Messages

16

KTM / Re: Dark clouds hanging over Mattighofen

« on: March 01, 2025, 11:09:46 pm »

So KTM have filed for bankruptcy with over 2 BILLION Euro debt and a stockpile of 300 thousand unsold bikes.

This doesn't fare well for the groups other brands like Gasgas and Husqvarna.

2 companies are in "talks' with KTM namely the Indian Bajaj and Chinese CFMoto.
CFMoto has had a business partnership with KTM for some years building small bore KTM badged bikes for the Chinese market and holds shares in KTM. The latest much upgraded products from CFMoto to hit the world stage are KTM so it would seem a foregone conclusion CFMoto would take full control if it chooses. February was the cut off for KTM to keep self managed so now we wait.

17

Tech Talk / Re: PVL Timing

« on: March 01, 2025, 10:08:02 am »

Walking is a reference to seals or bearings moving along the shaft if not secured. An alternative to a shim is epoxy.

18

Tech Talk / Re: PVL Timing

« on: February 28, 2025, 10:24:15 pm »

0.6mm "should" be okay if you use a sealant to stop the seal from walking and they do and can give erroneous readings. When testing remember no more that 8 PSI, any more and your causing problems as your over charging.

The working differential pressure tween the case and the created low pressure in the combustion chamber that rises the charge to the combustion chamber is much less like 4-6PSI unless its hyper charged like snowmobiles with superchargers or turbos. The expansion chamber reflection wave scavenging sucks a lot higher PSI though its effect is reduces the further its length. Once you get the bottom end solid you can think about the top end carburation exhaust and squish but it all starts with the bottom end being rock solid and without that your confusing errors. 

I work mostly with small bores and a wipe with Hylomar on all sealing surfaces is my go to if it needs it or not and has never caused me to double think and i rarely test bottom ends though you shouldnt be able to just push a seal in raw with your fingers and expect it to hold up at RPM.

Fairly obvious your sucking air and gearbox lube which points directly to the RH seal (or centre gasket/sealant) and you mentioned a rough surface on the seal journal which i cant comment on how it  occurred but I have suggested a possible go around with a sealant. Unsure how that happened as the japs are pretty good with machining though a shim loctited in the journal could be the answer if you feel the journal is beyond spec with its imperfections. One for you and you machine shop.

19

Tech Talk / Re: PVL Timing

« on: February 27, 2025, 08:11:37 pm »

Looks like you found the smoking gun. Grab the verniers and measure to ensure the seal is actually to spec and the cases.  Same as fork seals , if you soak them for an hour in oil they will soften and swell a bit but a better idea is a sealant. I use Hylomar though Yamabond should work okay or you could go via one of the Loctite  products like 648 retaining compound. You local bearing shop should have what you need so have a chat with them.

20

Tech Talk / Re: PVL Timing

« on: February 23, 2025, 02:16:48 pm »

Fingers crossed you get to the heart of the issue. One other place that air cooled big bores have leak issues is the base gasket Im sure i read on this site where a CR500 was literally eating them. I dont recall the fix for it  but it is an area to also look at.

21

Tech Talk / Re: PVL Timing

« on: February 19, 2025, 04:14:06 pm »

I take it you havnt cleaned up that head and its showing quite a lot of burnt oil on the EX side and that's all.  You also mention the heat and you mention you HAD Det issues before changing the squish. Difficulty in jetting ….. All those points lead to a bad seal even though you have mentioned a leak down test. The gearbox issue also mentioned  adds to the air leak argument being the root cause despite the leak down test. Nothing else will cause all those issues apart from an air leak. Changing to a lower octane fuel can have results but that's only done after the jetting is correct and its not plus it could mask other symptoms. Swapping out the ignition  wont do much unless its faulty. If it was my engine Id have the engine pulled down on the bench and reseal the centre gasket and throw a new pair of good quality seals in so I knew it was good  before trying anything more in the top end or electrical. best of luck with it.

22

Tech Talk / Re: PVL Timing

« on: February 17, 2025, 04:48:21 pm »

id leave the ignition alone. Heat issues are mainly fuel issues and you've said you have fuel issues. Fuel cools the crown so at a very rough guess your a bit lean on the main. Fix the carb issues first so you dont confuse the issue and i wager your heat issues will be no more. As for reading heat try it on the pipe as its far more accurate.

23

Tech Talk / Re: Spluttering When Rich - What's Actually Happening in There?

« on: January 11, 2025, 09:51:02 pm »

If you ever suspect a centre gasket or RH main seal you will get a smokey exhaust as gearbox oil will also seep into the crankcase ,The gearbox oil will be contaminated and look a bit milky and stink a bit.

24

Tech Talk / Re: Spluttering When Rich - What's Actually Happening in There?

« on: January 10, 2025, 08:41:33 pm »

Pressure isnt actually an issue in the bottom end of a 2T engine as the charge isnt pushed its sucked, either by the pressure differential created in the combustion chamber or pipe scavenging. Maybe a whole 7PSI in the bottom end at most so if it holds a 10PSI (never any more or you will blow a gasket or seal) in a test for 10 mins its good to go. As for the gearbox leak my thoughts would be over full or a blocked breather.

