Oh dear poor GSA

[Horse1200]

Well after taking my 1200 gsa into Bahnstomers today, for a 12,000 mile service, slipping clutch, fuel gauge fault, i get the dreaded call your final drive has some roughness in the bearing (again...!) .

Ar well i certainly be trading this bike in before the warrenty run`s out.

 

[Pukmeister]

And I thought they were unbreakable.

 

[Horse1200]

mmmmmmm... im begining to wonder

Trouble is i dont like KTM`s poxy chain drive, as i ride all year round chains dont last long (even with a scotoiler, and the constant adjusting the things), mmmm i thought shaft drive thats the way to go. Well there seems to be a problem with mine....

But the good guy`s at Bahnstomers will sort it.

 

[G5RJO]

Chain + good

Horse,

I have a new 09 GSA and an 05 KTM 950 Adventure so feel qualified to offer an opinion here. chains are easy, honest!

My KTM is ridden hard, on road and occasional off road stints. 30,000 mile and guess what.........original chain and rear sprocket. Front sprocket was changed at about 24,000 as it was slightly hooked. Cost £12 for a 16 tooth one to replace the original 17 and now it's even faster off te line

Shafts are easy so long as they are okay then if not... get the wallet out big style.

Chains, well easy all the time. Scottoilers.....waste of cash IMHO, chain oil and wax...... same, really, don't bother.

Get a nail brush and scrub the chain once a month with parafin. Wash it (Honest) with car shampoo when you wash the bike off and wipe it over with a rag sprayed in WD40. Job done. only do the WD40 bit to stop the chain looking crappy. These things have O, Z or X rings holding grease inside so lube really isn't needed. 30,000 mile and 4 winters surely proves this works

Oils and waxes collect grit so just keep it clean and all will be well. A clean chain has nothing on it to fling all over the rear wheel as well so if you're anal about cleaning this is the way forward.

I don't worry about my KTM chain but I do keep checking my GSA's rear drive just in case. (And I can't see me needing a new chain on the KTM for a very long time).

Don't ever get put off by a chain.

Roger.

 

[Horse1200]

Thanks g5rjo, i have had several road bikes ridden all year round, i do ride hard and chain and sprockets as normally buggered after about 10,000 miles. As you can see from the hog raost i do go offroad alot, and the bike regulary gets buried so chains would need constant maintance. Dont get me wrong, i love my gsa, she puts up with alot. Im just slightly concerned about these final drives know. This is the third one now.
Im not keen on the ktm`s in general, there adventure is not for me.

Well bmw for know until the warrenty is nearly out then it will be time to see paul again at Bahnstomers again and see what the next gsa can do.

 

[graham h]

Final drive

Well after taking my 1200 gsa into Bahnstomers today, for a 12,000 mile service, slipping clutch, fuel gauge fault, i get the dreaded call your final drive has some roughness in the bearing (again...!) .

Ar well i certainly be trading this bike in before the warrenty run`s out.

Your just showing off because YOU got to 12k before the F/D gave up,i'am on my third at under 6k


Can anybody beat 6k or i'am i just lucky

 

[Horse1200]

oh bugger, thats what i think you term P*~s poor build quality. Well lets see what happens if this drive goes again i will have to have a serious think about my very much loved GSA..

 

[BeemerBaz]

And I thought they were unbreakable.

Where is the yawning smiley ?

 

[graham h]

F/D

oh bugger, thats what i think you term P*~s poor build quality. Well lets see what happens if this drive goes again i will have to have a serious think about my very much loved GSA..

Final drives are £800 ago..........Chain and sprocked £100 fitted? and as RJO say's if you clean them they last a long long time

 

[Horse1200]

well when warrenty is nearly up then the bike will be nearly up as well.

 

[(RIP) Shenzi]

Stop!!!!! My warranty ended today so I will probably find a pile of rust in the garage tomorrow!
I crawled all over it this week trying to find something wrong without success. I am trying a K1300R tomorrow

 

[Pukmeister]

Horse, I've had loads of fun off road on my GS over the years, but after seeing all the guys on Pogos at the Hograost having more fun with less effort I think I'm gonna save up for a proper road-legal offroader as a sensible option for green laning and off roading and save the GS for mostly road work eg touring/commuting/scratching and badly surfaced metalled/gravel roads.

I intend spending a couple of grand on a reasonably tidy older DR-Z400/XR400/425EXC etc?

Maybe you should get the FD replaced and then consider the same sensible option?

It's gotta be easier than hauling a 230KG GSA through the mud.

 

[LiquidLAN]

Shaft v Chain

I'd have agreed with you in the past, I had a number of bikes that used to eat chains even with a scottoiler fitted until I discovered ceramic chain lube.

the last bike I had with a scottoiler was a ZZR600, can't remember how many chains I got through, but the bike I had after that was a ZZR1100 and it never got riden any easier than the 6 was. Ceramic chain lube seemed to almost totally eliminate the chain wear.

Sadly I tried the same stuff on my XR250 and it just doesnt work offroad - I've been advised to use Wurth Dry Chain Lube off road - I can't give you a true comparision as I'm only using it on the XR250 and the WR450 both just off-road and much lower mileage/useage, but it seems to be holding out, I don't think I've had to adjust the wr450 in 40 or 50 hours of use.

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Changing bikes?

Stop!!!!! My warranty ended today so I will probably find a pile of rust in the garage tomorrow!
I crawled all over it this week trying to find something wrong without success. I am trying a K1300R tomorrow

You will find that the 1300R is a heavy old beast -when is has only just over a 100 hp to push it along; I am sure you will let us all know!

 

[Account removed]

You will find that the 1300R is a heavy old beast -when is has only just over a 100 hp to push it along; I am sure you will let us all know!

1300R 100 bhp ??? more like 170 BHP

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Quel dommage!

Not here in France I am afraid- and Shenzi is no lightweight either!

 

[Account removed]

Not here in France I am afraid- and Shenzi is no lightweight either!

ln which case the GS is perect then, I would move

 

[Martyn B]

How come you need both?

Horse,

I have a new 09 GSA and an 05 KTM 950 Adventure....

Roger.

Isn't that like having a Fireblade and an R1?

Lucky bastard!

 

[GSmonkey]

Seems daft to trade in and spend thousands, why not just extend the warranty for a few hundred quid? A new GS won't be any more reliable than your current one.

+1 on Wurth Dry Chain Lube. Much better than all the scottoiler bollox. Technology of spray lube has certainly moved on. The stuff doesn't pick up shite and normal sticky lube does. You can easily get 20k and a couple of winters out of a chain using this stuff. A quick scrub down with parafin every month and bob's your uncle.

 

[LiquidLAN]

Horse, I've had loads of fun off road on my GS over the years, but after seeing all the guys on Pogos at the Hograost having more fun with less effort I think I'm gonna save up for a proper road-legal offroader as a sensible option for green laning and off roading and save the GS for mostly road work eg touring/commuting/scratching and badly surfaced metalled/gravel roads.

I intend spending a couple of grand on a reasonably tidy older DR-Z400/XR400/425EXC etc?

Maybe you should get the FD replaced and then consider the same sensible option?

It's gotta be easier than hauling a 230KG GSA through the mud.

you wont have to save up too much money either... talking to a guy at the southern TRF funday on Friday, he's just picked up a KTM 400 for I think he said £1,600 in what looked like excellent condition - I paid £1200 for a 10/12yo old XR250 just over a year back and £2500 for a WR450 less than a year ago, there are more and more bargains to be grabbed.

Look at Marj Prop's XR250...