525

nrg

nrg

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Hi All,

Recently became the prowed owner of a 2005 525EXC :thumb2. Not the most suited KTM for green laneing but less maintenance hungry than most EXC which is good for me.

Has anyone any experience on using this bike for an extended tour? Iam thinking of riding to Tunisia and back.

Cheers
 
nrg said:
... a 2005 525EXC .... but less maintenance hungry than most EXC ....
Click to expand...

I don't think that it's any different.

Our resident expert on riding trail bikes to north Africa lives in Newcastle - I'm sure he'll be along shortly with some words of wisdom.

Greg
 
nrg said:
Hi All,

Recently became the prowed owner of a 2005 525EXC :thumb2. Not the most suited KTM for green laneing but less maintenance hungry than most EXC which is good for me.

Has anyone any experience on using this bike for an extended tour? Iam thinking of riding to Tunisia and back.

Cheers
Click to expand...

Now let me think .......... servicing every 15 hours, valve clearances, oil filter changes etc etc :augie

It'd be about as sensible as trying to make yer granny sprint :D
 
Nice 'n' Fat said:
Now let me think .......... servicing every 15 hours, valve clearances, oil filter changes etc etc :augie

It'd be about as sensible as trying to make yer granny sprint :D
Click to expand...

Lord Mac Swinarski used an adapted EXC 400 on his extended and bonkers tour of Siberia...

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=239330&page=65

seemed a pretty good tool for the job... Got him and his gang to some pretty wild places where no one had ever been to...

But for conventional European touring I'd agree with Nice 'n' Fat...
 
I Bought 'Nice-n-fats' 525XC last year. He is right about the servicing - The bare minimum would be to regularly change the oil even if you aren't stressing the engine too much as there is only about 1L in there. Which would mean (at best) you could possibly stretch to an oil service every 3-5 days.

If you plan on riding in sand / dust or climbing on tough terrain then this interval should drop to the rated every 15hrs. (not that it takes long to change the oil/ 10 mins max - 20 if you include the 4 filters.)

If it has to be a KTM then the 640 LC4 engine would be better suited for this trip.

I actually think the 525 is a great bike for laning on. More than sufficient poke for the road sections, will chug along in 3rd on virtually any terrain allowing you to hang on and blast through and light enough to pick up when you inevitably over cook it :augie
 
Well,.....at least somebody here knows what I’m talking about i.e. the 525 is, I repeat is, less maintenance hungry. Piston and cylinder are more durable for a start. Of course it’s not a cruiser ….that’s why I have a Beamer and I consider the KTM my “other bike”.
Ok so riding all the way to the South of Spain or Italy is a little extreme but if there is any bike of the EXC type that can hack it it’s this one: the 525.
I’ve fitted the cooling fan, reinforced the sub frame, ordered the Acerbis tank. I’m off to Africa soon .......yes, probably with a trailer to Genoa. :thumb
 
nrg said:
Well,.....at least somebody here knows what I’m talking about i.e. the 525 is, I repeat is, less maintenance hungry. Piston and cylinder are more durable for a start. Of course it’s not a cruiser ….that’s why I have a Beamer and I consider the KTM my “other bike”.
Ok so riding all the way to the South of Spain or Italy is a little extreme but if there is any bike of the EXC type that can hack it it’s this one: the 525.
I’ve fitted the cooling fan, reinforced the sub frame, ordered the Acerbis tank. I’m off to Africa soon .......yes, probably with a trailer to Genoa. :thumb
Click to expand...

So why ask in the first place ??? :augie You've prepared well and know more than most - you've answered your own question better than we could !!
 
You'll have a ball on a 525, keep us informed how it went:thumb

I'm off to Morocco in the morning to ride my LC4 640ADV for a couple of weeks which is a bit lardy by comparison:)
 
Don't forget to do something with the seat,might also want to think about a front rack keep some weight over the front end coz as you will know the 525 likes to wheelie :D
 
nrg said:
Well,.....at least somebody here knows what I’m talking about i.e. the 525 is, I repeat is, less maintenance hungry. Piston and cylinder are more durable for a start. Of course it’s not a cruiser ….that’s why I have a Beamer and I consider the KTM my “other bike”.
Ok so riding all the way to the South of Spain or Italy is a little extreme but if there is any bike of the EXC type that can hack it it’s this one: the 525.
I’ve fitted the cooling fan, reinforced the sub frame, ordered the Acerbis tank. I’m off to Africa soon .......yes, probably with a trailer to Genoa. :thumb
Click to expand...

It sounds like you've gone too far to turn back now ....... Best of luck and don't forget the EXC will not stand constant throttle openings for any length of time:augie
 
nrg said:
Has anyone any experience on using this bike for an extended tour? Iam thinking of riding to Tunisia and back.
Click to expand...

You might want to look into a HT Racing oil cooler.
It significantly increases the oil capacity - and keeps the oiler cooler which will keep the engine happier. The increased oil capacity should significantly extend your oil change intervals.

There is all sorts of argument about whether or not a cush hub makes a difference - but I think if I were planning to do a long trip with quite a bit of road, Id look into it. An LC4 hub is meant to fit.

I'd get better lights and an uprated stator too (or just dont ride at night)

If you deliberately keep to the small roads, you will have a ball on that bike.
Motorway will suck a bit, I expect. I did a fair chunk of the length of france in a day, just sticking to the smallest roads heading in the direction I wanted to go. Was lovely riding.

Depending on how soon youre thinking of going to Tunisia, you might want to consider getting a better seat. Your best bet is a Renazco - but not a great time to buy with the £ in the shitter... :(
 
Another piece of advice: buy a new short screen plug from KTM. The original one on your bike is a 6mm allen, with a reputation for getting stuck due to rounded allen.

New ones have a hex head + torx - much easier to get tools onto without it stripping.

Youre going to be doing a lot of oil changes, so its good insurance. Will cost you all of 2-3 quid.

BTW, there is a long thread on advrider about using the 525 as an adventure bike. Well worth a read if you havent already.
 
I got mine last Saturday (EXC 525) and rode it back from Norwich to where I live - approx 240 miles. I stopped every 60 miles for 30 mins to let it cool down and for a refuel (mine has standard stock tank). I kept to 60 or less on the motorways - she ran like a champ all be it a bit interesting riding that length of time on nobblies.

Oil change and other general checks the day after.

In terms of the throttle, I had some slightly lengthy stretches with it open, but didn't cane it.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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