The 'What did I replace or fix on my motorcycle' thread

My KTM finally let me down for the first time today. I was pretty bummed. It just started running like crap, backfiring, stalling, you name it, it did it.










So I changed the plug. ;) Good as new! I would've spent time stressing but I asked Paul. He knew.
 
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My WR450 is 8 years old and it's time to give it some love. With the exception of one battery and a flat tire twice on rides it has run flawlessly for me. In the 8 years I have only had to adjust the valves once because I put a YZ exhaust cam in it.

I have always changed the oil and filter and cleaned the air filter on regular intervals and wash it after every ride and it's still in pretty good shape. I go into the local motorcycle shops hoping to find a new motorcycle that excites me but there just a isn't anything out there that makes want to change out my WR so I went ahead and ordered a bunch of parts to get it back to looking new. I bought all new Yamaha plastics and designed some new graphics. I went with the Yamaha brand plastics because for the price difference it was worth it to me to skip on the aftermarket plastics. I bought bearings and chains and sprockets. This is my first time replacing these parts and today I started on the bearings. I started with the steering head and wound up cutting the bearing off the post and had to cut the top race out. I need to go get another carbide disk to cut the bottom race out. My steering was getting a little stiff and now I know why. I will post up some pictures once I get the other race out and get some of the other stuff done to it.

Its either do this or break down and buy an orange smoker and I'm anti-orange. I keep thinking that the blue brand will come out with their own version of the 300 smoker.
 
Cascadia said:
You're only anti orange cause it's not blue. Get a new husqvarna. ;)
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Orange is actually my favorite color. It has been since I was a little kid. I just really like the fact that there is a blue dealer in nearly every town. How many orange dealers are there in Utah? I think 4. If I need something right now, I know I can usually find it. I know I can get it shipped to me in worst case 3 days with a KTM.


Gravy said:
Have you ridden the new wr450? FI motor in a 250 frame. Pretty sweet.
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I actually have spent a bunch of time on one. It was piped, Rekluse and computer programmed. It ripped for sure but it was still nearly 270 lbs and still had 5 gears. Yes it is narrow, yes it felt lighter but wasn't, yes it had better suspension but it was still heavy.

anderson750 said:
1st Choice will probably be the easiest for you to work with since he is local in the Salt Lake Valley.
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That's who I used. I sent him several examples of what I wanted and we worked back and forth a couple of times until it was what I wanted and he printed them up and sent them to me. Great graphics and great customer service.

I know that before too long, I will be riding a KTM if Yamaha doesn't pull their heads out and try to compete with KTM.
 
Illness heading to Delta tomorrow to pick up my suspension for my 300 from Notch Peak. I'm super excited to get it back together and go riding. Hopefully I can go on a ride tomorrow evening. I need to get new tires on my new black warp 9 wheels before the race in 2 weeks. And I also plan on getting a rear bib mousse (already have a brand new front,and doing an air filter. What's the best way to clean a filter? So far I've just bought a new filter every time.
 
I gave up on doing my own. It takes so much more time that I would never do it. Sooooo much better to pay $14, and stick a new one in.
 
Cascadia said:
K. So I will use mineral spirits and hot soapy water. How do I oil the filter after? Can I use something other than the filter oil they sell?
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I would never use anything but filter oil. It is designed to stay on the filter. If you just used motor oil, it would eventually migrate off the filter and run out the bottom of your airbox. Filter oil is a whole lot cheaper than a motor rebuild.

jeeper said:
I gave up on doing my own. It takes so much more time that I would never do it. Sooooo much better to pay $14, and stick a new one in.
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3 bikes, filter change after every race, a couple of practice sessions..........holy crap, at around $20 for the twin airs I run, it would cost me over $500 a year in filters.
 
I buy an extra for each bike, wait till both are dirty and do 4 or 5 filters at a time. It takes about 20 to clean and oil 4 filters not counting drying time.
 
Kinda disappointing day today. Drove to delta from Orem to pick up my suspension. Drove home. Reinstalled everything. Went on about a 20 minute ride. I wast stoked on how smooth my new suspension was and I hadn't messed with any clickers or set my sag or anything. I came home sat around telling a few people how excited I was. Went back outside to go for another spin. There was a puddle of oil under the bike. Got underneath and it was leaking down the bottom below the shaft. Not on the shaft.

Before I took it down to him Paul was thinking it had a defective shaft, cause that happened to his '13 300. But when Notch Peak got it he was thinking the shaft was fine cause mine leaked a different way. I was glad about that. Turns out mine has a bent shaft after all. We were hoping it was fine but he told me if it was bad it would start leaking in the first 30 minutes. It did. He is warranting everything. All I have to pay for is a new shaft. No labor or anything.

At at least I got to experience how awesome it will be for racing. I seriously thought I was on a Cadillac. Excited to get it fixed and back together for Wendover next weekend. Notch Peak Suspension is awesome to work with and I'd recommend them to anyone.
 
Mine was around 800. I got front and rear revalved, resprung, and a bladder inside instead of a piston so it flows smoother. All new seals, fluids, nitrogen, stickers, and a t-shirt. ;)
 
Bearing from my WR
1831E95E-916F-4C7B-925B-7ED2CC97B078.jpg

Way overdue

i put all new plastics, new graphics, chain, sprockets and a little more black on the bike.
I tried to straighten one radiator out and now it leaks so I ordered a set of replacements. I also have new fork plastic and bark busters ordered.
 
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