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

JRod152 · May 7, 2012

I have the day off today. Just spent most of the morning reading through this entire thread, with a little too much caffeine. I guess I better pay some attention to my kids now! What a build. Thanks for taking the time for pics, documentation, and sharing. I am realizing, as a n00b, just how much info is available on this forum!

Impressive, Craig! You've been a busy man. Props for pursuing your passion.

Jared

Rich2wd · May 8, 2012

cjracer said: ↑

Great lookingg bike Rich, that 300 must be a blast.

The chain I use is the ONLY 420 o-ring chain I have found in the market.

EK 420SRO 132 link. If you need help getting on down under, let me know. I can send you one to try. These are all Clip link chains, but I've never had an issue. This should be good for you to get 2 chains, plus you'll need an extra Master Link.

Not 100% sure it will work on your bike, as I designed my chain housing to have a little more room from the start, knowing I wanted to go this direction. The guys at Christini said they still run and send the bikes out with Non-o-ring chains as the smaller engine would or could notice a HP drain using an O-ring chain. Every little bit helps.

I've run my 950 on the dyno with the front chain on, AWD disengaged. No HP loss was noticed to the rear wheel. Not that I'm concerned, there is plenty there to spin up BOTH wheels at will in the dirt.

Not sure how to embed this???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj9I2Ma_duM</EMBED>
Click to expand...

Thanks CJ, I'll shoot you an email when I'm looking at getting a new chain.

Cheers Rich

BaronVonDarrin · May 8, 2012

cjracer said: ↑

Maybe, but it most likely won't be through Christini. And this isn't a bolt on system.

If it does, I'll be sure to add info. Lots of work to make this production ready.
Click to expand...

If not a kit, then something we could contract you to do? (hell I would probably kick a litter of puppies and steal candy from every kid in the preschool across the street just to get those aluminum tanks made)

cjracer · May 8, 2012

A few pics from the tear down.

This looks like some space Alien....
1

Parts hanging are the Drive Shaft out put tubes and the bellow that protects them. Everything is very well sealed up and protected.

The Drive shafts look perfect and no notches in them anywhere. The linear bearing still slide smooth.
2

Bellows are a little dirty, but not torn. (These cover the drive shafts through out the suspension stroke.)
3

Fork tubes out, ready to go through the bearings.
4

The tubes drop out easy.
-Remove the bottom drive shaft bellow clamp and lift up bellow.
-Remove set screw in drive shaft to unlock it from drop out pinion gear.
-Lift up on drive shaft to release from pinion.
-Remove pinch bolts from Triple clamps like a normal bike.
-Drop forks out.

This might take 15-20 min extra your first time.

I removed the left side tank to inspect the rest of my drive train. Everything is looking good.
5

Most bikes would have a steering stem here..... I have two drive shafts and some spur gears.
6

The head bearings on this setup are huge and handle the 950 weight and abuse no problem. (Think Car Wheel bearing size) They still pivot free and perfect, ready for many more miles. These are the same that are used on the NEW Christini bikes. Should be no problem, ever, on a 450 or 300.

7

8

cjracer · May 8, 2012

Drive chain "INSIDE" the lower triple clamp.

9

Drive sprocket "INSIDE" the lower triple clamp. Both look perfect.

10

These will go back in for more use.

The is the lower access plate the holds and supports the output drive shaft from the triple clamp.

11

There are plastic sliders (WHITE SQUARES) installed to keep the chain from rubbing on Aluminum. These are still in great shape. No replacement needed.

One of the spur gears in the head tube. This is the bottom one.

12

Wear pattern looks nice and even on all teeth. I must have gotten the head spacer lengths correct when I modified them for 950 ADV frame use.

Drive spline bearing packs, apart and cleaned. Perfect again. Relube and put back in use.

13

my mess..... About 50 projects going on at once....
14

15

I will be replacing as many bearings that I can at this time as a preventive measure while I'm in here. All this could have been done with the lower triple clamp on the bike, but I wanted to see how the Head Tube Spur gears were holding up.

