KTM 400 blows up!

[Taffy]

H & H last week. all is not well in the orange camp.

i told you three weeks ago of the three rusty 250EXC cranks & no warranty. well the fourth bloke is nice enough but he has crowed on about how great his 400EXC is.

this weekend his headgasket went. now he's not the quickest but he is THEE most fastidious of owners. changes oil & filter every time.

that's 4/4 f***** orange owners!

seeings as things are always greener (more orangie?) in the other field i thought we might start a births, marraiges & DEATH'S column for orange with special emphasis on the DEATH'S!!!!!!!

Taffy

[Mitch_from_Oz]

Well done Taffy,

YEs, the report are coming in thick from OZ also. The 2 strokes are VERY reliable, but the 4 strokes are very problematic. GEar boxes, cranks, cylinder walls... I have heard them all.

[Guest Guest]

you guy's must of missed the 2000 wr that the motor scattered and is going to cost 2500 to fix...

alway's watch what you laugh at it might come back to haught you..........

[ScottyR]

I just bought a 01 KTM 400EXC and you couldnt pay me to ride my 2000 WR400 after riding the KTM. By the way, in 6 months of owning my WR I had to replace cylinder, piston, crank and heads (warranty) and total clutch assy (I paid). As a rule, both bikes are generally good machines that cause little to no problems, I unfortunately just received a bad one. With anything mechanical you are bound to have some problems regardless of brand.

[So_Cal_Erik]

My 2000 400sx is still running like a champ!

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So Cal Erik

Visit my club's site at <A HREF="http://www.ruts.org

" TARGET=_blank>www.ruts.org

</A>

[Taffy]

nothing to do with not keeping up, or jealousy or bitchiness. we're just gonna keep logging in on this page every time one of those orange machines reports in sick!!!

so the rest of you lads get out there keep your ear to the ground, put the word on the street (cab calloway eat your heart out)turn on, tune in & write it here!!!

& remember what ever happens, WHAT EVER HAPPENS we're not trying to winde you orange boys up! coz if we were, we know you'd turn er, um, ahem well ORANGE!!!!

Taffy

[So_Cal_Erik]

Go over to the yz forum and look at all the postings about malfunctioning and broken blue bikes. If you want to start comparing, I'm sure you'll lose the battle. Let's stop wasting time arguing about who's bikes are better(obviously the KTM's are better, just ask all the ex-yamaha owners that now own the Ktm's including me)) and let's get back to constructive conversation. CANT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG???? Erik

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So Cal Erik

Visit my club's site at <A HREF="http://www.ruts.org

" TARGET=_blank>www.ruts.org

</A>

[NoFiddyPilot]

Eric, you'll find more broken YZ's because there are tons more people that ride them. It's all in the numbers.

Both bikes have their merits and like I've said before, its 90% rider, 10% bike at best. Someone tell Scott Summers the KTM is better than his ol' XR 600!

I say shut up and ride!

[MotoGreg]

I say shut up and ride!

I agree. Everyone should ride whatever they feel is best for themselves. If you think whatever bike you ride is so great, then why would you want everyone else to have the same thing? I go to the track now and it's a sea of blue and I just blend in with the crowd... I'd kinda like it if it were more exclusive. I love my Yamaha but I plan on adding a new Honda four stroke for MX and keeping the WR for offroad... geez, I hope I don't lay awake at night arguing with myself over how stupid the other half of me is because I'm not riding the "right" bike. Every bike has its good and bad points, there is no such thing as the perfect bike, if there was there would be no competition.

Variety is the spice of life.

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The proceeding nonsense brought to you by MotoGreg

On two wheels (or 3) since 1970

'92 GSXR 7/11 (Until I get a shwangy 916)

'99 WR/YZ400F 'Cause thumpers rule and two strokes drool!

Visit my photo album for the bargain price of $75 - ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK - EVIL LURKS WITHIN!

[fastkevin]

I want to thank all of the Yamaha 4-stroke owners for helping me make up my mind on which bike I'll buy. I've been cruising the owner's pages for the DRZ,WR,YZ and XR for a couple of weeks. You all should take a look at the XR and DRZ owners postings. Everybody is happy with their bikes, and are sharing info on mods and talking about getting together for rides etc. While the Yamaha postings are rampantwith people pissed off about their bikes, and each other.. Blown clutch baskets and gears, sprocket bolts backing out, ventilated cases.It's almost funny. There is the group that's pissed off at Yamaha for not dealing with their problem (sometimes repeated), and then there is the group that is pissed at the complainers because they should know it's a "Race Bike" and "Racebikes" require "maintenence" (10-15 hours per every 1 hour of riding in one case) How many of you guys actually use these things as DEDICATED racers?

[Taffy]

good good good keep those reports coming in. here it comes, here it comes i've a fax coming through right now...

ah yes H & H at Woolpit, East Anglia, Sunday 8th October stop. three, let me be sure of this, yes it's coming through t-h-r-e-e KTM riders insist on a ride on a WR400 at the end of the meeting. two rear hubs had collapsed during the racing & now KTM is hang on, hang on, yes KTM is a dirty word in the paddock.

yes i can confirm this as official from now on KTM is a dirty word in tthe paddock!!!!!

PS. naturally i filled it with fuel & said nothing. well lads you know how it is-action speak louder than words.

Taffy

[Guest Guest]

hmmmm. My new 2001 400EXc has just had a gearbox meltdown.It does not want to change up from second to third.The dealer ( in Oz ) is waiting for confirmation from KTM distributor to open it up.Even if its a lemon the thing still eats my old WR.

Film at 11.

[Andy_Baker]

Even KTM themselves recommend a maximum of 100 hours use before total engine strip - what use is that to anyone then ??

