KTM 640 Adventure owners, sign in please...

[Loadedagain]

cleaning the bike

[creeper]

My

Creeper

[Mack]

Loaded, For the record I do like the Zega case, they are nice kit. But, IMHO for the price, I feel the damn things should be perfect. How much of a gap do you have between the inside of the left rack, and the bikes plastic side panel?

Do your pannier racks have the mounts on the ID of the hoops, for the quick release mounts of the "950" plastic saddle bags? (I ask as I suspect KTM/TT may have moved out the this style of rack to keep the plastic cases further from the exhaust.) I know that the size of the KTM OEM Supertrap silencer, and it's "black rubber spacers" push the rear L/H plastic out a bit relative to my SXC silencer. But the two inch gap between the inside of the rack, and the plastic is absurd to me. When you add up all the dimesions in total listed in my previous post, I'm pushing so much more through the air then I feel I need to be. I would expect it's actually effecting my top end and mileage a touch. It's going to take a lot of cutting and welding to get things moved in, but eventually........ Cheers, Mack

[Loadedagain]

true true.... the clearance is a bit excessive. has never bothered me though. also.... i can feel huge differences with the cases on when i cross windy bridges (three on my old commute through vancouver). the bike rides much smoother without them... thats for sure.

[kurtw]

Glad you started this thread...I've been waiting for a chance to post and show off my new Adventure. Long time lurker, first time poster...

Anyway, I'd been mulling over the idea of a dual-sport/adv bike for a while and finally grabbed this '03 640 Adv. It had been sitting in the shop for a while tempting me. Right after I bought it in December, the dealer sold his last one and immediately got a few more requests for them that he couldn't fill...too bad.

So far, this is what I've done to it...probably all for a while:

• dual-star grip heaters
• side stand (KTM)
• tank bag (nice item...but I don't use it on all rides since it gets in the way sometimes)
• 157.5 main jet, 47.5 pilot jet, raised the needle
• DIY airbox cover
• added 6 disks to the exhaust (may experiment with fewer to see if I get more low end grunt)
• EBC semi-metalic brake pads
• Widder batter cable/connector for my 'lectric vest (I seem to be able to get away with grip heaters and at least medium power to the vest via electronic thermostat w/o any battery drain issues on chilly highway rides)

It really smoothed out and woke up the engine to do those mods. Right now I have an oil leak coming from somewhere near the front sproket that I haven't tracked down. It's just enough to keep my chain well lubed and make a mess. I'll probably bug the mechanic at the dealer next week about it unless I can locate it. The filter cover seems tight enough.

Anyway, here are a few shots...First ride, December:


Breaking 'er in:


A few days ago...taking in the view on a day with actual sunshine (toggle to the left of the speedo is the grip heaters):


Other bikes are a KTM 450 EXC (not dual-sported), and a Triumph Sprint ST.

[Loadedagain]

you are a bastard. i hate you

[creeper]

Can you believe it KurtW? Your first post and Loadedagain already hates you!... You're good!

I will now pop in a shot of my bike against a lousy stinking white wall instead of deep in the Olympics... screw your Oregon coast pictures... You bastard!

Christ, I have got to remember to take the camera to someplace that will make Loadedagain hate me more than he does already.

Creeper

[afgarcia2]

Originally Posted by creeper

Hi ya' kids!

Just wanted to get a count on 640 Adventure owners out there. If you've got one, say hi and show us a shot of your bike and/or the trickiest thing you got goin' on. If your bike is heavily modified, give us a mod spec list.


Creeper

Many of the modifications listed on previous replies to your request are on my 2002 640 Adevnture. two i did not see are:

(1) Scotts steering damper. Very expensive ($400.00+), and requires scary welding, but the bike is completely transformed by this modification. I had read about the advantages of steering dampers, but I was still very surprised at the magnitude of improvment. The 640 with the steering damper installed is much easier to keep on course, especially on very rocky and rutted downhills.

