KTM 520 02' break-in.

Greek kattom · Sep 3, 2001

I have a one month old ktm 520 EXC 2002 and i would like to know somethings about it.I am in the procedure of breaking-in the motor and my bike runs really hot.I read in the owners manual that it needs 10 hours with 25% speed and other 10 hours of 75%,that includes small dirt rides without revving the motor?Also the motor seems to be quite noisy and especially the clutch.Please will someone let me know about the break-in and give me some tips regarding the bike and the maintenance it needs!I would like to know about the noises i hear especially from the clutch (other 520 EXC owners say it sound like theirs),i did some wheelies and light dirt riding after 6 hours on the bike!
Thanks from Greece!:confused:

Bonehead · Sep 3, 2001

Your not going to like this but this is how I break in all my bikes .

first thing I do is check for oil start the bike,run it on the stand so it gets to operating temp , run up and down the street ,put back on the stand let set until cold. torque all the engine bolts (with a torque wrench) Dump the stock oil and refill. You wont belive all the metal that you will get on the drain plug the first oil change .

This is the part your not going to like (GO RUN THE LIVING PISS OUT OF IT)

I have over 2000 miles on my 520exc never have had a problem with anything .

My break in ride was a I.S.D.E. format race. I think the best way to break in a bike is the way you are going to ride it

o.k. about the clutch it is very noisy but its not the clutch it is the primary gear. The clutch will start making noise later, like a truck with a bad throwout bearing . they all do it .

You are going to get all kinds of comments about this post ,just make sure you change the oil and filters every 100 miles or race.

BONEHEAD
winner of the 2001 Funky chicken
National Hare Scramble OPEN Expert on my 520 exc

Bonehead · Sep 3, 2001

I forgot to talk about the over heating
If you are running pump gas that's your problem
At 11.5 to 1 you need race gas
I mix VP12 with 92 pump gas 50/50 never have had a problem

quadrunner · Sep 4, 2001

:think
By the time you complete the break-in, 20 hrs, you'll be 1/3 of the way towards your first major overhaul! At 60 hours, the owners manual calls for a large maintenance kit which includes clutch, piston, rod end bearing, crankshaft bearings, timing chain. Hehe...Life is short so enjoy:)

(For overheating, get the KTM electric cooling fan kit)

Dirk Diggler · Sep 4, 2001

KTM are dreaming if they think I am rebuilding my 520 after 60 hours. I will rebuild it after it is worn out.

I ran mine in at half throttle for the first hour, then changed my oil. Then you are supposed to go at 75% throttle. Well, as I am getting back into bikes, 75% was enough for me.

I have about 15 hours on it. I rejetted it and it is sweet as now.

I don't know what your stock jetting was, but mine was crap.

I am running a 162 main, 48 pilot, OCEMN needle clip 3. Very strong right through the rev range. Thanks James Dean!

Bonehead · Sep 4, 2001

Dirk I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one with a fan
How often does yours run ? mine runs most of the time in the tight woods ,and about 1/2 the time in the fast open stuff

I like it because it keeps the small amount of oil cooler also

Dirk Diggler · Sep 5, 2001

Sorry Bonehead, I can't see where I said I had a fan. I don't. I also don't have a problem with overheating. It gets hot, but not overly so.

U2leight · Sep 5, 2001

I just want to back up Boneheads comments on break in. Thats how I do it and I have never lost a motor or had a bike come back to haunt me after I sold it. Of course I take extremely good care of it after the quick break in period. :D

Bonehead · Sep 5, 2001

Sorry Dirk .My bad, that was quadrunner that has the fan.

I have never had a problm with over heating even without the fan ,but i put one on just becaus ,and found it runs most of the time . The fan comes on at 200degf the popoff on the cap is 220deg I think it can only help in the long run

MARK # 51 · Sep 5, 2001

i put my 01 520sx together on a saturday evening, put oil in it, rode it up and down the pit road a few times (maybe 10-15 min. total time). after i practiced on it the next morning, i did 4 amature mx motos on it and changed the oil the next day. ive never found anything other than a few dust size particals in the filters or on the drain plug. ive raced it for a year now with no problems at all.

Bonehead · Sep 5, 2001

Hey mark It sounds like you break them like I do .

that's good you didn't have lots of metal in the oil.
The magnet on my oil plug was loaded but only on the first oil change .
I think they just left some in after manufacturing .
do you ever get the noisy Clutch, on first two or three times you let out the clutch?

2000 380exc
2000 520exc

MARK # 51 · Sep 6, 2001

first time each day when i let the cluch out it makes a little noise, but not after that. ive read that if you lean the bike over on the left side while its warming up it wont do that. i dont worry about it too much, just rev it and dump it, you wont hear it. as far as oil changes go, i dont do it any more often than i did with the yzf. i do it after about 3 weekends of races (about 12 motos and a few short practices). i clean the four filters at every second or third oil change. i put the reuseable metal screen filters in at the first change and there is never anything more than short tiny slivers of metal if anything. on the drain plug, there is always some grey stuff that looks like graphite when you wipe it off.

endoquest · Sep 6, 2001

Hmmm. Let's see here. My break in, after assembling it from the crate and drooling all over it for a few days, consisted of a trip to the Eastern Oregon desert. Of course, I had already started it a few times in the shop, got it hot and shut it off (this alone was probably enough of a run in). It was COLD out there in January so I ran it at half throttle for a half hour (this was VERY DIFFICULT because the bike is so bitchin'). Then I let it cool off for an hour or so as I kept all the oglers away from it (I used a flyswatter and mace). Figuring the motor was ready I proceded to YANK ON THE THROTTLE for the next TWO DAYS at high rates of speed (102mph in stock gearing with a head wind, hell, at 102 there is ALWAYS a headwind). I changed the oil (full synthetic Torco) that first night, there were some shards on the magnet but none after the first change. The next day, riding in PERFECT desert conditions, I revved the piss out of it AND laoded it heavily in low RPMs, it was indeed broken in. Since then I have ridden or raced the bike 3 out of 4 weekends and have no engine problems. My clutch makes noise at start up also, it's normal with dry metal plates. Is there any doubt? This is the best motor I've ever ridden. Bonehead has the right philosophy, pin it.

KTM 520 02' break-in.

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