Sounds like that engine needs a lot of love whatever it is so back to basics. Pull the clutch cover and clean the old gasket and crap off it and pull the locating pins then hone it flat with a sheet of fine wet and dry on a sheet of window glass so you know its flat. Then a new gasket or yamalube as per the specific factory requirements.

Sorry dont mean to be rude and basic but I gotta ask so please forgive me and remember we dont know what you have as you havnt said (WHAT bike do you have) and we dont know your experience or the bike history so again please forgive if i have over simplified and stated the obvious. The only way a bottom end can build pressure to blow a gearbox seal is if it is or close to hydrolocking. Bad float needles and bad fuel taps drip fuel while the bike is sitting and "SH#T" all runs down hill and you end up with an oily premix filling your bottom end halving the area. It will still run sort of after coaxing but be a Biatch to tune and smoke more on start up than a 13 year old with a hard on with his skills trying to impress a new girlfriend untill it starts to clear a bit and still run like shyte.

25

Tech Talk / Re: Spluttering When Rich - What's Actually Happening in There?

« on: January 10, 2025, 06:10:34 pm »

If, when attempting to safely fine tune 2 stroke carb jetting (specifically the main jet), using the method of jetting much richer to the point of spluttering, before then gradually changing to leaner jets until suitable jetting is achieved, what activity is happening in the motor to cause the spluttering (assuming all else is functioning correctly)?

Spluttering is an incomplete burn of the charge and this can occur at any point in the RPM range for various reasons as i had mentioned not just too rich on the main.
If as you state everything else is fine and your sure its a main jet issue the amount of fuel/Air ratio is too fuel rich which has an excessive cooling effect and the charge cannot complete its burn within its duty cycle. Its very similar to a flooded engine or running with the choke on. 3 things in a balance for a fire to burn, Fuel Heat and Oxygen, decrees one(Air) or two items(cooling) and no more fire its a simple as that .. As the boys have stated this results in oily carbons being produced which clog pipes gum ring landings foul plugs and crap performance. I hope this helps.

26

Tech Talk / Re: Spluttering When Rich - What's Actually Happening in There?

« on: January 09, 2025, 10:57:44 pm »

Wouldnt it be a great but rather boring world if we could diagnose  a problem with only one symptom and without the problem being in front of us. Even a doctor wont say your leg has been bitten off without taking your BP and Temperature.

Before any attempt at tuning the basics need to be addressed. is the air cleaner clean, is the pipe clean. How about that engine seals and compression? Is the carb float set correctly and is it clean, what about the needle wear and clip? Tested the CDI and coil and is the plug correct, timing okay? is the fuel correctly mixed and the tap and line free flowing? Reeds okay?
When you can answer a confident yes they are all good to all those then its time to think about tuning or your chasing the wrong end of the dog. And just to make it interesting jetting changes with elevation as the air pressure changes, even humidity has an effect.



You have probably seen these charts and they give you a headsup on where to look for carb jetting issues Vs RPM. Remember there is a crossover range  where jets share the job. grab a few jets and a box of spark plugs and your angle grinder as its time for plug chops. Flat out underload pull the clutch and press the kill switch at the same time. Remove the plug and check the polaroid it just gave you of what was happening at that time. When you get close with the jetting you can "chop" the thread off the plug and read the porcelain colouring with more accuracy.
Whats happening in the engine at that time? Have a look and the piston and plug will tell you.

27

KTM / Re: Dark clouds hanging over Mattighofen

« on: January 08, 2025, 12:49:54 am »

I read KTM will not continue past their GP contract for 2025. This leaves an opening for others like BMW to test the muddied waters.  Other avenues for cost reductions have mentioned doing away with the salary of Danny Pedrossa  their test rider. As far as the teams go they say everything is going well and its business as usual though one does need to think that statement came as an order from a hopeful KTM board.

Over capitalising over production and over Estimating themselves have left KTM with a years worth of inventory left unsold. Products have started to be offered with heavy discounts and more to come as KTM try and regroup after a retreat. If anyone ever considered buying a KTM bike now could be the time to pick up a bargain though one would have to like orange and ponder what rhymes with orange.

The word China appears in almost all rescued bike brands particularly the Italian marques who enjoyed past glory. Will the reformed KTM have to Kow Tow and be part of the great leap forward, the grasp for Knowledge? From what I see clan membership has not helped Benelli nor Morbidelli achieve any kind of sales success on a world scale though if KTM is to continue in any form an Asian influence will heavily feature as it does for 90% of brands including BMW Harley Davidson and Triumph. The coming weeks will see just how much debris has been hidden under the smoke left by the fireworks that looked so pretty for a short while.

28

Tech Talk / Re: PVL Timing

« on: December 24, 2024, 10:30:18 pm »

Suck it and see. Gazetted settings are good for a starting point though i bet your final settings will  have a few adjustments from both those numbers.
You know the process. Choose either , id start with 2.4BTC and give the bike a few runs then try the stock settings with small incremental changes either way to see what the bike likes. Every engine is different and every rider wants something different. Plug chops.