(2) chain guide from some other KTM (see photo). I don't think this chain guide works on 2003 640 Adventures, because the swing arm on the '03 is different. My '02 came with a few brackets with holes near the stock "chain guide", and it turned out the part numbers below fit those holes and brackets perfectly. I don't know about non '02 Adventures, but the set up has worked perfectly on my 2002 for a several thousand miles. Total price for all parts was $44.76. The KTM part numbers are:
50207070044 retaining plate
54607066100 chain guide
0015060553 HH collar screw
0015060163 HH collar screw

[kurtw]

Originally Posted by creeper

Can you believe it KurtW? Your first post and Loadedagain already hates you!... You're good!
Creeper

I'm honored to get such a fine Advrider welcome. Thanks Loadedagain!

[Loadedagain]

Originally Posted by kurtw

I'm honored to get such a fine Advrider welcome. Thanks Loadedagain!

velcomenzie. being an advrider aint all roses, but we'd damn near kill to help each other out.

[gagnaou]

Here is mine, 99 Adventure, as far as I know it is still pretty stock. I need to change the tires to some knobbies and re-jetting. I like it a lot though!!!

[Mack]

Originally Posted by afgarcia2

...... (2) chain guide from some other KTM

afgarcia, Thanks for the part numbers, I've been wanting to install one for a while, but wasn't sure what parts could be drafted into service.

When the " Dirt Bike Mag guys" ran the 625SXC at the 24 hours of Glen Helen, this was the one area (AFAIK) that gave them grief, as Scot Harden ended up throwing a chain. They happened to have a "vintage" guide off a KTM 550 they tossed on.

[gybeman]

I got my 2002 new in the spring of 03. Other than a tank bag and some jetting changes its all stock. Here it is on its lunch break during a break-in dual sport ride. (on the right). I was the only one in the group without knobbies but it made it through even with some pretty sloppy mud sections. (and one slow mud tipover... damn i needed tires, but it only left a tiny scratch on the bottom wing of the fuel tank). New MT21's are going on this spring.

[inte]

Originally Posted by Mack

I think it would be very interesting to ride your bike, and a stock ADV back to back. So many different ways to go about revalving and spring rates. It Sounds like your setup is ideal.

I've thought the same thing - just never had a chance to ride a stock 640. I went straight from a RSX620 to this bike, & the 640 feels very soft by comparison - even with the suspension mods. Not in a bad way though - this bike is designed for a different purpose than the 620 and it does it VERY well.

Originally Posted by Mack

Did you get this through KTM, or Touratech? I'd like your opinions when you get it all set up. I'm 50/50 on my Zega's, but the left one is almost two inches farther out then I feel it should be, and the right side is 3/4 to an 1" farther out, not to mention the setup really should be two 35L, IMHO, rather then the 41L on the right hand side. If I had known I would have ditched my R/H 41L for a 35L. When you add all the above together it's almost an extra 6 inches of width. But for solo tours, security, and rainy days, I think they will be worth it. Though, I will be using a soft bag setup like RapidTwins on the more technical trips, I find I pack way too much in the Zegas for this kind of riding, and the Katoom doesn't like it. Cheers, Mack

These cases were purchased for the article you saw in Dirtbike. I guess the intention was to mount them & get some photos of the whole bike set up with luggage & all, but apparently the mounting racks arrived at the shop incomplete.

I paid for the whole lot (bike, suspension/exhaust mods, luggage) when I bought the bike a little over three months ago, but have been jumping though hoops for the past few months trying to get the racks - the boxes have just been sitting in my garage.

Weather permitting, I'll have a SERIOUS ride report on the use of the 640 itself, plus the luggage, etc... stay tuned...

[creeper]

Originally Posted by gagnaou

Here is mine, 99 Adventure, as far as I know it is still pretty stock. I need to change the tires to some knobbies and re-jetting. I like it a lot though!!!

I've always had a soft spot in my head for the blue/orange color combo... in fact, that is the color of the soft spot in my head....

Creeper