F%$*&ng 690 LC4 clutch cover bo*l*x

Decided to go out on my 690 today, so I get the bike out of the garage, only to see the top of the inner circular cover of the clutch cover sticking out

The rubber ring that keeps it in place looked to have eased out somehow.

So I try and fail to pop it back in, using a plastic spatula so as not to damage the rubber ring. No way would it go back in.

In the end, I had to pop out the inner circular cover, then refit the ring around that, then replace the inner cover into the clutch cover. It went back in OK, and I made sure it was seated properly (used a rubber mallet to ensure it was in properly).

I then head out on the 690 thinking all was gonna be OK, I get to a dual carriageway and I open her up to 60, I then feel something hit my right ankle.

I knew straight away it was the fecking cover

I pull in at a layby, then walk slowly back up the carriage way to find the bloody thing. I see it in lane 2, and just as I'm about set to walk out and retrieve the thing, a car runs over it

I get to it, pick it up and walk back to the bike. The cover after the car hit it is now chipped to f*ck of course, but the rubber ring is intact so I fit it back to the clutch cover.

I then head home with my foot pressed firmly against the cover in case it tried to pop out, and guess what? It fecking did!

So I've ordered a new cover with the inner plate and rubber seal - of course you can't just buy the inner bit can you? No. So £118.00 quid lighter, I have a new cover in the post.

My questions are these - has anyone had this issue before? Why is this such a crap design? And most of all, what forced out the plate over and over again? Is it pressure or is it just vibration from the engine / bike?

Cheers.

Quick update - talking to Pyndon today, dead helpful advice on this particular issue, common failing on the 690's apparently - Guard-IT do protection covers (cover savers). (I already had the carbon fibre protectors), silicone the hell out of the cover, then slap the Guard IT's over the top and the problem should never re-occur.

He was also selling a BNIB KTM cover so I've bought that off him and ordered the Guard-IT's from Adventure Spec.

An expensive lesson....

dakarDude said:

An expensive lesson....

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KTMs are mate......

Timpo said:

KTMs are mate......

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Have to say it (sorry BM fans) my 2 KTM's have been more reliable than my BM.

Sorted...

Got the 690 sorted today, all I can say what a top bloke Pyndon is..

I bought a clutch cover from him before Xmas and had a look at fitting it myself.

When I had a look, it turned out there was a bolt that holds the cover on (one of 9 IIRC) that's in an awkward spot behind the footpeg and to get to it, it looks like you have to remove what looks like a main swingarm bolt.

At this point, I thought "hmmm, if I take that out, what happens to the bike, does the whole thing drop down and I'm then in a really s**te state of affairs"?

I don't mind having a go at some stuff, but at this point I took it to a KTM repair shop, who took one look and said it could be half a day to a day's job (up to £200.00) The guy at the shop made the same assumption that the swingarm bolt would have to come out and the bike would need to be in a harness blahdy blah blah and I'd have to go back in January if I wanted it doing.

So I come away thinking I was in for a mega bill and why the hell would KTM design the 690 like this, surely this should be a common enough job to warrant NOT removing a swingarm bolt? What were they thinking? All in all, pretty pi**ed off tbh

Anyway, I mention this to Pyndon, who then says "wtf? nah, I can sort that for you", so this morning, he had the new one swapped on in about 45 minutes tops (if that)!

What an absolute star, he knew straight away about that bolt that appears to go right through the swingarm (it doesn't as it turns out), bolt comes out, right hand foot peg assembly drops down, cover bolts off, new cover on. I don't think more than 2 drips of oil throughout the whole process! Job done.



Couple of pics after everything is bolted in place, the Guard-It kit has a cover for the clutch cover side aswell as the ignition cover...

These are great covers for the 690 here I had the Guard-It ones but Chris's are better protection IMO

Louis

Good shout. They fully cover both covers, and with plenty of TEC-7 on the cover itself first before sticking them down, you would have all over protection plus the removal of the risk of that daftly designed clutch cover flying out.

I'll see how these G-ITs get on. I put the G-ITs on then the KTM carbon protectors on the outer. Should do it.

..and still the issue hasn't gone away

Yep, you guessed it. The SECOND, brand new clutch cover has blown out.

..so there I am, flying down the M55 in the fast lane today and I feel the unmistakeable thud of a 690 clutch cover blow out against my right boot.

I panic, thinking back to just before Xmas when it all started the first time, and picturing the expense I've outlayed to get this second cover and the Guard-It plate....

I wedge my right boot firmly against the clutch cover that is now fighting to fly out onto the motorway. Oil is pis*ing out and lanes 2 and 1 are ram packed with traffic to my left. Fecking brilliant I thought. Here we go again, the KTM 690 clutch cover issue is back.

I eventually get into lane 1 and get off the motorway, pull in, only to find the o-ring in the centre of the cover has blown out, the carbon protector and G-IT are still attached onto the KTM cover but its all coming away, my right boot and riding kecks are sopping with Motorex.

The rear wheel and tyre and rear brake disc are all pi**ing wet with Motorex from the now open case - any slight right hander and I would have been off for sure

I can't wedge the cover assembly back in and I'm 7 miles from home, so I set off again easing my way through town back home.

..spoke to Lyndon earlier. Mentioned I had just had the bike serviced before all this shite started happening (note I NEVER had this issue before its last service). The valves were done during the service (saw the mechanics digital camera photos of my bike in bits as he worked on it, so it has been opened up to be worked on for sure).

Gonna take a look inside with Lyndon to see if something isn't breathing right or there is a blockage somewhere, or something has been pinched / twisted when it was put back together during the service. Pressures must now be so great in the case that its blasting the clutch cover out.

What a fecking 'mare!

Looks to be sorted!

Mechanic that serviced my bike last had trapped the main breather tube against the frame behind the right hand fuel tank It had been re-routed on the OUTSIDE of the frame rather than how it (correctly) originally was.

Amazing what happens when you strangle a bike eh?

Big thanks to Pyndon on this one who helped me out a lot.

What a cnut ...

reminds me of the hoohaa I had with my 950 after I'd taken a side panel off - I hadn't realigned the RH tank breather nipple and nipped the tube with the side cover... Couldn't for the life of me understand why I'd run out of gas so soon !

reminds me of the hoohaa I had with my 950 after I'd taken a side panel off - I hadn't realigned the RH tank breather nipple and nipped the tube with the side cover... Couldn't for the life of me understand why I'd run out of gas so soon !

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You're not alone - I think it is a rite of passage for KTM owners. Mine prevented one fuel tank lobe from emptying, but would still register fuel in the tank so the engine would just cut out, only worked it out when I realised that it would pack up at approximately the same distance from when it was last refuelled!

- Aye, but we're all good now chaps! Can't say its put me off the old Orange beauties, I do love 'em.

What about that breather pipe in the pic? Talk about being boxed in like a turtle's pecker

I ditched all the orange plastics on my 400 to go 'stealth' silver ...

Keep it to yourselves but as I'm using the 400 more and more I'm seriously thinking of letting the 800 go...

G

Greggers said:

I ditched all the orange plastics on my 400 to go 'stealth' silver ...

Keep it to yourselves but as I'm using the 400 more and more I'm seriously thinking of letting the 800 go...

G

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