KTM - LC4 Round the World ADVenturization

calling on the vast knowledge base that is ADVrider.com to help me out and get my new (to me, only 500 miles on the clock) LC4 ready to ride around the world...so please chim in, comment, recomment, if you're local stop by (Vegas), add your photos, suggestions, regrets, secrets etc. etc.

just picked up a 2003 KTM 625sxc to continue my RTW (see my signature line for the ride report) 63,000 miles done so far on a Yamaha XT660Z Tenere


what i have been unable to find is any photos of a bike that has added an auxiliary oil tank, i have found lots of threads but no photos...ANYONE??????



so here is a list whats been done by the previous owner ...

1. Carb: BST Mikuni stock carburetor with slide drilled out
conservatively. I did not go to 1/8 but something a little less and that
seemed to add some nice snap along with a complete tear down and cleaning.
I also terminated two of the breather lines with K&N air filters rather
than re-breathing spent fumes. Replaced the four bowl screws with hex
screws.
2. Airbox no longer has water overflow, crank case and fuel over flow
(all from main chassis collection point) dumping into it. Apparently that
made the box a little gummy and also the carburetor. Much cleaning
operation now. Have new air filter but not installed as I cleaned the
original one off (not too many miles on it).
3. Changed the oil used new KTM oil filers. I believe I used Yamalube.
4. Lighting installed LED markers all around and updated head lamp for
High and Low beam operation. There is some non-insulated wire coiled up
behind the headlamp. This is ground and its copper so no need to insulate.
5. Checked all four valves. Intakes were off just a little tight.
6. New Continental TC80 tires front and rear less than 150 miles.
7. New lead acid battery.
8. Have auxiliary factory seat that lowers the ride height and and can
be sued to customize as needed.
9. Added duel mirrors and bar mounts and have the original factory
folding mirror. Now you have an aux 10mm mount on the handle bar for GPS
etc.
10. All manuals and have two exhaust gaskets, Motion-pro feeler gauge



and this is a short version of why i bought it...and at the bottom photos of the bike



so the Yamaha Xt660z is alive and well and taking a well deserved siesta, but i wanted a change (actually once this is complete the XT will go up for sale)

as a RTW rider you kind of learn as you go along, with roughly 200,000 touring miles under my belt, 63,000 in last 22 months you come to conclusion that you will read here and everywhere else, i wish i had a lighter bike. There are a lot of places that i have missed, some i have tried and failed to get to simply because of the weight of the bike, all the guys riding the heavy weights wished for mine, i wished for less.

The reason being; i am heading to New Zealand, then Australia, the Far East, the Stans, Russia, Mongolia and eventually Africa...are you seeing where i'm going with this thought pattern, lots more dirt in my future

the XT660 is the heaviest in its class but very durable too, but once you add luggage, and i am a light packer you still have a lot of weight, not GSA standards but restrictive weight.

so i started looking at other options for when i carry on RTW, i posted on a few forums about what i was looking for, light weight, good power, options to add a very large gas tank, reliability and so on to get some other riders input

the short list came back as:

WR250R
XR650L
DRZ400
DR650
KLR650
570 husaberg
610 husqvarna

now other requirements for a RTW rider is shipping and import, what does this have to do with bike choice? Well a lot actually, obviously weight and the ability to reduce the bike to the smallest size possible and Carnet, the fees can get outrageous in some countries for import, so expensive bikes cost a fortune to bring in to some places - calculate your current bike to see what i mean...Carnet price calculator link

The WR250R was top of the list for a while with the DRZ400 in very close second, but finding a good used one with minimal miles was not happening, and a new one by the time i added everything i needed i would be pushing the $10k mark, why not just keep riding the XT i was asking myself

