EXC 450 servicing - advice please

grez

grez

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I have a 450 EXC which does not get ridden that hard compared to most people. Those who have ridden with me will know I spend a lot of time seperated from the bike, laying in the dirt and trying to figure out just what the hell happened.

Service periods are every 15 hours for an oil and filter change. Now considering I am not racing it, or thrashing it to death, how long do you think I can go between oil changes? Will it last 2 weeks, (2000 miles or say 80 hours) or do you think it will go bang?
 
Problem is, they haven't got much oil in them. I've had a couple of EXC 400's and now got an EXC350. I change oil, screen and filters every 20 hours. I check the valves every 30hrs. 20 hours is about 500 miles. If you leave it longer regularly, it won't go bang but might not last as long. I did a week in the Pyrenees last year which was about 1000 miles, changed oil before I went and when I got back, everything was OK.
 
I use this rule of thumb for my 525.

Racing = Every 15 hrs (change filters)

Trails = Every 20 hrs (but change out filters every second time)

As others say, the oil is worked hard as the sump is small, you can go longer between changes but it doesn't take long to drain and refill
 
Mine has done over 9000 miles and 350 hours, the oil is changed every 30hours and filters every other, the valves are checked once a year, i am out trail riding every weekend covering around 100-150 miles and never had any issues

06 400exc so it's the bullet proof rfs engine
 
jasext said:
Mine has done over 9000 miles and 350 hours, the oil is changed every 30hours and filters every other, the valves are checked once a year, i am out trail riding every weekend covering around 100-150 miles and never had any issues

06 400exc so it's the bullet proof rfs engine
Click to expand...

That's a hell of a mileage. Shows how good these engines are, I think KTM could relax the service guidelines a little more, for trail riding, would make life easier.

I think the new 350 Freeride, with the detuned 350 exc engine, will have miles based servicing as opposed to hours based.

But, it's easy to change the oil and not expensive.
 
Not telling you how to look after your bike but I learnt from a very painfully expensive experience....dont overtighten the steel sump plug.... buy or borrow a torque wrench and use the factory settings.
I did it without once....next time I tried to pop the plug it split the ally casing (not the threads...THE CASING!)
 
Could explain the constant weep of oil appearing on my 2003 450EXC. No idea how may hours/miles its done due to flat battery in clocks, previously owned and maintained by AdamA of this parish so not suggesting he is at fault, perhaps a previous owner before him may have been heavy handed?

I run mine on 10W50 fully synth and change oil and filters every 20 hours, never use it in competition so it doesn't work too hard anyway.
 
For the sump and filter plugs, i do them hand tight to compress the o-rings (on the filter ones) then a slight nip with the ktm bottle opener spanner in an emergency. The problem is with people using long handle wrenches to tighten things up.

I had a problem with a rounded sump plug a while back where it was torqued up properly but still too tight, I now change the sump plug every 5th or 6th time to prevent being stuck during a service. Other people have had problems with the screws that hold the filter caps on - High quality sockets where possible and round ended spanners (of good quality). I learnt the hard way a number of years back that fools buy cheap tools.
 
Pukmeister said:
Could explain the constant weep of oil appearing on my 2003 450EXC. No idea how may hours/miles its done due to flat battery in clocks, previously owned and maintained by AdamA of this parish so not suggesting he is at fault, perhaps a previous owner before him may have been heavy handed?

I run mine on 10W50 fully synth and change oil and filters every 20 hours, never use it in competition so it doesn't work too hard anyway.
Click to expand...


As pointed out, you haven't mentioned exactly from where, so here goes..

Check the screens - expecially the o-rings, one might even be missing or degraded or not on right.

Mine weeped a month or two ago and this was the exact cause.

Just replace both screens and all o-rings to be certain and that irons that one out. These require frequent oil changes anyway, so why not just grab a kit for the filters, screens. You should get the new o-rings with them. They aren't expensive.

The sump bolts can be a pain in the arse and KTM changes them at some stage, again, replacing the bolt is not a bad thing and these are cheap.
 
i used my 07 450 for enduros for 3 years and now use it for trail riding and instructing on the road. the manual says 10 tanks of fuel which at handy riding is 100 mile per tank. my 450 tells me when she needs an oil change by having to double clutch to get the next gear or hard to find neutral with the engine running. dont think you will have to work on the rfs engine but you will still spend a lot of time working on the rest of the bike as she gets well used.
 