29

General Discussion / Re: motorcycle sport in oz to cease

« on: December 24, 2024, 06:49:08 pm »

I have seen  some information where a group of people are trying to get a new insurance to fly. A difficult task though the current MA situation needs to change and it must or no more Volunteers and the costs for competition will destroy every club making them insolvent. Shooting your troops and burning your crops is a proven recipe for weight loss.  I sincerely hope they sort themselves out for the good of the sport. My thoughts are a few people need to pull their head in and start working with what they have and there is a lot of good in the existing framework.

 MAIL being controlled by MA is and always will be a recipe for conflict and should be cut away and no member of the MA board should have any controlling factor within MAIL as its a conflict of interests and could be seen as insider trading. Until this is done the problems for clubs and members will remain.

 My public service corporation has a board which is suppose to be separate from government and politics however a third of the board members are ex politicians still card carrying members of their respective political groups. Hence the dead wood framework at the top doesnt change and the basic obvious problems within the company are indentured.

For the good of the sport there is a place for MA and State based to coexist though for that to occur States need to step up and MA needs to pull its head in and work with the states and lose the Jack boot secret handshake mentality though no one likes losing control, ask Captain Bligh.

30

General Discussion / Re: motorcycle sport in oz to cease

« on: December 24, 2024, 02:37:57 pm »

Same issues as its always been whenever MA is mentioned in the past. This reply seems to explain the conundrum. in short MA want a Monopoly.

MWA President Speaks Out
The following response was provided by the President of Motorcycling Western Australia, Peter Campain. This was issued in response to the recent correspondence issued by the President of Motorcycling Australia, Roy Chamberlain.  This follows from a recent statement from the Motorcycling Victoria Board of Directors, expressing their own displeasure at Mr Chamberlain’s statement.

Statement from MWA President Peter Campain
Most competition license holders have been sent an email from the President of Motorcycling Australia talking about the voting for a new constitution. Given Roy has given you his distorted view of the universe I thought I should tell you what it looks like from WA.

For a number of year MA has been working toward a structure where the state bodies cease to exist and everything is run from Melbourne. Granted MWA has had its issues however I think over the last year we have made big steps toward becoming the governing body that the members deserve.

Run the sport from Melbourne think Ridernet or pick up the MOM’s and try to find a page without a typo. You are bound by policies that have never been published outside of the MA office cellar. If you are familiar with the track standards you can watch National events on tv and play a game called spot the non-compliance. Do the same at State or club level and your insurance can be cancelled.

There is no disputing that the various state bodies have had their issues and there are some things needed to change. From my engagement with the various State Presidents, it seems to be there is a general acceptance of the need for change however giving the keys to an organisation that refuses to acknowledge its own problems is not the answer.

This time of the year in 2022 and 2023 you may have heard all the noise over insurance renewals. In each year MA who is the sole owner of MAIL, the MA insurance company, have used this to pressure the State Bodies to give up ground in the management of the sport.

This year we have been through two rounds of it. A few months ago the states were given new affiliation agreements to sign and told to sign or no insurance. The new agreements have a lot of conditions and the worst relates to insurance. If there is an accident to rider or member of the public and the track is not fully compliant to MA standards (to my knowledge no tracks in the country are), if the officials are found not to have applied the rules properly, if the event does not comply to all MA policies including those that have never been published anywhere they can be found or there is a conflict of interest at the event then MA reserves the right to cancel the insurance cover after the event.


I have asked MA to provide some qualification for those officials, volunteers and riders now at risk and while I was told it was coming, two months later still nothing. I don’t think the MA board has sufficient experience at grass roots to understand what they have done. Don’t worry about insurance for racing as it will be interesting to see how many officials front up for 2025.

If you are from a regional club read the MA medical guidelines, if you can’t get the required people much less afford them then an incident can see the insurance revoked because of the medical cover whether relevant or not. If you are from any club in the State that has multiple officials from the same family (which club does not) and they work at the same event it’s a conflict but you won’t be able to assess how serious it is because you can’t find the policy to read it.

The current barney is over a new constitution for MA. The proposed new constitution removes all state rights and allows MA to dictate what goes into the state constitutions, this then cascades to the clubs. The process to elect the MA board effectively allows it to pick its own members regardless of what the states think. MWA in concert with several other states engaged a law firm that was experienced in this area to give us advice on the new constitution. We were given a list of points to dispute that were not in the interests of the members and were not required by any legislation. The constitution committee was over seen by staff from the Australian Sports Commission whose view of how the sport should be was decided by a bunch of people who have clearly not tried to run a sport and the ASC meeting chair refused to discuss any issue that did not suit them, so we are now required to vote on a constitution that four of the seven State bodies did not support through the negotiation stage. We now have the ASC threating to remove their recognition of MA and the State bodies which takes out significant funding and MA threatening to remove the insurance.
MWA has been actively engaged in the current review process and always acted in good faith. We responded to the working group on the 3rd December saying that we were not happy with the process then without as much as an acknowledgement of that communication we get the current communications storm.

The MWA board is meeting next week to consider how the interests of the WA motorcycling community can be best served and what choice we have in this matter.

Peter Campain

President Motorcycling WA