RFS' Breaking spokes-any fixes?

[PTCruiser]

Took my 400EXC to Carlsbad raceway for the 1st time this weekend. Had a great time and hooked up with 3 guys that also had Katoomers. One of them told me to check my back wheel for any broken spokes-said riding on all this hard-packed,square-edged chop does them in. Sure enough there's one broken.
All three of these guys have broken spokes in their back wheel-one guy has replaced ten of them! Two of these guys(on SX's) are former local Pro's that haul pretty good but also know how to maintain their scoots. This many guys with the same problem doesn't sound like a fluke to me.
Has anyone else had this problem and does anyone know of a fix? (I always check my spoke tension & tire pressure, etc.-even had the suspension done for more aggressive riding....)

 

[Bud-Man]

Your not alone on this issue! Many of us have had problems with the spokes on the RFS KTMs. I ride primarily off road/GNCC type stuff and I've gone through two spokes since I've owned the bike (~ 8 weeks). Never had this problem on any other bike, including my '01 125 SX. My freind has gone through 4 spokes on the two '01 RFS's he's owned. The chain tension isn't an issue and it seems the spokes are all tight. The dealer contacted KTM about this and they told him that people are overtightening the spokes. I don't know if I believe this as I tighten them to the same tension as my other bikes and they never had any problems! Inquiring minds want to know!!!

 

[semi old guy]

their probably bad spokes...breaking the heads off right? i've had the heads break off older spokes due to fatigue.

 

[creator8]

i've had four go at the head. i definitely keep an eye on the tension. doesn't seem to be anything that can be done about it other than new spokes and rim.

 

[semi old guy]

i would re lace them with buchanan or bulldog spokes. it would cost about 100 bucks parts unfortunately

 

[PTCruiser]

Checked w/my local shop today. They hadn't heard anything about this on the KTM's but the service guy told me that Yamaha once had a problem similar to this where the spokes were getting a crease on the bend(where it goes thru the hub) during manufacture and that this would cause the spoke to fail at that point. This is the same place that ours have broken....
And a Baja racer friend of mine suggested that I use a rat-tail file to put a very slight radius on the hub hole for the spoke to alleviate pressure at that point (that's what he does to his bikes). Hopefully this will solve my problems.

 

[semi old guy]

so they're NOT breaking at the head?

 

[PTCruiser]

Sorry for my ignorance. If by head you mean up at the spoke nipple-no. They are breaking down at the bend where they go into the hub.

 

[jalbert]

spokes

it's not just the 4-strokes my 2001 250 mxc 6 broke all at the heads