Proud new Owner

[bigtoyota479]

Wow, that spamkiller thing sucks. Wouoldn't let me post my original thread here so I'll try this one.

Just bought a new 04 KTM 125 SX....hehe them boys at the local mot track better watch out. The only complaint so far is the clutch....it drags with the lever pulled in enough to bog the motor and the bike wants to creep forward.

The tranny oil the dealer said he used and what he sold me is 75w. The book calls for 20w-40. Could this be the problem? Or do I just need to blled the clutch? THanks for the comments!!

 

[bigtoyota479]

I was also curious to know how these bikes faired against the new 250F's? I really like the 2-stroke power band and feel, but I don't wanna have to spend bucks just to be competitive in the 125 class, which is what i ride. Thanks for the input!!

 

[billtx]

You should be all right with the 75W. I use Maxima 80W in my 200SX and it works just fine. Not sure on the clutch, they typically don't need to be bled, but possibly the previous owner screwed it up. You may want to check out the clutch plates also.

 

[MX Junkie]

The only complaint so far is the clutch....it drags with the lever pulled in enough to bog the motor and the bike wants to creep forward.

Probably just needs a good bleeding.

 

[bigtoyota479]

The forks need a revalve too...very harsh but uses up all travel...next payday. I will bleed the clutch with some ATF, and see if that cures the problem. It's not using any fluid, so I'm assuming the internals are ok. I got it from a dealership who went through it and put a new top end in it and changed the oil, among other things. Put some new plastic on it. I just hope I can keep up with the 250F's.

Last time I raced at the local track was 4-5 years ago and I made A-main every race. But there were no 250's there either, just the good ol 2-smokes. We'll see.

 

[crazy4nitro]

I would guess if all that does not work,I would consider checking the clutch plate to see if they are warped.

Just a hunch..

Crazy

 

[billtx]

I would not use ATF for the clutch, they sell something called Magura blood that you will need. ATF may work, but it may not either.

 

[FruDaddy]

I am not familiar with this Magura blood, but I run DOT3 in my cars' clutches. Since it works exactly like a brake, it only makes sense. My bikes are all cable so it's not an issue for me.

 

[bigtoyota479]

Heheh...that's the catch, FruDaddy. You absolutely CANNOT use brake fluid of any kind in these clutches. You will without a doubt destroy the seals. According to what I've heard the next best thing to the hydraulic oil you're supposed to use is ATF, and even better than that is 2.5W fork oil. Got all that info from these forums.

Plate warpage huh? That could be a possibility since the clutch hasn't felt really good since I bought the bike. It feels different, and it's not slipping under full power assaults, so I think I'm ok there. But if this bleed doesn't fix it I will pull the cover and check it out. I've got some dial calipers that I trust to check the plates, so that will tell me in a hurry what's up. I think if the plates are warped and I have to replace them I will go with a hinson basket and other Hinson parts. I had good luck with them on my CR125 a few years ago.

 

[crashnburn]

On the hydraulic clutch my buddy always ran baby oil ( mineral oil) in his with no problems, as for the tranny oil 75w is roughly 10w-30 and 85w is 10w-40, I always run rotella 15w-40 in my honda with no drag issues. However if I leave the tranny oil in to many rides it will start dragging. No problems with oil change every two to three rides though.

 

[bigtoyota479]

I'll do that too then. Change the tranny oil and bleed the clutch. THanks for the input folks....much appreciated!!

 

[crazy4nitro]

You need something flat to lay the plates on to check them. You then slide a feeler gauge under them. Most people will use a mirror to lay them on. My clutch opens up less then .100" or 1/10th of an inch at full pull.(remembering from last time I had it apart) so like if you have 7 steel plates and each one is warped .015" (15 thousandts) that would enough to cause issues. ya catch my drift?
This was the case on my buddies 89 KX125...The plates might look fine and never slip.worth looking at..

My 2 cents.

Crazy

 

[bigtoyota479]

I'm gonna try the basics before I go that route. I just got the bike a week ago and would hate to have to open it up so soon. Funny thing is, the clutch was fine when I got it. But they could have warped since then as I was doing some trail riding and it may have gotten hot. If the blled and oil change doesn't work, it's time for some examination inside and some Hinson components.

One more thing, I've heard that the EBC fiber plates aren't any good, but the steel ones are. So if I get the EBC steels, which fibers should I go with? I also plan to upgrade to Hinson basket, etc., if the clutch needs work.

 

[Trashrider]

Keep it simple,
Does it have a stock clutch lever or an Enduro Engineering easy lever. This lever has a different pivot point that makes the clutch incredibly easy to pull in. The down side is it will creep in gear like you described.

Mark

 

[munch]

Synthetic ATF works great have run it in 3 different KTM's without a problem , may give a slightly lighter pull.... I replaced my clutch plates in my 200sx with a full steel set (Tusk) from Rocky Mountain, worked really for about $40 ..