Author Topic: Show us your trail bike  (Read 104323 times)

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Offline SLAWESY

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Re: Show us your trail bike
« Reply #195 on: January 21, 2013, 09:14:53 pm »
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I took the KTM out on the weekend for it's first ride and loved it. The rider was the weak link in the package though.

Hey Paul, did Walshie take you up some snarly hills like he was talking about??  ;D
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Is it way too small? A bit of work with the heat gun or hot water could soften it enough to fit if it's close. Maybe some rubber friendly grease as well.
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Re: Show us your trail bike
« Reply #196 on: January 21, 2013, 10:45:34 pm »
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I took the KTM out on the weekend for it's first ride and loved it. The rider was the weak link in the package though.

Hey Paul, did Walshie take you up some snarly hills like he was talking about??  ;D

Nothing too bad, but more than enough for me.  I definitely need more time trailriding.

Offline Barra

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Re: Show us your trail bike
« Reply #197 on: February 16, 2013, 05:52:39 pm »
My trusty KTonda is waiting for it's new owner and it's been replaced by this
The more I ride it, the more I like it

Hey Brent, those new Freerides are the ducks nuys I reckon! I really hope they take off and don't drop from the market. Others will follow hopefully.

I know they feel super agile but physically, how big are they to sit on. Like a normal enduro or smaller / lower?

What about the noise levels? How quiet? What can you compare it to?

And another one! They are a detuned 350 (around 22 ponies?) must be grunty but how's the acceleration compare? 

Having done enduro / trials these things make me drool! And I've had kato's before and love 'em. 

Offline brent j

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Re: Show us your trail bike
« Reply #198 on: February 25, 2013, 09:07:58 pm »
My trusty KTonda is waiting for it's new owner and it's been replaced by this
The more I ride it, the more I like it

Hey Brent, those new Freerides are the ducks nuys I reckon! I really hope they take off and don't drop from the market. Others will follow hopefully.

I know they feel super agile but physically, how big are they to sit on. Like a normal enduro or smaller / lower?

What about the noise levels? How quiet? What can you compare it to?

And another one! They are a detuned 350 (around 22 ponies?) must be grunty but how's the acceleration compare? 

Having done enduro / trials these things make me drool! And I've had kato's before and love 'em. 

Hi Barra,The Freeride sits between a full sized enduro and my wife's CRF230 size wise. Easy to touch the ground but not cramped while riding sitting down.
Perhaps a little cramped standing with my dodgy back and I may raise the bars about 20mm to get the height I'm used to.

Quiet? We live in an elevated house, wifey was watching TV with the aircon going and she only knew I was riding around under the house and around the yard when she saw me through the window! Think of an old Honda SL with the std muffler. I have not touched the mufflers or airbox.

Power, I do a lot of hill climbs and it always has power to spare. Acceleration is good but not startling. I've read a lot of comments about the low power output. I doubt I will try and upgrade mine as I find in tight single track (which I love riding) I'm running down bigger more powerful bikes.
Watch a 450 in tight going, hard on the gas for a few seconds, coast into a corner, brake, turn and back on the gas for a few more seconds. The Freeride may not have a lot of horsepower but you can use it all. In single track you just hold the power on and turn. Goes where you are looking at!
I don't see this as a bike you buy on the off chance you will like it. I see it as the bike you buy when you know what you want. I can see a few coming up for sale when people find out they are not what they wanted them to be. It is a niche market bike
« Last Edit: February 25, 2013, 09:34:13 pm by brent j »
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Offline Barra

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Re: Show us your trail bike
« Reply #199 on: February 26, 2013, 08:50:44 pm »
Thanks for the info Brent, excellent descriptions! (an elephant stamp for you!).  You obviously knew what you wanted and got it! These things look like so much fun for novice or experienced riders! And you can rego them, hope Kato are on a winner here.

Anything you don't like? Anything look too frail / pushbikey?

Offline brent j

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Re: Show us your trail bike
« Reply #200 on: February 27, 2013, 09:15:34 pm »
It would be an easy bike to learn to ride on (like my wife's CRF230) but it won't hold back an experienced rider (unlike the CRF).
My wife has ridden it and it has improved her riding and confidence.

Everything is light and smaller but I wouldn't say things were delicate. I wouldn't put one on a supercross track though.

My first mod was a heavier rear spring and a bash plate, the standard one is a joke. I wasn't impressed with the optional one either.


I also managed to dent the radiator when I dropped it on a rock. Very surprising as it is so tucked in. A radiator guard is being made at the moment.

This is a personal thing and I can live happily without it but I'd like more flywhel weight. Stealthy (or what ever) say there is no room to fit one.
The next major thing will be a REKLUSE clutch as soon as they get the bugs worked out for this model.
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Offline Barra

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Re: Show us your trail bike
« Reply #201 on: February 28, 2013, 01:26:30 am »
That's one hell of a rock hoppin' bashplate! Is that header pipe flattened - as per factory?? 

Junction where alloy (frame?) crosses chromemoly frame looks different.  Does it snag your boots at all?

Don't worry about answering every single one of my pesky questions if you don't want - I'll have more no doubt! ha ha  :D

Offline chippy

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Re: Show us your trail bike
« Reply #202 on: March 28, 2013, 06:26:24 pm »
This is my current prime mover.

This is my old prime mover, I wish I never sold it.

Cheers Chippy.
« Last Edit: March 28, 2013, 06:31:34 pm by chippy »

Offline brent j

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Re: Show us your trail bike
« Reply #203 on: August 02, 2013, 04:29:34 pm »
I fitted a REKLUSE clutch to the Freeride and took it out today.
It made a mockery of the worst climbs I could find!
My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner  8)

I'm now working in a selector valve for the left hand lever. I'll be able to switch between the LHS lever being a clutch or rear brake.

