I just inherited a wrench project. Such miserable shape I almost said no to a free bike. It is a KTM 250 SX (I think) of unknown vintage. Perhaps someone here could help me identify it. But it has leaky pogo stick forks, busted rear sprocket held on by only two remaining loose bolts, kickstarter held on with (not kidding) silicone.:dog This one won't give it up easy. But at its heart lies bitchin strong 250 mx mill that should satisfy my intended use of winter ice rider/summer guest machine/backup extra wheels. Just to get it rolling it needs chain and sprox. This is my first KTM, and it reminds me of the Husky's of my youth (plug eater). Do these bikes really require spendy plugs or do regular old B8ES ngk or the resistor variety suffice? Is the restoration of upside down WP forks best left to a shop? Is it far more involved than The conventional legs on my KDX? So here's some pics of the mongrel: Thanks for taking a look. Any advice or expertise on this mo-sheen woud be appreciated. Peace Piston
BR*ES plugs will work fine. If it's oil fouling them you might want to look at the right side crank seal. My 360EXC will run for years on the same plug. Plastic is the same for all 2t bikes from 98 to 02 (maybe 03?). Lots of helpful KTM experts at KTMTalk.com. USD forks are different but not really scary. There should be lots of videos on Youtube that show breaking one down. WPs should be similar to the more common Showas and KYBs. Nice score!
Thanks for the input. New chain and sprockets are on the way. after a good cleanup and getting it rolling we'll see what else it needs to make it a fun and reliable backcountry bike. Piston
Tanks are on ebay frequently and most times at a good price. The forks are not hard to replace seals on.
nah... that's a total POS.... you'll never make it happen... i'll take it off your hands just to save you the aggravation........ .....hehehehe....
Looks almost like my 02 125sx when I first got it(kinda worse, but I payed 1600$ for mine, I didn't know much about bikes at the time), it was owned down near the beach(read: salt water damage), has some "restored plastics(read: spray painted, wasn't even the correct shade of orange:dog), slightly used air-filter(read: rotted out, falling into airbox), broken in tires(read: dry rotted, knobs about to break off), perfectly tuned suspension(read: fork seals blown), a strong engine(really strong, haven't done top end yet) and an alright chain(actually, not that bad, only replaced it recently). But hey, after some TLC(and a kickass KTM dealer, and kickass parents who supported the endeavor), it's "Ready to Race" bike now. Go for it, your results might be better than mine: https://www.advrider.com/advrider-photobucket-images/images/E/Epsilon584_20130802_203142.jpg%3Ft%3D1375494659
This one was owned by a friend who left Alaska in a Chevy Luv pickup and didn't have room for much worldly stuff. I promised it would get a good home. What is supposed to hold the kickstarter on? A nut on the end of the starter shaft? I don't dare remove the mass of blue silicone holding it on (it miraculously works). Probably needs a shaft and nut. Waiting on parts. Piston
Long after taking possession of the bike, I received the briefcase of manuals, etc. from the PO. Turns out it's an mxc 250. It's current state: The front forks are all rebuilt as well as fresh front wheel bearings! My first set of inverted forks. It was educational. Much of what I learned was mess control. Issues yet: The kickstarter bolt stripped out and missing. The bushrat strategy on that is to tap the shaft out to 10mm and use a bigger bolt. Wish me luck. The exhauust pipe doesn't seat against the cylinder real good and some springs are missing. It also left a big oil puddle from sitting tilted forward with no wheel/forks. Leaky primary gasket? Or accumulated spooge leaked from the wonky exhaust? Both? The cleanup shall reveal. The KDX is also torn apart with new fork seals, awaiting new tires. That leaves only the Pampera to ride: As usual, a one-kick wonder after hibernating all winter. Peace Piston
that screw/washer thing is wonky on KTM's.... there is a 9mm tap you can get at supply houses that would probably work... i think it's a 1.25 thread, which i think is the same as your 8mm x 1.25 you got now.... i think....
What i got now is a stripped out kicker shaft and a lever held on with blue silicone. I got a 10mm tap and bolt to do the duty. Piston
the point is.... you use a 9mm tap, and you probably won't have to drill the hole, probably follow the the threads you still have.... 10mm?... good luck!...
Inside the kick shaft, it looks as if the screw broke off and someone attempted to extract it but failed. The whole mess refuses to be drilled, so probably going to stick it back on with chewing gum and wait a few paychecks to get a new shaft and screw. Exhaust pipe srings, o-rings and brake caliper parts on the way. Time to re-assemble. Piston
Thanks for the parts recommendation, Dave. We'll have to see how they treat shipping to AK. Yesterday Orphan Annie and the KDX got a bath with the pressure washer. The KDX got its steering head bearings cleaned and repacked and the forks replaced. New tires today. Hopefully all the linkage and swingarm bearings are at the post office as well. The FMF from Orphan Annie. This is why it's called gnarly. However the view into the exhaust port shows a nice looking piston, that and good compression gives confidence to leave the top end alone. Countless collisions of kickstarter against footpeg will break one or the other. New IMS Super Stock pegs. The KDX gets moved around in the wheelbarrow. By this weekend it should hopefully propel me into the alpine! A little more work to Annie and she will soon be ready for the trails. Once moving under her own power, heaven knows what else I'll find needing attention. Peace Piston
Annie is nearly completely reassembled. Cleaned out the carb, fresh gas, new plug and several kicks she fired right up. Finl assembly today and take her for a spin! So far, I have never ridden this bike that I haven't pushed it home. Piston
I got Annie put back together again and took a few rides. With only a little use, issues arose. She is issuing a lot of spooge, fouling plugs and popping a lot on deceleration. A crank seal. Did a leakdown test and the gearbox breather blows bubbles when the engine is pressurized. So it seems as though a tear-down and parts order is in my future. Might as well replace the reamed out kick shaft while in there. Fortunately, Piston Jr's KLX 140 is about to sell, justifying my throwing more $$ at this project. Peace Piston
Having removed the clutch cover and got a good look in there, here's what I found: the right side crank seal doesn't blow bubbles when I pressure the motor. Where could the bubbles from the gearbox breather come from? Powervalve? Also the clutch basket seems pretty worn and the input shaft to the transmission has noticeable play. How worn is worn out will likely be answered by the manual that is on it's way. Any advice, however, is appreciated. Piston
