500 on eBay - advice required...

[pmcburney]

Keeping a very close watch on this:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220789165380


Can any of the true Kato devotees give me a quick rundown on these later water-cooled models?
I'd like to go in with eyes open if I can.

And, is this a fellow inmate's machine or does anyone know the owner?

[Mike52]

I had a 86/250 and sold it a while back.
Am now regretting that move.
What are they like?
Very fast [ go like a stabbed rat ] , good suspension , good brakes and easy to start even with the tiny kickstart. Sound great with the straight cut primary gears.
Water pump can be a problem but he says that he bought a fixed one.
Plastics go chalky but can be purchased from Andre Horvath in Germany.
He is very reliable and honest.

All in all a good bike.
Price is right.
Go for it.
Mike

[pmcburney]

I had a 86/250 and sold it a while back.
Am now regretting that move.
What are they like?
Very fast [ go like a stabbed rat ] , good suspension , good brakes and easy to start even with the tiny kickstart. Sound great with the straight cut primary gears.
Water pump can be a problem but he says that he bought a fixed one.
Plastics go chalky but can be purchased from Andre Horvath in Germany.
He is very reliable and honest.

All in all a good bike.
Price is right.
Go for it.
Mike

I did go for it.


And now it is mine...

And, the seller is being kind enough to bring it with him to CD8!

How.
Bloody.
Good.
Is.
That.

I'll have two bikes to ride!

Very much looking forward to the madness that is another large-bore KTM two-stroke.

[Slakewell]

Only two bikes to ride? mere amateur stuff.


Cool a nice Kato 500 is almost comfortable at Conandle , 3rd gear at drunks hills half throttle , should see you brake deep into the corner 

[Mike52]

Will keep my eye out for the guy who shakes a lot and screams every time he gives her the berries

[SPANISH ARMADA]

i am sure that was on vmx unlimited site for sale 3 weeks ago for sale at $2500 

[PEZBerq]

84 models and earlier only allowed for riding at CD as I recall. You may need to put a false nose and mustache on it so no one spots it if you sneak it on track

[pmcburney]

84 models and earlier only allowed for riding at CD as I recall. You may need to put a false nose and mustache on it so no one spots it if you sneak it on track

Hmmm, you're right about that.


No matter, it's to replace my (relatively) modern trailbike anyway.

Apart from water-cooling, the 84's weren't too much different.

It's still a classic, (looks around nervously) maybe I won't be so noticeable on the Enduro loop ?

[pmcburney]

i am sure that was on vmx unlimited site for sale 3 weeks ago for sale at $2500 

Heh, well, shit happens.


What's $700 between friends? It is getting delivered for nix - that's saved me about half that amount straight-up!

I work on the adage that when buying classic machinery, you never pay too much for something, you're just buying it too soon.

I'll let you know how much it's worth in ten years time...

[Mike52]

You can park it next to my 86 Husky at CD8 if you like

[pmcburney]

So, I'm doing as much research as I can on this bike.


Some stuff is not quite right...

The (AUS) compliance plate describes the bike as a 'KTM GS 400'. Was there any such model in '86?
The engine is definitely a 500. It has 565 stamped on the head, which is the 500 head...

I also need some info about the forks and front brake - instead of 40mm USD WP forks and KTM disc-caliper (which seem to be fitted to all the other '86's I can find pics of), this bike is fitted with 42mm conventional Marzocchi's and a Brembo disc-caliper.
What bike would these forks have originally been fitted to?

And, does anyone have a chassis parts manual that covers the both the '86 MX and GS's that I can grab a copy of?


Any more info greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Paul

[LWC82PE]

KTM was using both WP and Marzocchi forks and shocks at that time. Somewhere on a KTM forum i read about which markets had WP and which had Marzocchi but that was a while ago and i cant remember where i saw it. I have some of the manuals your after but im trying to find the site i found them on as they are too big to email.

Ok that was not too hard. Try here http://moto.tt.free.fr/explorer/ if you still cant find what your after i think i know some other sites with manuals. I just looked in the 86 MX & MXC catalogue and it shows the Marzocchi M1R forks and there is another 86 MX/MXC manual for WP's so its definitely a different market/option thing. I would also recommend contacting Boltons, they can probably help you too.

Also someone once eplained on here how Bert Floods was doing funny things with compliance plates back then too. That may explain that too.

[pmcburney]

KTM was using both WP and Marzocchi forks and shocks at that time. Somewhere on a KTM forum i read about which markets had WP and which had Marzocchi but that was a while ago and i cant remember where i saw it. I have some of the manuals your after but im trying to find the site i found them on as they are too big to email.

Ok that was not too hard. Try here http://moto.tt.free.fr/explorer/ if you still cant find what your after i think i know some other sites with manuals. I just looked in the 86 MX & MXC catalogue and it shows the Marzocchi M1R forks and there is another 86 MX/MXC manual for WP's so its definitely a different market/option thing. I would also recommend contacting Boltons, they can probably help you too.

Also someone once eplained on here how Bert Floods was doing funny things with compliance plates back then too. That may explain that too.

Wow... thanks for that link - what a resource!


It seems there were two 'versions' of GS/MXC in '86, one with upside-down forks and one with conventional.
I guess Australia must have gotten the model with the M1R Marzocchis - not that this is a problem.

What it does mean is, as the bike also had upside-down forks as a factory option, I could source and fit a set to my bike and it would still be pre-90 legal.
Happy days!

If anyone knows anything about the compliance plate 'issue' (RE Bert Flood), I'd be most grateful.


Thanks
Paul

[ba-02-xr]

Paul. I have an IPL for almost all 1986 models, only missing the 80. If you would like a copy for the 500 PM me. IPL's do have lots of answer to questions people ask & dont ask. In the 250 IPL there is also a 240.

[Mike52]

How did it all turn out ?
Happy ?
 What,s it go like ?
I have a brand new 1982/125GS compliance plate off my 81 MX .
It was given to me in a plastic bag with the bike.