Project bike: 2007 KTM LC4 640 Adventure

[kiwipeet]

found this on fleabay.com.au.. buying a whole bike for parts (at $9,900) might be a bit excessive yeah?



but aint she purdy

[kiwipeet]

Not a lot to report lately.

I gave her a bit of scrubby scrubby

Spent a few hours working on the bike on on Sunday, trying to get the dent out of the tank. We were reasonably successful.



We started off trying boiling water, with 1 jugs inside the tank, and a bath to immerse the tank in to heat the outside, with me pulling on a bolt and dad blowing compressed air into it at the same time. But it wasn't budging... the water it didn't get the nylon hot enough. Annoyingly I managed to pull the fairing mount bolt out of the tank

So we decided to try a heat gun in combination with the compressed air. And apart from scorching the paint and nearly setting it on fire a few times, it did the job. We got all the dents out except a small one.



It's not pretty, but it's not leaking, and appears serviceable. So I can use it to get the bike running until I manage to get a new one.

[kiwipeet]

I was really stoked to see the courier... until I saw the box... awwwww ffuuuuuuu....



We were preparing for the worst..




But were pleasantly surprised to find the contents in mint condition...



Thanks again Guy

[brothernath]

come on Pete, put it on !!!! : )

[clintnz]

Originally Posted by kiwipeet

It's not pretty, but it's not leaking, and appears serviceable. So I can use it to get the bike running and until I manage to get a new one.

That looks pretty good! Depends how fussy you are, but given the cost of a new one, if it was me I'd paint it back up, chuck on some new stickers & call it golden - chicks dig scars ya know.

Cheers
Clint

[kiwipeet]

Originally Posted by brothernath

come on Pete, put it on !!!! : )

Umm.. I already did.. but i hid the photo... Although mine didn't have the shower cap like in Mike's photo.

I dunno what it is about them. You can't help but pick it up and try in on like a darth vader mask. Harder to resist than a tea cosy.

Originally Posted by clintnz

That looks pretty good! Depends how fussy you are, but given the cost of a new one, if it was me I'd paint it back up, chuck on some new stickers & call it golden - chicks dig scars ya know.

Hmmmm...

[Box'a'bits]

Originally Posted by clintnz

That looks pretty good! Depends how fussy you are, but given the cost of a new one, if it was me I'd paint it back up, chuck on some new stickers & call it golden - chicks dig scars ya know.

Cheers
Clint

That area is hidden by the headlight mask anyway.

Depends on how pristine you want it to be & what type of use the bike is going to get longer term. Unless you are going to protect the tank with engine bars, it tends to get 'used' fairly quickly (or Taz's did anyway) .

[mcguyver]

Originally Posted by kiwipeet

I was really stoked to see the courier... until I saw the box... awwwww ffuuuuuuu....



We were preparing for the worst..




But were pleasantly surprised to find the contents in mint condition...



Thanks again Guy

Holy crap
Thats not how the box looked when it left here, in fact I reckon its been opened. I didnt put that much tape on it. It also looks like it has got wet.

Oh well at least the fairing is ok.

Glad I could contribute in some small way to getting Mikey's bike back on the road.

[Nathan]

Originally Posted by clintnz

...if it was me I'd paint it back up, chuck on some new stickers & call it golden - chicks dig scars ya know.

It's got paint on it already. Stick it back on the bike and ride, I say!

[kiwipeet]

I spent the day in the shed today tinkering with the bike.

I want to try and get the bike started as soon as possible to make sure it will run, and it's not pissing/spitting oil/water etc.

Clint is coming over to give me hand next weekend.

I thought i'd start with the basics... and just see if I could kick the bike over. Nope... it wouldn't budge... eep...

I could spin the wheel with the clutch in, and changed up through a few gears and rocked the back wheel. it eventually got a little movement. I tried the kick starter again, and this time it freed up and the engine turned over... albeit with a very crunchy feeling and sound.

But it seemed to get a little better with a little movement. But i stopped there rather than push my luck. I just hope it's because it's been sitting for nearly a year.

So before I go any further I need to make sure it has enough water and oil...

I have ordered a new radiator, but just in case the new one doesn't arrive in time I got some spare hose and blanked off the missing the radiator. A bit of pfaffing but we got there.



I removed the sump plug and only got about half a cup out if it. I asked Tim to drain it before it left Gabon, and looks like he did. The sump plug had the usual gunge and tiny filings/residue on it.



Dad was keen to swing a few spanners and found the crank case bolt nearest to the sump plug was a bit loose.. We tightened it up and replaced the sump plug. it will be interesting to see if it still drips.

I'll get the bike going with the filters that are on it, and once it's running i'll give it a filter and oil change. Hmmm I should have thought of that and ordered filters and stuff a week ago...

Hmmm time to do some reading.. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86958

Oil change thread... http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57107

[kiwipeet]

hmmm found one of the headlights is broken.. the plastic collar that mounts to the metal frame is cracked. The light should actually be a single unit.



Looking at the parts diagrams, they sell the whole headlight as a unit, so I can't just buy the broken bit.

I'll see if I have all the pieces and try gluing it, otherwise I might be in for a new light.

Updated parts list: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showp...11&postcount=8

[rallyman]

[kiwipeet]

I'm hoping to have a few busy days working on the bike this weekend. In fine family tradition flat surfaces attract things. Work benches are shitmagnets, that things get stacked on. As a result my huge work bench is unuseable because it's chock full of crap.

I have a work bench at one end, with tools and a vice and power.. and I was working at the other end in a corner. So i'm constantly walking back and forth to find tools etc.. and constantly stepping over and around things like our other bikes, saw horses, contaiers, mowers etc.

Solution: move the work to the bench, and move stuff thats not being worked on away. It seems so obvious now, but I thought I was a rocket surgeon for figuring that out.

So I decided to have a bit of muck out and "defrag the free space" on my shed floor. Lots of sorting, stacking biffing, and sweeping... I filled a 20 litre can with shite off the floor.. where did that come from?



So now I have a clean workbench, I can find my tools, reach the power socket, and have enough room to swing a cat (not overhand).

Oh yeah and my filter kit arrived in the mail today. So I hope to shout her an oil change and something like a service once we get her running.

[NordieBoy]

Originally Posted by kiwipeet

I filled a 20 litre can with shite off the floor.. where did that come from?

Yeah, where did you get the 20L can from?

[clintnz]

[QUOTE=kiwipeet;15549133]
So I decided to have a bit of muck out and "defrag the free space" on my shed floor. Lots of sorting, stacking biffing, and sweeping...QUOTE]

Nice! I do like a tidy workshop.

The weather looks ok for the weekend so I'm planning to bring the bike over, that will give us a source of known good parts to swap in if there are any tricky problems to diagnose. I'm not sure it will be allowed in that shed however as it's still filthy from last weekend Any tools required apart from the basics?

Cheers
Clint