ktm jeff

YUASA.

49 minutes ago, pgrahmm said:

Got a Hausa? Huasa? that was supposed to be a 4 or 5 year battery two years ago......Was supposed to by the best name out there.....

 

Looks like it's kaput at about the 2 year mark....Paid over 4k for it as I remember.....

Vapor lock. One can  insulate the carbs , fuel lines , inlet manifold. Use heat wrap on exhaust / maniflod. Plenty of room under that bonnet / hood for air flow.  Rolling road needed for sure , and a very good carb man.

Shell Ultra or Motul 300 V Factory. Motrax in KTM,s .

I hope there not aiming to price it down , quality wise , to a "Honda" level.  Kiss of death , right there.  People will pay more for a quality product. The quality of components , and the levels of design and finish on Husqvarnas / KTM,s  are so much higher ,and more advanced.  They are premium products. That comes at a price. People expect , and do , pay more for a quality product.  Im concentrating my thoughts on the Enduro bikes as we have similar bikes already - KLX / CRF / EXC - that can guide us with base values , RE , performance , quality , price.

The only Castrol Power 1 Racing oil  i know of is 2-stroke oil for performance bikes , no use in a Honda CBR. Retails at 700 / 800 Baht per liter.  Dont think Mobil 1 Diesel is suitable either.

If these bikes could be classed / taxed as a Chinese / free trade  bike ( i never knew there was a maximun 350cc limit ) then with components sourced "locally" to Asia , the bikes would / could be priced very well , otherwise they have no advantage over the more  stablished KTM brand.  If the 300 Endure came to about 250,000 / 300,000 Baht "on the road" , then compared to a 150,000 Baht 250 KLX and a KTM EXC 350 at 400,000 + Baht people will be queing up , and id be there too.  I have a few KTM,s and a Husaberg FE 450 greenlaner , but no Husky - yet.

What engine / applcation is it. Many people change , with a custom manifold , to motorbike carbs. If all set up correctly , nothing much needs changing that you wouldnt change / modify when tuning an FI engine.

Richard.  The link you provided was great , thanks. The 300 Enduro is an "odd" size engine , but should be much better than a 250.  Why cant Kawasaki bring out a 300 Fi KLX.     I dont want to sound negative , or put you off , but many ( expensive ? ) things need to be in place for people to be confident in buyng these models. If there are too few dealerships , or concerns they will "up-shop" after a year or two , people wont buy.   The taxation situation also needs to be corrected. Richard you know the local industry better than i , or anyone else ive dealt with , to be honest. If these high quality bikes can be brought to market , at the right price , they will compete directly with KTM.  More people are buying these types of bikes.  They will sell. but , not in big numbers. Theres no other company doing this with this "level "of bike . The Kawasaki KLX is a superb bike ,  on a dual-sport level. The Honda CRF , a bit of a diaster. Before id buy one , id want a good service / dealership infastructure well in place.  But i wish all the luck if you , or anybody else , makes a go of this.

Richard. These are superb bikes , with high quality components , but , if they are taxed to the level KTM,s are , they wont sell many.  They also need to be really 100% legal - no emission issues further down the "ownership line". If these issues are addresed and  overcome , then dealerships need to be put into place , stocked with both spares and qualified mechanics.  The quality of these bikes is up there with KTM , but , we arent exactly tripping over all the 550,000 Baht ktms sold , are we. Sales given todays issues , will be small and slow. There also seems to be a lack of 250 - 350 and 450 Enduro models.  Exactly the bikes KTM are selling the "most" of.

All modifications need to be legal , so correct color lights , exhaust system with the TIS stamp etc , but they also need to be added ( at the DLT office ) to the green / blue book to be fully correct , to the letter of the law. The police are clamping down on many things , that were overlooked previously.

Superb video , thanks. Nice bit of Keith Flint in there too , however i believe these are classed the same as quads , so not road legal.  And i believe there could be some issues with hiring these out to tourists in Pattaya .  LOL. In Chiang Mai there are quads used on the quieter roads. I dont know if this involves a "local" arrangement.