...then out of the blue some guy makes a comment, have you looked at a KTM 625 SXC, it's everything you are describing, all the other bikes to be made RTW ready would cost more in the long run, the KTM has a good level of components as stock, you can get a 27 liter tank, (you could add a rotopax that will be empty 99.9% of the time to opposite side of the exhaust can, taking it up to 31 liters)

it has minimal electronics, so less to go wrong, no fuel pump, no FI etc, only problem is they only made a few and getting a low mileage one is virtually impossible, and most owner once they buy never sell

so doing web searches on all the above bikes i came across a 625SXC with only 500 miles on it, the owner was having some health issues and never rode it. As its a 2003 the book value is minute (great for the Carnet) and he had done a lot of mods already to save me additional time and money...it weighs about the same as a WR250, double the power, i can get a tank that's 2.5 gallons bigger than the biggest for the WRR

so i pulled the trigger and now i have gone orange and i'm proud owner of a basically new (to me) LC4... in the coming months it will go thru a transformation to be made RTW ready - any comments/ suggestions/ recommendations/ farkle lists would be gladly accepted



after my four mile test ride

Subscribed*

Top of your list should be a new seat. Looks like a nice bike though, good luck!

I have been looking at that for sure, nothing "off the shelf" out there that i could find, open for recommendations for good seat guys? or is there seats from other models that would fit...comfort seats etc?

Since you're in Vegas, you should drive out to Hemet, CA and pay Lendon and Robert a visit at Seat Concepts. I've got one strapped on my 620Adv and let me tell you, nothing beats it for the same money. They also have a in-person cash price that could save you a few bucks. Give them a bit of notice and they'll get whatever cover you want made (carbon fiber, gripper, suede, etc) with special stitching if you want (ORANGE!). They can also do lower seats and I believe different densities of foam for softer/firmer rides. Again, best bang for your buck by far.

I'd also suggest a set of Highway Dirtbike handguards with their top-clamp mount. Awesome system, very versatile and adds a great deal of rigidity to your cockpit.

If you go with the big tank (28L) I am pretty sure you will have to change the seat, so you may want to get the fuel sorted before spending money on the seat.

The best is Renazco, but Seat Concepts do a few KTM seats and have got good reports.

Make sure you let us know when you are about to hit Australia and NZ.

I should also mention that you'll want to subscribe to the lc4 index thread and read through all the engine maintenance/modifications. lc4 motor is extremely reliable, but there are a few bearings you'll want to keep your eye on, as well as the water pump, among other things.

i tried to get them to come to Overland Expo last year but they couldn't make it, so i guess i will go to them like you suggest

i have barkbusters already mounted on some renthal bars (on the XT) that i will probably swap to as the ride height on the XT was perfect so hopefully it will work on the KTM too

i kind of figured there maybe an issue, maybe with the fit too so yes i'll get the tank first and then move forward fromthere with the seat, then bars and wind protection etc

for sure i'll contact you when i get back into the southern hemisphere, any website suggestions for places to go, good tracks etc would be appreciated as well so i can plan a route and beer stops

the water pump has been done, but the question is what is the real cause and can it be corrected permanently or over time will it always be an issue?

as for bearings when replacements are done are the factory KTM ones the best way to go or is there a source for a higher standard that has worked better?

Hi Paul,

Congrats on the new bike, looks like you lucked out in finding such a low miles version... With only 500 miles, the engine isn't even fully broke in yet...

It's a shame the SXC did not come with extra oil in the frame tube like the Adventure and E models... Adding extra oil capacity would be a good idea for what you intend to use the bike for, you could copy the plumbing that the Adventure has and rig a tank or oil cooler into the system... You can tie into the line that comes off the remote oil filter and throw you extra capacity between there and where the line pushes oil into the left side case and into the con rod...

At your current mileage you should be good for another 25,000 before you have to think about any kind of in depth service... Personally I rebuild the water pump and change the intake rocker roller at around 40,000 KM and have found that both of these items still have service life left at that point... On your RTW it would be a good idea to carry these parts in your spares kit as they don't take up much room and you will have them in case you suffer a premature failure...

Your seat will depend on what kind of tank you pick up... The 18 liter tank needs a seat that has the key way front that fits into the tanks molding... If you luck out and find an Adventure 25-28 liter tank then you will need the specific seat for that application... I like the stock comfort seat that came with my 03 Adventure and really had no desire to go aftermarket, but I wondered about it for the first while as it took a long time for the foam to break in...

