

How does the Cristini system work? Is it hydraulic to?

Google for yamaha 2track, that system is ready for sale as a package, and bolts to many bikes to. Could learn from that and make the ultimate 9x0 system from it!

http://www.ohlins.com/Checkpoint-Ohlins/2WD---The-Complete-Story/

Edit:
Found the whole cristini tech part. Interresting, but as he states no giant hydraulic losses, personaly i think the whole gear and shaft drive system is taking just as much power and is prone to failure.no quick disabeling if a gear gives out either. I'm with Hydro on this one but look forward to following your project!

Ohlins mentions the original patents from the system cristiani is using as well.

nah dude, chains, sprockets and gears

There's differential type gear up in the steering crown that's the key to it all and it splits the power two the left and right side, then you have two axles running down each fork leg. The axles are sliding so they can extend and compress with the fork, then you have a 90 degree gear again at the hub and you drive the front wheel. The front wheel is on a faster ratio though with a free hub so it will drive like a normal bike until you spin the rear in mud or sand, then you'll feel the front kicking in. It's a pretty cool system but for simplicity I think the 2 wheel drive hydraulic ohlins might be preferable...

Anyways - a two wheel drive Adv with recluse clutch and large low pressure paddle wheels back AND forth? Could we have the ultimate baja explorer???

I'm in

Please, O please don't do this to me. I will have to follow along and lose sleep thinking of the reasons that I must have this.

For my mental and physical well being, please stop?

Woe is me, o woe is me.

I wonder what the total workplace $ lost is going to be

Have you found where these "KITS" are for sale? If so, Please post up a link.

I tossed this around too when I started and never got any word back from Yamaha about the kits being sold separately. Only thing I heard was, we do offer the complete 450 2 track for about $30,000. So my thoughts were, $30,000 for the complete bike, minus $8,000 for the MX 450. So ONLY $22,000 for the kit??? That was way out of my price range.

I knew that Christini offered them for the KTM's. A few measurements and found the 950 front forks sizes are the same as the 530s. Perfect. Figure out some frame mods and should be good to go.

Hey CJ.

Meeting you and your bike was one of the highlights of the Moab Rally.

Riding with you was cool too... for the 30 seconds we were together.
Geek was amazed by your machine. He never stopped talking about his 'test ride'.

I'm patiently standing by, watching this thread grow.


Q~

if you knew then what you know now

Oh yeah, been waiting for this too...

Go Craig!