Rocky Mountain Dirt Riders

Interesting perspective.

I'm still learning how to make the most use of the AWD; it is a big change to technique having the front wheel pull, especially on climbs if you get bounced to the rear of the bike and lose full command of the bars, it can climb right out of the track and into the rhubarb...

If stuck, the AWD engagement and disengagement can take a bit of rocking/wheel movement as its via a spring loaded dog clutch. I am tending to just leave it engaged below 50 kmph on trails. The majority of the 15 lbs of AWD system does end up on the front of the bike, I rode a 450 EXC stock last year and yes there is a bit of feedback from the driveshafts, with it disengaged though it seems fairly light (relative to my KLX).

I sprung it for my (meaty) 235lbs, stock valves, it still needs sag set up that might sharpen the handling. They say the 2010 suspension is harsh for the 1st 15-20 hours then improves considerably to be very plush. When you rode it it only had 7 hrs of mostly on road break in, only one 2 hour of offroad suspension cycling (if you can call my riding full cycling ), have been dialing out a bit of compression and some rebound in, and it seems to be improving. Also the 908's are a stiff tire, even at 4 psi. You rode them at like 10.

Some of that could contribute to my troubles. I tipped the scales at 200lbs this past weekend though...

Nixxon was at 75 too! We're both getting fat.

I think that was the problem. It wasn't engaged when I thought it was in the rut. Being stuck I didn't really try to rock it back and forth before moving the lever.

Does it disengage the drive axles up front, or is it in the hub down below? While turning the bars I could see where the feedback was coming from as they move at different speeds depending which way the wheel is turning.

The disconnect is up at the gearbox, the driveshaft in the backbone stops rotating; the input chains always turn and the front hub freewheels thus the front shafts do not rotate, so there is some static weight but no reciprocating mass up front. Again, can remove the input chain via snap ring if a longer fast ride dictates it.

Technical updates:
1. 12.5 hours on the bike. Oil at change looked good, but low by ~100ml.
2. Mojavi bags worked well, hold quite a bit, hard to get at the rear tugger tho, might have to slot the fender or just loop it over the seat.
3. The bike, with AWD, armored, full of fuel and with the bags loaded is getting portly, almost KLX weight.
4. Replaced the external AWD transfer chain with an o-ring version; Christini said it wouldn't fit, but so far just a slight grazing of the EE case saver, and it has stayed snug and quiet, possibly solving my durability and highway concerns. However, I now heard a clicking from up front last ride, quick inspection and grease of the head tube gears and front shafts seems to have resolved it.
5. 13/52 gearing is tractor like for the bush but wound out at 100 kmph, 14/52 would be a bit low still for fast highway stints but good for dualsporting with buds limited to ~100kmph, 14/49 wil be Baja gearing.
6. I can't tell the difference between MAP switch on/off, no shortage of power on the trail, and whiskey throttle has not been too much of an issue really
7. As expected, it overheats and blows coolant out at slow speed work; needs the fan kit.
8. GPS mount on, and powered off the park bulb socket with no splicing (PMXTEC upgrade recommends pulling that bulb anyhow). At idle the GPS beeps external power lost, likely low stator AC output so might go to the battery for juice.
9. 908's OK offroad at 5 and 3 psi. Not good in the slick, esp. the rear swaps ends fast when throttle chopped. Front might have a wobble at speed.
10. Tubliss high pressure bladders leak ~5 psi a week but hold the main air fine with Stan's, like the no rim pinch worries
11. Broke a rear signal, put flushmount DRC led's on, can't get them to flash, KTM harness needs diodes they say (ordered from Sicass)
12. The suspension is breaking in nice, some tuning required but springing it for my weight has proven $300 well spent, need to get longer forkskins on and the carbon fiber for guards are eating them again, the door edge trim came off somewhere...

This is a long thread and I have not read it all so if already discussed please disregard.

I may be wrong but the park bulb on the head light is running on AC current, Would AC current damage your GPS device that expects DC current within a constant voltage range, other than the internal power switching circuit kicking in at idle.

I floated the ground on my stator and switched my bike over to DC and I think its the way to go. You are running a few electrical goodies, have you considered rewinding your stator? HID lighting would be awesome!

I was wondering about that as well. Perhaps I will go to the battery then, that will also resolve the low idle power issue (I have it set to power off on external power loss), that's how i wired the Zumo for Baja on the KLX and no issues, it draws like less than 1 amp.

I'll have to eyeball the wiring diagram (could the manual have made it any smaller and more pixellated grr) and see, yes the head and tail lights appear to be on the AC side, only light when running, the turns come off the battery and I imagine the Power Parts fan kit does as well?

A bigger stator is on the possible list; I have to see how the PMXTEC works at night on the trail, and LED auxilliary lights are coming a long ways. An X2 in HID might be the ticket, my halogen is not too bad.

GPS moved to battery power.
O-ring 420 chain very worth it, tight and quiet; still have a ticking noise up front, next step to pull lower triple chain cover off and have a boo.
908 DOT's are coming off, 2 ridiculous completely unmerited lowsides Sunday - the 908 rear as best I can tell will not track the front in dust or mud, bud confirmed this habit of them, good ol Desert IT's going back on. 908's might be better on a heavier bike, more suited to dualsporting.
Hot sunday but no boilovers with the water wetter? Did pull the battery flat getting denied on a gnarly hill. Kicking it SUCKS, gotta work out the technique and maybe jetting?
Sicass diode kit showed up so hopefully get the HDB LED signals working.
15 hours, so valve check and gear oil, maybe look at the plug quick.
6th gear and street legality is so sweet.

malcolmzilla wrote:GPS moved to battery power.
O-ring 420 chain very worth it, tight and quiet; still have a ticking noise up front, next step to pull lower triple chain cover off and have a boo.
908 DOT's are coming off, 2 ridiculous completely unmerited lowsides Sunday - the 908 rear as best I can tell will not track the front in dust or mud, bud confirmed this habit of them, good ol Desert IT's going back on. 908's might be better on a heavier bike, more suited to dualsporting.
Hot sunday but no boilovers with the water wetter? Did pull the battery flat getting denied on a gnarly hill. Kicking it SUCKS, gotta work out the technique and maybe jetting?
Sicass diode kit showed up so hopefully get the HDB LED signals working.
15 hours, so valve check and gear oil, maybe look at the plug quick.
6th gear and street legality is so sweet.