They also say not to use them on tarmac , as the high gears are only very thin ( due to them using an existing MX gearbox and cramming some extra stuff into it ), and are liable to break. O.K so they have an electric start - big deal !

forget Orange , the future's BLUE.

My WR gets used to commute to work , gets thrashed at weekends off road. All i do is preventative maintenance and it never misses a beat.

[Hick]

Originally posted by fastkevin:

How many of you guys actually use these things as DEDICATED racers?

What’s the difference? The point is this bike has a redline, compression ratio, and output that you will only find on a competition oriented bike. The redline, compression, and output don’t go down when you’re not “racing.” I probably ride harder when I’m not racing because I’m not worried about my stamina or crashing etc.

The 426/400 makes WAY more power per c.c than any four stroke single I am aware of (only Husaberg comes close) and I believe the clutch and gears are (were) new for ’00. New designs aren’t always perfect the first time around (we’ll see how the KTM holds up).

If you bought a DRZ or an XR you got a good trail bike, and it sounds like that is just what you needed. Have fun with it and, in the case of the XR, don’t worry about ever getting your hands dirty. But if you ride it like I ride my YZ it you will be very disappointed with its performance (and you may also break things).

You may be fastkevin on a DRZ or XR but you’d be fasterkevin on a YZ/WR. ?

[Guest Guest]

Erik hit the nail on the head. Anyone who gets on a KTM 400 off of a WR/YZ will immediately become a faster rider. The KTM is just easier to ride. Less weight, skinnier, easier to start, the list goes on and on. I bet if a lot of you guys rode a 400 RFS, the majority of you would buy one!

[Guest Guest]

this should some it up [wrung whatcha brung] ?

[Scrambler]

Just another totally satisfied Yamaha WR400 convert to orange rider. ? Not only am I faster on the KTM but I can ride much longer and harder on the KTM. The bottom line is even though I enjoyed my WR for the most part, the KTM is ten times more fun to ride.

Reliability hmmmm, no problems here. Even though my WR was a very dependable bike, I can tell ya I spent a lot more money prepping it for racing and on repairs than I have my KTM 200exc.

That's right I am also a two stroke convert. This is a race bike right out of the crate, handlebars and all(several crashes no bends). This is the first bike I have owned that I am completely satisfied with.

Why do people feel threatened when someone owns something different from themselves and are satisfied with it? I just don't understand why anyone cares if I ride a Yamaha, KTM or anything else.

Now lets quit bickering and have some fun!

[So_Cal_Erik]

You'd be even faster on the KTM! ?

------------------

So Cal Erik

Visit my club's site at <A HREF="http://www.ruts.org

" TARGET=_blank>www.ruts.org

</A>

[Taffy]

scrambler & the rest of the orangade's

one your not racing them

two they will go wrong

three we've been pulling your leg so hard that it's not even fun taking the piss anymore because none of you can lighten up!!!

this is still a website dedicated to WR's isn't it or am I in the wrong place & not you?

i think you lads need to get your own website & pretty quick.

in my book your not funny, your not entertaining & after 9 cups of tea & a whole packet of biscuits YOUR STILL HERE!!!

so if your gonna stay why don't you prove that you have a sense of humour!!!

coz if we're gonna knock lumps out of each others bikes we ought to be at least doing it with a smile!

about the only people who understand what i'm saying are the aussies & for some strange reason mitch. obviously he's been converted by all those tinnies of fosters!!!

lighten up orange!!! you take yourself too seriously.

Taffy

[This message has been edited by Taffy (edited 10-10-2000).]

[Scrambler]

Taffy,

T>one your not racing them

Yes I do race

T>two they will go wrong

No one said they were industructable

T>three we've been pulling your leg so hard that it's not even fun taking the piss anymore because none of you can lighten up!!!

Excuse me, but telling someone to get off of this website is not exactly funny.

T>this is still a website dedicated to WR's isn't it or am I in the wrong place & not you?

I thought it was a website dedicated to people who ride motorcycle and enjoy sharing stories and experiences. Perhaps some of us former WR owners were just trying to assist some fellow bikers who are trying to make a tough decision between some great bikes.

T>i think you lads need to get your own website & pretty quick.

I only visit here occassionally now, and I find it rather amusing how offended a small minority of people on this forum are that other good bikes exist.

T>in my book your not funny your not entertaining & after 9 cups of tea & a whole packet of biscuits YOUR STILL HERE!!!

Guess what I wasn't trying to be funny and I hope you weren't either. I remember when everyone was welcome on this site and everyone welcomed others opinions.

T>so if your gonna stay why don't you prove that you have a sense of humour!!!

Do a search for Scrambler. I'm not always uptight, but I didn't find any humor in your post.

T>coz if we're gonna knock lumps out of each others bikes we ought to be at least doing it with a smile!

Let's see I said my WR was fun and dependable, I don't call that bashing. Just because I like my KTM better does not make the WR a bad bike. If I had anything against Yamaha, than I probably wouldn't have bought my wife a TTR125L last week. It appears you need to lighten up.

T>about the only people who understand what i'm saying are the aussies & for some strange reason mitch. obviously he's been converted by all those tinnies of fosters!!!

lighten up orange!!! you take yourself too seriously.

No I don't take myself too seriously or my bike. I do like to offer my opinion when I think someone may actually benefit from it. Perhaps, I took you too seriously. Obviously you started this post to get under a few peoples skin. It seems you are very good at what you do and although you get quite a kick out of yourself, I don't find you amusing at all.

You may have got your wish. I will not debate you any longer and I can't beleive I let myself get caught up in such a childish post. I hope you enjoy your WR and this website.

Scrambler

[This message has been edited by Scrambler (edited 10-10-2000).]