ERNEMAN said:
i used my 07 450 for enduros for 3 years and now use it for trail riding and instructing on the road. the manual says 10 tanks of fuel which at handy riding is 100 mile per tank. my 450 tells me when she needs an oil change by having to double clutch to get the next gear or hard to find neutral with the engine running. dont think you will have to work on the rfs engine but you will still spend a lot of time working on the rest of the bike as she gets well used.
Click to expand...


+1 on the double clutch. Same for mine in that respect.
 
Thanks for all the advice, I am getting some oil puddling inside the sump guard, with a trace of oil down the side of the cases where the gearshift exits. I have recently changed the oil and filters, checked and replaced the screens, although I didn't fit new o rings to the screens. I did replace the front sprocket seal and sleeve as this was leaking oil a little.

I now suspect the gear shift spindle seal may have a slight weep, gotta strip the carb and clean out this weekend so will take a closer look once the tank and carb are off.

Mines hard to find neutral even with fresh oil in it, especially if overfilled slightly. Thankfully the Rekluse clutch helps a bit.
 
Pukmeister said:
Mines hard to find neutral even with fresh oil in it, especially if overfilled slightly. Thankfully the Rekluse clutch helps a bit.
Click to expand...

Give a slight blip of throttle when you go for neutral:thumb
 
Pukmeister said:
Thanks for all the advice, I am getting some oil puddling inside the sump guard, with a trace of oil down the side of the cases where the gearshift exits. I have recently changed the oil and filters, checked and replaced the screens, although I didn't fit new o rings to the screens. I did replace the front sprocket seal and sleeve as this was leaking oil a little.


Mines hard to find neutral even with fresh oil in it, especially if overfilled slightly. Thankfully the Rekluse clutch helps a bit.
Click to expand...

The o-rings are worth replacing, sounds a small unlikely thing to cause oil to leak, but that's exactly what mine did and the screen near the gear shift was the cause. Get a new o-ring and ensure it is seated on the screen properly, not skewed or it can't do its job.

As for getting neutral and oil in general, mine won't ever get neutral unless the engine is stopped completely.

Oil looks nice and golden following an oil change but is soon black again after just one ride, and I am fairly good at making sure I do frequent oil changes. Runs well though!
 
Adam if you have had the side cases off then it's probably weeping from them. Next time you have them off check the mating surfaces are true on engineers table or a bit of glass. They are notoriously easy to bend out if true either by over tightening or not tightening in sequence a la tightening down a head.
 
grez said:
I have a 450 EXC which does not get ridden that hard compared to most people. Those who have ridden with me will know I spend a lot of time seperated from the bike, laying in the dirt and trying to figure out just what the hell happened.

Service periods are every 15 hours for an oil and filter change. Now considering I am not racing it, or thrashing it to death, how long do you think I can go between oil changes? Will it last 2 weeks, (2000 miles or say 80 hours) or do you think it will go bang?
Click to expand...

Your Ktm is done son
:D
The valves we as tight as Skygod :D
New fan fitted and it works :friday
 
Probably way too late but I agree with JaseXT, I used to do my old 2005 450exc oil changes every approx 25-30odd hours, valve checks were done about 50hrs but if it becomes hard to start from cold, inlets are tight. Simple.
The clocks stopped working after 6500miles of the toughest lanes England and Wales(and 2 trips to IOM) had to offer and I carried on wheelying it another 3000miles at least. Still wheelied in 5th on the throttle so I had no doubt that the compression was still OK.:thumb

Use a torque wrench as has been said, first thing I bought 'cos I am an heavy handed type.

Have fun on that bike, I would have had it had you delayed an hour!!

I'll email you a pic of my mine.(bike that is!!)
 
Well the 450 EXC managed over 2000 miles and approx 70 hours in Morocco with just the one oil change. I did get 2 punctures, destroyed 2 rear bearings and a seal (though in fairness the second bearing didn't stand much chance as I had no dust seal as the first bearing ate it), bent the side stand, dented the front wheel and finally twisted the handlebars throwing it down the road on diesel in Spain, on the last day, only 60 miles from the hotel. It runs with a load of vibration (hands are still tingling) but it is still going.

Jono over at Adventure Bike Warehouse is going to love servicing it once he chisels off all the muck.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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