1991 KTM 125 clutch wont engage!!!!!

cms10balla

Member
Dec 30, 2008
12
0
i found this nice 91 ktm 125 that the guy only wants 350$ for it but he says that the clutch wont engage, that you shift into a gear and let go of the clutch and it acts as if its in neutral still.. could that be a clutch problem or a gear problem?> could it be a easy fix? cause if its not that hard i think im gonna look to buy it
 

txkawboy

Member
Nov 18, 2003
128
0
This miight be a worthy project, but here is my two pence:
1. Lay the bike on its side and remove the clutch cover, to inspect/verify that it is working/not...in 30sec you can remove the drive plates to see if they are totally worn off, which would be simple and cheap to fix, tho I have yet to see a clutch so worn that the bike will not even TRY to move... MORE likely is that the outer basket is so worn that it has such deep grooves dug into it by the tabs of the drive plates, that the drive plates are not being allowed to fully grab the steel plates, which would NOT be cheap to fix unless you get very lucky and the grooves can be flat-filed that much, but I really, really doubt it.
If the
2. Also, if u can put the bike in 1st and then easily push the bike around the garage w/o pulling in the clutch lever, truly your clutch is not grabbing at ALL, which would be very weird, even if someone has ridden it until the plates were so worn that the bike would not take off.
Failing this, join ktmtalk and see if there is any model-specific info. KTM's are marvelous quality, but a 20yr old 125 is a real anomaly, so---! As with anything used, add up the $$ to fix it in a worst-case scenario, then see if $350 is still a bargain or not.
If the guy will readily agree to letting you load up the bike and let a shop estimate the $$ to fix it, then he is at least probably honest---but could be honestly WRONG.
 

2strokerfun

Member
May 19, 2006
1,500
1
bikes will do this if clutch plates are worn out. Or if the clutch cable is overly tight, not letting the plates engage correctly.
Good luck.
 

mas2de

Member
May 3, 2009
45
0
It may have just gotten worn out and he adjusted the clutch the wrong way. Have you tried letting the lever and cable all the way out? Disconnect the cable and then try pushing it in 1st.
Had a gear gone out that much, it would be making a racket while running and in gear or it just wouldn't go into gear. The teeth would be still grinding on each other and wouldn't go away until the gear was removed completely. Also have you tried shifting through all the gears and trying the clutch?
 

mdavidso

Member
Apr 28, 2009
80
0
it could also be a shift drum(?) problem, something stuck under it, or worn out, I had a problem like this on my four stroker, but i dont know if this information will work for you.
 
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