Barra, the pipe is flattened from the factory and nothing catches on clothes, boots or body when you are riding.

The best bike just got better
« Last Edit: August 02, 2013, 08:26:23 pm by brent j »
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Re: Show us your trail bike
« Reply #204 on: July 01, 2014, 12:25:10 pm »
Brent - what's the deal with the 'selector switch' thing?  Not like the Clake is it?

Offline brent j

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Re: Show us your trail bike
« Reply #205 on: July 02, 2014, 08:47:08 pm »
Hey Twisty,

Here's a pick of the valve in place. You can see the actuating lever in the up position, this means the left hand lever is currently a rear brake.

With the lever in the down position the left  hand lever becomes the clutch as per normal. No matter what the valve is set to the rear foot brake always works as per normal.
 





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Offline Nathan S

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Re: Show us your trail bike
« Reply #206 on: July 03, 2014, 09:09:03 am »
Impressed. Is this a common thing, or a BrentJ invention?
The good thing about telling the truth is that you don't have to remember what you said.

Offline Mick D

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Re: Show us your trail bike
« Reply #207 on: July 03, 2014, 09:16:10 am »
Yes, I am impressed  too Brent. Thanks for sharing the development and opinions of your Kato, cool as 8)

And as Nathan asked,,,,all ears?? ???
"light weight, and it works great"  :)

Re: Show us your trail bike
« Reply #208 on: July 03, 2014, 10:57:00 am »
So its not a dual lever arrangement like the Clake?

I've often wondered why a clake type arrangement isn't used widely by pro racers.  Seems to me handlebar mounted rear brake gives lots of advantages over foot - right hand corners, going down steep hills (where you want to be able to lean right back - which you can't do if got to operate rear brake) and lots more besides. 

Be keen to hear more about your system Brent (and all cred to you for making it happen - fabricating it yourself?).  The latest clake design means you have what looks like one lever, but is actually two in one.  Take a bit to get used to it, but once you do, you can moderate between clutch and brake engagement easily, or actuate both.  I race dirt track these days, and remember hearing paul caslick's 'hot tip' was to drag the rear brake coming out of corners, to stop back end coming out too much.  Well, there's no way I can do that on a left or a right hand corner - leg/frame geometry just won't allow it.  The clake would allow it! 

Only trouble is the cost - over a grand.

Offline brent j

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Re: Show us your trail bike
« Reply #209 on: July 04, 2014, 03:50:43 pm »
Nathan, it's a brent j invention  :)

Twisty, I'm familiar with the "CLAKE" and it's a great idea but it pulls the clutch in before the brake comes on. There's always a crossover between the two

The two sections below are what I posted on a KTM forum

Recently I fitted a Rekluse auto clutch to my KTM Freeride.
 I love it but could see a few improvements to suit myself a little more.
 Stalling was eliminated (Freerides are prone to stalling if you try and ride them like an old fashioned trials bike) but there was a lack of engine braking on really, really slow trials type downhills.

 I also found you can't just stall it when you stuff up on a hill climb and have the bike stay where you are. The clutch is disengaged when the motor stops so the bike runs away.

 There are left side rear brake handlebar levers to operate the rear brake but they add a second lever which I didn't want.

 Being a machinist with a back ground in hydraulics I figured there must be an option to using two levers.

 With the KTM having a hydraulic clutch and hydraulic rear brake it seemed logical to divert the pressure from the clutch master cylinder to where I wanted it, when I wanted it.

 I modified a pneumatic valve to handle higher pressure and connected it into the clutch feed line just beside the motor on the right hand side.
 Now I can select the left hand lever to be a clutch which gives me the ability to check and set the adjustment on the Rekluse and also to bump start the bike if the battery goes flat. This is possible as the new model Rekluse has an adjustable slave cylinder so the clutch can be adjusted to work like normal.

 For the majority of time the left hand lever is used as a rear brake. The foot pedal works no matter what the left hand lever is set to so I always have that option.

 I like to challenge myself on hillclimbs and technical riding. At 54 years old I find my balance and reflexes are not what they once were. In the past if I stopped on a hill I had to put my left foot down and use the rear foot brake. Now I can put both down and grab the left hand rear brake which is much safer.

I've tried several different types of pipes and hoses but settled on steel automotive brake pipes with flared fittings.


To add a few more details.

 The valve is a 5 port, 2 position valve

 Pressure goes in through the centre port on the top and out either of the bottom ports as selected.
 The top ports, front and back are return lines. These allow the not in use circuit to vent back to the master cylinder.
 This is needed as, if you are using the brake, you must allow excess pressure in the clutch slave cylinder to vent. Or, as heat builds up the fluid will expand and cause the clutch to slip.
 Same with the brake. If you are using the clutch any heat generated in the rear brake, by using the foot brake, will cause the fluid to expand and the brake will drag.

 Due to the orientation of the valve it is very easy to bleed the system

 The rear brake works by pressurizing the foot brake master cylinder. I've made a liner to go inside the rear brake reservoir so it can be pressurized from the hand lever. Pressure goes through the master cylinder to the rear caliper. I can use the foot pedal, the hand lever or both at once.

 The other option is to use a shuttle valve. This does away with pressuring the rear master cylinder. The two pressure lines (hand and foot) go into two inlets of the shuttle valve and pressure comes out through the single outlet. A shuttle inside the valve blocks off the unused inlet to prevent pressure escaping via the other, unused, pressure line.
 Moving the shuttle uses some fluid volume so the first time you use either control there will be some excess movement




The older I get, the faster I was