Sucks about that big rear tire. You have those who hate them, and those who seem to swear by them. Makes me wonder if those who swear by them take their bike away from the Starbucks curb... or have ever used a full on knobbie?

Can't complain too much with IT's. They are a good all around tire, only lacking DOT stamp. If you can get 5000km's on knobbie with relatively good traction in most conditions, that's money well spent.

I'm flipping tires on the 650 again. Chewed through a relatively decent Dirt Shark last trip with 870 K. Not sure what's going on now. I think I'm stealing Demi's Baja tire.. =)

I'm actually going to try a Michelin M12/S12 combo. That will rule out pavement for the time being. Want a lightly used set of 908's? The front is fine, so if someone were coming from let's say a Distanzia or a Sahara 90/10 tire then I'm sure its a boon, you just can't get on the power too much with the rear or it prefers going sideways, in my experience. If I had a grooving iron I'd open up the main blocks a bit as an experiment. But I'll likely just sell them to a 990 guy.

With the HDB led's and folding mirrors in the handguards, and the rear HDB billet enclosed flushmounts, providing the Sicass diodes address the KTM indicator backfeed, I should still be able to legally take the "easy out" options of the 940, Maclean Creek trail, or stage somewhere and explore.

Well, I think I found the source of the noise, as evidenced by the pool of rusty water in the bearing retainer pocket, bearing is rusty and lots of stiction. How water is getting in there is a bit of a mystery. New bearing should be here tomorrow, freed this one up but prefer to repalce it. Alll the others seem ok.

I did not notice a seal around the lower triple x-fer chain inspection/bearing plate, thus my thought is that perhaps tire spray is being thrown up and migrating in. I will RTV it. Unless it is coming in from the head tube assembly, but that looked good last inspection, no emulsion.

Valves solid at 15hrs, gear oil had less material in the screen.

Replaced the problem bearing, RTV'd the lower cover for a better seal, then reassembled. Ticking noise still present. Frick, thought for sure I had it licked.
Hopefully it will make the noise up on the stand in AWD, so I can use my mechanic stethoscope. Do I sound anal yet?

Thanks for putting up all the reports, it's been interesting to read about it. I now know this system is not for me - seems like a real maintenance hog. I have enough trouble finding the time to keep my 1WD in top shape. Besides the fact that you probably have more money into that rig than I do in my bike, truck and sled combined

Don't let my OCD dissuade you; the Christini manual calls for greasing the front driveshafts after every ride (3 squirts each side), and aside from that, a visual inspection of components every 20 hours, R&R when noise or performance issues are noted. While there are a lot of bearings ands seals, its not complex once you get into it, the only part that requires factory work is the head tube gear set if it needs replacement must be a matched set (makes sense).

The front hubs, axle (without the traditional leak points of spacers) and driveshafts seal very well, I was worried about these but they've been sunk many times and I don't see evidence any water getting in. Aside from the external drive chain, everything else is sealed up in a case; I only changed to an o-ring it due to noise and (my perceived) longevity concerns dual sporting it ($60 and enought to do 2 lengths). Christini now delivers o-ring chains; I'd imagine for customers in muddy climes or for dual sporting. He has a test 950 conversion that just did an Alaska trip for 12000 miles no issues. Magazine tests have run it with no special maintenance for 100+ hrs, no issues. While Steve has airmailed me parts next day no questions asked (my effup or his), all the bearings, seals and chains are available locally too using the manuals part numbers. The bearing I changed was $11.

Assembly time aside, I still have more time in dealing with the KTM quirks and maintenance than the Christini bits. Even if something busts, switch it out of AWD or pull the snapring and chain and go.

I knew the 530 was my next bike after Baja (more jam, better suspension, and that magic 6 speed), considered a Berg, but then the possibility of AWD intrigued me. Cost wise,the base KTM conversion is $4200 iirc, the shipping adds about $700-800 for my big solid crate, ship in a cardboard box costs even less); I had to go this way because I wanted mine street legal, thus buy the EXC here and ship out. Then there's the bling add ons I sprung for, the billet "Christini" emblazoned rad guards (which are the same price a regular BPD), Christini graphics which I have yet to apply, for fear of advertising it to thieves. When it got here my buds and I all wondered for amount of hardware, machining and technology you get, how does he make money?

Those 300's he sells complete might be a good way to go for OHV only (not sure if he's on the RIV list?), price is right even if you have to upgrade some off brand components.

The M12/S12 combination has restored traction and confidence. Rarely ran 2WD Sunday (not needed), noise still intermittently there, used 2WD on one climb and to cross a few soft sections, and to pull out of a nasty hole that swallowed and stuck the front wheel. Worked like a charm, it pulled the front right out and clawed the rear over!

I am really starting to enjoy this bike, the EXC is cake, but being able to pull the "cheater switch" when it gets hairy and just hang on and pull through, up or over is the frosting!

550 km of dualsporting in SW AB/SE BC on the weekend, mostly FSR or trail.

No issues with the KTM or AWD. ~27 hours now.