I've put numbers next to the pictures. If you have a question, please reference the pic # and I'll do my best to answer.

Once parts show up I'll post more info.

Katoom119 · May 8, 2012

Man that's awesome...

Doktor O. · May 8, 2012

Dan950ser · May 8, 2012

So sweet. So when are you doing the super enduro?

cjracer · May 8, 2012

Dan950ser said: ↑

So sweet. So when are you doing the super enduro?
Click to expand...

Not soon enough.....

Come out and try the ADV and 450 in July.

kamanya · May 9, 2012

Seeing as you didn't finish your build story, do you have some side on shots of the installation?

Also with the packaging of the drive, would a kit (if you ever built one) need a modified left tank?

Pete640 · May 9, 2012

When u do mine can u add a mount for my steering damper?

cjracer · May 9, 2012

kamanya said: ↑

Seeing as you didn't finish your build story, do you have some side on shots of the installation?

I plan to get back to that at a later date, just wanted to add this in while it was fresh in my head. Sorry for skipping around.

Also with the packaging of the drive, would a kit (if you ever built one) need a modified left tank?

With this current version, Yes. A modified tank would be needed. KTM is just so crafty at making tanks that mold into every nook and cranny.

They give us no room to work.

Maybe future version could be figured out to not need it, but nothing that I have tested yet.
Click to expand...

Later,
cj

cjracer · May 9, 2012

Pete640 said: ↑

When u do mine can u add a mount for my steering damper?
Click to expand...

We've found that the AWD system feels like a steering damper. It naturally wants to pull you forward and straighten out the bars to a small degree keeping me straight through rough stuff, but it would interesting to try and see how it would work combined. I've never ridden a bike with a damper, so I'm not the best experienced with that. I'm going by what other riders of this bike have commented on it to me.

Currently on the ON/OFF switch is mounted where a damper Pin would bolt onto the frame. The Cables were not long enough and I had no more bar room to move it up there anyways.

Definitely in my notes for upgrade on future versions. I've been thinking about an electronic solenoid that could be triggered with a handle bar button and a Cable back up, just in case. But that might be too fancy. We're almost getting into that GS category.

BaronVonDarrin · May 9, 2012

Are you just building these for friends at the moment?

cjracer · May 9, 2012

BaronVonDarrin said: ↑

Are you just building these for friends at the moment?
Click to expand...

At the moment I'm not building any. There is only 1 of these built and future bike test is on going.

Katoom119 · May 9, 2012

cjracer said: ↑

At the moment I'm not building any. There is only 1 of these built and future bike test is on going.
Click to expand...

If Geek ever got ahold of one you'd never hear from him again...

cjracer · May 9, 2012

Katoom119 said: ↑

If Geek ever got ahold of one you'd never hear from him again...
Click to expand...

He did.... Mine. It's worked out well so far, but this spring he'll be back here. Hope he doesn't try to ride home with the wrong bike.

Part of the reason for the paint job. Keep the lookers away trying to find the next pretty bike.

Katoom119 · May 9, 2012

cjracer said: ↑

Hope he doesn't try to ride home with the wrong bike.
Click to expand...

My point exactly!

Dieseljo · Oct 12, 2012

What an opportunity
After riding motorcycles for over 40 years I was faced with a gifted opportunity. Craig Johnson from CJDesignsllc.com offered his KTM 950 Super Enduro to me for the weekend. It should be noted this was not any weekend, it was the 2012 Big Woods 200 in Wabeno Wisconsin. The Big Woods 200 offers two incredible days of riding with friends you may only see once a year. Even now just talking about it makes my body tingle with excitement

Some may say the KTM 950 SE is overkill for this ride. After all, Saturday‘s 150-200 miles (depending on how much you double back) is full of forest roads, two track, single track, ATV trails, deep sandy roads and technical Hero sections. Overkill? Hell Yes! With that said Craig's 950 SE is no pack mule, in fact it is more of a high strung black stallion with a hard mouth. The bike looks angry just sitting on the center stand. After several test laps on a private track I had to decide if I was man enough. Could I tame the mighty SE through the tight hero sections and endless single track, or would it shake me off like a fly out in the pasture? With a smile of uncertainty I put the bike in my truck and asked Craig to wish me luck.

