hvyw8t

Member
Oct 27, 2000
43
0
HEY , ANYONE OUT THERE RIDING A 520SX? I AM CONSIDERING TRYING ONE THIS FALL BUT HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT RELIABILITY. MY CURRANT RIDE IS A 2001 CR 250, MY LAST RIDE WAS A 99 380SX THAT HAD MAJOR PROBLEMS. EVERY THING THAT COULD HAVE BROKE, DID. I RIDE ONLY MX AND SX, AND HAVE HEARD GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE BIKE. I RIDE THE VET EXPERT CLASS AND AND AM LOOKING FORWARD TO NOT SHIFTING AS MUCH . ANY 520 GUYS OUT THERE? THANKS IN ADVANCE.
 

Bill_RC1

Member
Mar 29, 2001
15
0
Switch to 520 SX

Hi,

I switched to a '01 520 SX about 4 months ago. Was riding a '98 CR250 and a '95 CR500. Best decision I made for a bike choice. I'm 43 yrs old and I've been riding 2-strokes for over 20 years.

I ride/race MX and Desert races and this bike just flat out hauls. When you put the bike on a stand and start looking at the quality that KTM buts into this bike from the Handlebars to the Hydraulic Clutch you will never go back to any of the Japanese bikes.

No breakage issues at all on mine -- only problem that I had was the kick starter bolt came out on my first ride. Since then I've loctited every bolt and no problems.

The outdoor MX tracks that I race/ride on require only two gears, 2nd and 3rd, and 3rd not that much. You don't need 1st or 4th on this bike on a track. I do use 4th in desert race.

Do a search thru the board for 520 SX upgrades and you will see some of the changes posted that help improve the performance for the bike.

Mine are, muffler, carbon fiber skid plate/guards, jetting, 50T rear gear, heavier springs and Pro-Action revalving and EE clutch lever.

Hope to hear that you purchased on of these beasts you will love the bike!

Bill
 

hvyw8t

Member
Oct 27, 2000
43
0
thanks.........

how about maintenance, valves, oil etc? was it hard to make the switch on a motocross track ie. jumping , corners ? the thing that was the greatest about going from the 380 to the 250 was the handling and the reliability. not one thing has broken on my honda. i spent well over a thousand bucks on broken hubs and seals on my 99 in a matter of months. all ktm did was give me the bird. i have been hearing that alot of those problems have gone away. anyway sounds like you have had some good luck. what about jumping? is hard to make the transition? thanks again for the reply. Mark
 

Bill_RC1

Member
Mar 29, 2001
15
0
Maintenance

Mark,

Actually making the transition to the 4-stroke was not that bad. Jumping is easier. No chopping the throttle at the correct moment -- just lay into the gas and keep the throttle/power on as you launch and its a very smooth and balanced jumper. It is an eaiser jumper than my CR250 was.

I've only adjusted the valves once since getting the bike after the break in period. It's not a fast procedure. You have to remove the tank and the radiators so its takes some time. Its not hard to do put just time consuming.

Changing the oil is the same way -- (2) filters to replace and (2) screens to clean. Just takes some time. It's easy to do but time consuming. I'm staying with KTM's recommendation on oil -- its about $12.00 a liter.

I believe the bike is easier to corner with -- its smoother. You have to not ride it like a 2-stroke however. Don't crash the turn, lock up the rear wheel and slide in and then pin the throttle and go. With the 520 just pick a nice line to rail the corner on and keep the throttle slightly on going in and then 1/2 way thru roll the power on -- takes less energy to ride.

This is my first KTM so I'm not much up on the past breakage issues. Only thing I can say is that I've not had any problems on mine that I would call poor quality. I purchased my '98 CR250 new, rode it for (2) months and was in the middle of a MX race when my pistion just shattered! Ruinded the jug and crank -- cost me $900.00 to fix. So, no brand is perfect.

Hope that helps to make your decision.

Bill
 
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