There really isn't a chronic problem with the frame backbone vent exiting into the airbox... A grossly overfilled engine may cause oil to vent into the box or top end damage can also can cause this condition, other than that I can think of no other case where this happens... If you do notice oil in the box just pull the plug and roll the wheel, the lube in the box will now lube your chain...

is there somewhere on line i can find the 2003 adventure oil diagram to compare with the SXC to find a location for the auxiliary oil tank

are the stock water pump and intake rocker roller the best there is or is there an aftermarket company that make a better quality upgrade?

For oil diagram use the parts fiche SXC: http://www.cheapcycleparts.com/mode...-625-sxc/assemblies/232905-lubrication-system

Adventure: http://www.cheapcycleparts.com/mode...dventure/assemblies/232675-lubrication-system


I went together with Bill {bmwktm bill} to get a couple of my old waterpump shafts hardplated, but haven't tried them yet... Even if the shafts last forever your pump seal will not.... The lc 4 pump has a double sided main seal along with two sets of sealed bearings to keep the coolant and oil from mixing but as with any water cooled bike, the pump should be serviced from time to time... And while you have the rocker cover off to service the pump you can check {replace} cam followers, especially the intake...

I know of no aftermarket followers for the LC 4, but I know of guys who have had one made in a pinch using a bronze bushing instead of needles for a bearing...

Russia and Mongolia on a KTM Adventure





Consider a bigger gas tank??



Do everything listed in the owners manual.

Add extra grease to the steering head bearings and the swing arm bolt.

Add additional grease to the rear suspension pivot.

Plug and unplug every electrical connection, I'd add a little silicone oil but that's me.
Look for sharp edges, protect the wiring.

Put a gob of silicone glue in the wiring that exits the ignition module, the wires vibrate and rub each other.

Consider better lightingn or do you have that covered. HID or LED.
Russia is dark and dangerous with sometimes heavy traffic at night.
Russians like to drive fast and drink and kill themselves.

Are you able to change the ignition curve for low octane gas with your model?
I had to run 80 octane in Mongolia.

If you have money add a Scotts steering stabilizer, it might save your life.

Consider a chain oiler and a HD chain.
Buy spares, assemble tools. There is nothing in Russia or Mongolia.

63K...that's around the world at least twice.

You are the master, tell us what to do.
bill

replies in red...Bill glad you jumped on this, saw some of your responses on the LC4 thread and i like the way you respond and think - to the point

You may or may not have the low octane switchable CDI, pull the right sidecover and see if your CDI has a brown black wire with a bullet connector going into it... Here is a good writeup on the subject: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1177948&postcount=9

I notice a slight power loss and about a 10% loss in fuel economy when running in the low octane setting...

Really enjoyed your ride report, so I think I'll lurk here and watch the prep

Not sure Paul what to add, checked out your map for Sud Amerika, looks like you didn't ride Ruta 40 in Patagonia. That's a rough road and much like Russia and Mongolia gravel highways.

Ruta 40 would have given you a better idea of what to prepare for mechanically, mentally and physically but the fact that SA highways didn't killyou say much good about your paved road riding.

Did youdo much dirt in Alaska?

I have ridden South Amerika down and back and it was challanging but Russia and Mongolia are life threatening in ways that mimic the worst of SA. Much of my ride was dirt and gravel-7 time zones.

So it's much longer and the only way out is by train or plane if you don't ride your machine out.

Suspension is critical in Russia because the dirt is rough(potholes)and fast but more on that after you start to wear in your new ride and get closer.

I'd love to see you make it across on your KTM and though my knowledge of Russia is getting dated, I'll help you any way I can.

I used Horizons to establish Russian contacts who met me in Vladivostok...that was very helpfull when they were sober.
bill

something to look for when the sun comes up...if not then that write up is great information to have on hand for part numbers, thanks for digging that up for me

lurk away...hopefully you've recovered from chasing deb around south america

Yeah, I've recovered

Damn that girl can ride...