The Ride
Saturday morning Craig and I decided we would ride at a conservative pace. So I put my gear on... had a silent talk with the angry SE... and mounted up. "Ahhh the saddle feels so good!" I could not stop smiling as I sat there listening to the 950 Vtwin wake up. In my head I just kept thinking "Are you kidding me, this day is going to be nuts". Craig mounted his KTM 950 Adventure and our "moral coach" for the day Jim Fitzgerald mounted his KTM 450, we were ready to head out.

Taking to the pavement for a few miles was a great way for the SE and I to get to know each other. In the first Hero section we became one, I used a smooth throttle approach and the SE responded with predictable precision. The deep sand was conquered by the throttle stop, and speeds that kept the front tire floating. By the time we hit the single track we were old friends like the Lone Ranger and Trigger. After a short swimming break, the SE and I once again took to the trails like we were competing in a pony express job interview. <object height="315" width="420">

<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q40J62ITMbk?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="315" width="420"></object>

Early afternoon Craig asked me to swap bikes... WOW! Not only did Craig give me his mighty SE for the day, now he is offering a chance to ride the world's only Two Wheel Drive KTM 950 Adventure. Yes two wheel drive, I watched Craig build this incredible bike from the frame up. It is truly a master piece of motorcycling technology. Once rolling it was very apparent that I was no longer on the high strung stallion, but instead on a very strong work horse. In short order my riding style changed from aggressive to relaxed. At first I thought the extra weight might be too much for me. After I was moving my brain kept trying to understand where all the weight went, the bike was not fighting me at all, It was like I had been put on a rail. In two wheel drive the deep sandy roads were almost like riding pavement. Steep long hill climbs were a joke, with stability from bottom to top. The traction and control were unlike anything I had ever ridden before. Truly an amazing experience!

I finished the day smiling and wishing my middle age body had more to give.

BIG THANK YOU to Craig and CJ Designs for burning more great memories into my mind's eye!
[FONT=&quot]
Written by:
Dieseljo [/FONT]

cyborg · Oct 12, 2012

Great stuff Dieseljo!

CJ is a pretty darn cool guy, and I had a chance to ride with that maniac for a few days recently, watching that Monster 2WD eat up rough terrain and twisty road alike :eek1 Great fun to watch!

I understand a little of your excitement riding the 2WD, having had a chance to ride it for short while and sticking it in a pickle a normal big bike could not have gotten out of, then riding it right out of it. Amazing. Thanks again Craig!

Log in or Join

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

JRod152 will work for tires

Rich2wd Been here awhile

BaronVonDarrin Been here awhile

cjracer AWD please!!

cjracer AWD please!!

Katoom119 Mmmm....Orange Kool-aid

Doktor O. Been here awhile

Dan950ser Two Wheeled Addict

cjracer AWD please!!

kamanya Andrew to most

Pete640 Long timer

cjracer AWD please!!

cjracer AWD please!!

BaronVonDarrin Been here awhile

cjracer AWD please!!

Katoom119 Mmmm....Orange Kool-aid

cjracer AWD please!!

Katoom119 Mmmm....Orange Kool-aid

Dieseljo n00b

cyborg Potius Sero Quam Numquam

Log in or Join

Useful Searches

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

JRod152 will work for tires

Rich2wd Been here awhile

BaronVonDarrin Been here awhile

cjracer AWD please!!

cjracer AWD please!!

Katoom119 Mmmm....Orange Kool-aid

Doktor O. Been here awhile

Dan950ser Two Wheeled Addict

cjracer AWD please!!

kamanya Andrew to most

Pete640 Long timer

cjracer AWD please!!

cjracer AWD please!!

BaronVonDarrin Been here awhile

cjracer AWD please!!

Katoom119 Mmmm....Orange Kool-aid

cjracer AWD please!!

Katoom119 Mmmm....Orange Kool-aid

Dieseljo n00b

cyborg Potius Sero Quam Numquam