51 minutes ago, hdkane said:

Why avoid a service center?  Just curious...

The Honda shops that sell / service these type of bikes dont have fully trained mechanics.  Not  able to do much more than an oil change. As others have pointed out , they dont even use ( have ? ) a tire pressure gauge. Find a trust worhy independant mechanic . Thats what the OP is trying to do.

On 19 August 2016 at 5:31 AM, DLang said:

The list is non-bike specific, but more of a general guide for people buying a used bike.

 

^ You're 750cc or so short.

OPPS .Well , at least it seems i got the make correct.  ZX 10  -  good bike.

bazza40  ,  Ive placed matches into the treads of all my tires.  Now my trucks on fire !.   

garyk  ,  driving it till the wheels fall off.   A week Tuesday then .    Only joking. 

Dave , you sound competant enougth to look after this bike yourself ( if you managed it with vintage bikes ). Is it not worth spending some money on tools , too DIY. Job satisfaction , and all that. The moderators will be around soon , to confiscate your laptop. Triple post indeed !!.

1 minute ago, fullcave said:

Any authorized Honda dealership can do this work. Must be thousands in Thailand.. 

Hes already had an "experience" with the Honda "mechanics" , thats  why hes looking elsewhere.

Im guessing its a KLX.  Place your bets.

Nothing wrong with loving your bike.  A Wave is a very simple bike to service , and if you dont want to do it yourself , id sugest asking around for recomendations for an independant mechanic ( im in Chiang Mai )  , not a Honda "service center".  Assuming the waranty is now of no concern. Make sure the mechanic CLEARLY understands what you want doing , such as fork oil , new chain / sprockets , injection cleaner additive in fuel ( DIY )  , brake fluid , plug , air filter etc.  Good luck.

The crankshaft is the main component within the engine. Theres no way id want my engine ripped apart by the typical "fitters" at Honda , who cant even adjust valve clearances correctly.  The "sale of goods act" denotes that if a produce is not "fit for pourpose" ,the product can be rejected in its entirety.  Or you can opt for an ENTIRE NEW ENGINE , with new engine numbers , to be fitted. And kiss goodby to any re-sale values .

Duckhams  Multigrade / QXR.  One of the first multigrades to be widley marketed.  Poured like "Fairy" washing-up-liquid . As used in my old Mini Coopers.   PS  can i also opt out of the prize draw. 

35 minutes ago, papa al said:

cover the clutch

Or cover your ass  ,  and get rid of the bike .

What your forgetting guys , and some other people may find uncomfy , is this bike wasnt made by Honda - Japan ( very few" Hondas"  are today ) . It was assembled in a factory in India / Thailand / Indonesia etc , using Chinese / local parts. As i believe this engine fails to meet the up-coming Euro emmision standards  , it wont be a problem for long. Lets hope there are no bad accidents when this engine siezes.

brambs , im not saying the Honda is a bad bike , just not MY type of bike. As you , and some others , have mentioned , it OK for running around town , although pretty heavy.  Yes , i have raced GP bikes ( 500cc two strokes ) , and still have a few of them , but we all buy bikes we feel we afford and ride. I was never good enougth to go professional . I hope we are all "living the dream" , in our own ways. Happy Grumpy , the Yamaha R3 is a good case in point. Its marketed as a 300 , yet its a 321.  Now why dont Honda do that.  denkiblue555 , the EXC range is superb , but expensive at - 250 = 458,000 , 350 = 485,000 , 450 = 505,000 and 500 = 560,000. These prices may come down in line with the Dukes price reductions.  Heres hoping. The 390 makes a superb town bike , but may be too much for some , cost and maintainence wise.

The little Honda "300" might be closer to a 275 , but the Honda CB "500" is even worse , as it is closer to a 450. The KTM "390" ( 373 )  has similar power than the CB "500 / 450 but weighs about 110 LBS less. That old Honda must be the weight of an old barge . Its said to handle like one too. Point of intrest , the KTM EXC range of 500,s isnt 500cc either , they are over 510cc.