tigerowner

Member
Mar 3, 2002
331
0
Found this just posted on Woodsracer.com

WARNING, 03 KTM Triple clamp failures
"KTM Sportmotorcycle USA, Inc., has discovered a serious and dangerous condition in some KTM full size competition motorcycles. The affected models are 2002 250 EXC Racing, 2003 200 EXC/MXC, 2003 250 EXC, 2003 250 EXC Racing, 2003 300 EXC/MXC, 2003 450 EXC/MXC Racing, 2003 525 EXC/MXC Racing and 2003 525SX Racing. Some of the lower triple clamps (part number 590 01 031 120) are improperly manufactured and will break in service. The triple clamp is the part that connects the fork head and handlebars to the fork tubes.

We are working closely with KTM in Austria to quickly find a solution to this problem. The safety of our customers, and the reputation of our product must be our first consideration. This is a very serious situation and we will do everything in our power to resolve it as soon as possible."
 

Shaw520

Damn Yankees
LIFETIME SPONSOR
May 14, 2000
1,082
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Yea, this aint no bs, apparently there was word of this at the dealers show, and some dealers are asking their customers not to ride the bikes till this is worked out and they can pinpoint exaclty where the flaw is and how many machines will be effected.
 

smb_katoomer

Member
Feb 24, 2001
132
0
it's true it's true, had the newsletter/warning pass through my hnds oday a the shop i work at. solutions to this have not yet been worked out, my boss sid tht the poissibility exists for an aftermarket replacement before a factory replacement. will keep posted.
 

Fred T

Mi. Trail Riders
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Mar 23, 2001
5,272
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Whew! I had a close one today but I'd already oped for the 18 MM offset clamps and they were on my bike when I picked it up today otherwise I would have went home emptyhanded.
 

yzeater

~SPONSOR~
May 21, 2001
1,996
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Any idea about how these breaks are looking? Twisting? Snapping that rips the whole front end off? If anybody has pictures...
 

chumbucket

Member
Apr 5, 2001
139
0
Someone at the dealer meating was riding one and the lower clamp broke, so they looked at some of the clamps from other bikes and dicoverd cracks in them. So now they are having a huge reacal and trying to figure out if it was just a bad batch of clamps or if the whole set of 03s are no good. KTM didnt make the clamps, this is the first year they had someone else do it. Not sure yet whats going to happen but the distributors are all closed and can not ship anything untill a inspector has been sent in and checked all the bikes.

this is just what I have heard so far.Hopefully they will figure out whats bikes have the bad clamps fix em and be on there way.
 

superfly

Member
Dec 2, 2001
36
0
Take this whole deal SERIOUSLY!!! A riding buddy of mine did a 70' table top at the dealer show and the T clamp broke on landing and he broke his hand and punctured his neck. Get the right clamps on before you ride.
 

KaTooMer

~SPONSOR~
Jul 28, 1999
435
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Originally posted by chumbucket
KTM didnt make the clamps, this is the first year they had someone else do it.

I have an EXTREMELY hard time believing this is the first year KTM outsourced the clamps. Other than the engine, transmission, and frame, my bet is that the vast majority of what's left over gets made outside the KTM factory.

And in my experience, the clamps have always been pretty weak. A simple cartwheel down a short hill was all it took to tweak both the upper AND lower clamps on my '99 EXC. If they're going to have someone else make the clamps, why couldn't they choose Applied?
 

WoodsRider

Sponsoring Member<BR>Club Moderator
Damn Yankees
Oct 13, 1999
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Originally posted by KaTooMer
If they're going to have someone else make the clamps, why couldn't they choose Applied?
It's a simple business decidion. The low bidder always wins. Less cost = more profit.
 

tigerowner

Member
Mar 3, 2002
331
0
Originally posted by WoodsRider

It's a simple business decidion. The low bidder always wins. Less cost = more profit.

Right, untill the hundred 10 million dollar lawsuits from those who broke their neck because of it.
 

CC_RIDER

LIFETIME SPONSOR
May 15, 2001
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Originally posted by WoodsRider

It's a simple business decidion. The low bidder always wins. Less cost = more profit.

:|
I hardly think it's fair to imply that KTM takes the low bid or cheap way out.

They pretty much have the nicer "goodies".





.
 

WoodsRider

Sponsoring Member<BR>Club Moderator
Damn Yankees
Oct 13, 1999
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Name one company that doesn't purchase products from the lowest bidder... I'll bet they're out of business.
 

Lew

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Aug 27, 2001
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It doesn't neccessarily mean that they took the cheap way out. I am sure KTM when they go to bid provides a spec sheet for what they want. It will be the manufacturer of the clamps $$ if they are not to the specs.
Lew
 

chumbucket

Member
Apr 5, 2001
139
0
From what I have heard, this is the first year that some one else made the clamps. I was looking at one of the "bad" bikes and yes you can see the cracks on the lower clamps, they look like little scratches but they are not. If you have a bike on that list take it back or get new clamlps. From what I also heard is that ktm might ship the bikes to the distributers along with new clamps and the people working there will take them out of the crates, put the new clamps on, and repack them. Hopefully they will come with the stems in the lower clamps. Tuff work if they had to press each stem out and put it on the new clamp.
 
B

biglou

Companies that buy the cheapest possible parts and do not TEST them for conformance are out of business... :D
 

WoodsRider

Sponsoring Member<BR>Club Moderator
Damn Yankees
Oct 13, 1999
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Originally posted by BigLou
Companies that buy the cheapest possible parts and do not TEST them for conformance are out of business... :D
So true, but you also need to perform design verification/validation, FMEA, identify CTQ dimensions, etc., etc.
I'm not implying that KTM produces junk or buys cheap stuff... everyone already knows Kawasaki buys the cheap stuff for their KDX's. ;)

It's obvious they either didn't design or test for this failure mode. However they are doing the right thing by issuing a mandatory recall.
 
B

biglou

I was summarizing when I said "Test". But yes, somewhere, somehow, someone dropped the ball on this one. I am soooooo glad that it wasn't me! :D Thankfully, my boo-boos, although few and far between, have much less serious consequences. :)

At least they are taking quick steps to get this resolved.
 

weimedog

~SPONSOR~
Damn Yankees
Nov 21, 2000
959
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Is this for real? Or is this hear-say or a hoax?
 

KDX220rm

Uhhh...
Jun 3, 2002
782
0
weimedog,

You think a rider getting hurt at the KTM Dealer's show is a hoax or a joke?

This is how they discovered the problem in the first place. Several bikes that were used for jumping and demostating had cracked clamps. The rider that got hurt was just riding the bike around when the clamp broke.
 
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