Is motorcycling allowed?

[Hairy]

1 hour ago, mazambaan said:

I can imagine what you feel like and you have my sympathy. Not an easy fix as I see it - crank shaft chewed up?

crank shaft potentially yes.

[Hairy]

Also going to get quotes from those who buy the bikes to split for spares and see how I can cut my losses on this #^%# of an experience.

Will make a call after this cost vs rebuild cost and see how the dice then roll.

Either or, I do not think I will touch a KTM again. I know it is not necessarily the brands fault, but there is too much animosity from myside now.

[Andymann]

Dude I'm so bummed for you.  You managed to end up with a real lemon.

I don't know much about KTM costs but if you had damage like that on a Yamaha it would probably be a R20k exercise.  Everything is repairable if you absolutely want that specific bike - but I'm not so sure it's worth chucking big money at hey

[IceCreamMan]

Really sorry to read this and given your sunken costs it’s heart breaking. 
 

this workshop ain’t done you any favours, this is a big miss and one that should have been picked up much much sooner. 
 

good luck with that ever you decide. While I am a fan of KTM, buying an old  KTM has potential of heart break. 
 

good luck. 

[Stoffel76]

20 hours ago, Hairy said:

Last minute, bloody dot com the mechanic now points obvious #$^&$ **** that .... and now wants to break the motor open to clean out any potential copper parts and clean and flush the #%^# thing.
He has been in this thing for 58 days already and now picks this up.

Am I understanding you correctly - that he's had the bike for 2 months and only discovers this now? 😬

or has that happened since he had the bike? 

 

Jeepers, that sucks big time! Sorry man!! I feel your pain...

 

[Andymann]

2 hours ago, Hairy said:

crank shaft potentially yes.

......R17000

I can't think it's worth spending upwards of R25k.  Problem is, you probably won't get your money back if you part it out - chances are you will be left like me with some random 125LC parts which no-one wants because all the desirable bits are already gone.

[Hairy]

1 hour ago, Stoffel76 said:

Am I understanding you correctly - that he's had the bike for 2 months and only discovers this now? 😬

or has that happened since he had the bike? 

 

Jeepers, that sucks big time! Sorry man!! I feel your pain...

 

Just brought this up now.

[Hairy]

Bike is a right off.

Have potential people interested in the bike as a spares bike, but they are not in a position to to buy this right now.

All in, I have lost a good bit of cash and a lot of time with this %$^# bike.

[IceCreamMan]

sorry to hear. 
 

Have you any potential of recourse against the seller? Voetstoots is not a blanket amnesty in za law. 
 

seriously sucks

[Hairy]

2 hours ago, IceCreamMan said:

sorry to hear. 
 

Have you any potential of recourse against the seller? Voetstoots is not a blanket amnesty in za law. 
 

seriously sucks

I do not think so.

He started the bike on a vid for me and from the day it arrived at my place it did not.

But I do not think the problem was with him, but the dude he bought it from previously.

[mazambaan]

On 9/6/2025 at 2:25 PM, Hairy said:

I do not think so.

He started the bike on a vid for me and from the day it arrived at my place it did not.

But I do not think the problem was with him, but the dude he bought it from previously.

On the face of it a rat. As Andy says, expensive to repair properly on a bike where spares may be available, let alone an old KTM where there were never too many of that model in SA anyway. IMHO those LC4; 620, 625, 640 and 690 KTM's were/are more powerful and had better offroad suspension than XT, DR, KLR and XL etc but that comes at a price; shorter life and more likely to get / have been thrashed; motard style.

A real dilemma for the 625 (donor motor?) but if you want a big single, learn from this and look again, very carefully.  The XT, DR and KLR are lower, somewhat less powerful, last better and not as well suspended but they go really well. You just have to be very careful with older ones. Disclaimer; I have only ever owned a TT600 and XR600 which went well but kick start only soured.

[Andymann]

If you can find an XR650 it will probably outlast everyone currently active on this forum!

[Andymann]

50 minutes ago, mazambaan said:

On the face of it a rat. As Andy says, expensive to repair properly on a bike where spares may be available, let alone an old KTM where there were never too many of that model in SA anyway. IMHO those LC4; 620, 625, 640 and 690 KTM's were/are more powerful and had better offroad suspension than XT, DR, KLR and XL etc but that comes at a price; shorter life and more likely to get / have been thrashed; motard style.

A real dilemma for the 625 (donor motor?) but if you want a big single, learn from this and look again, very carefully.  The XT, DR and KLR are lower, somewhat less powerful, last better and not as well suspended but they go really well. You just have to be very careful with older ones. Disclaimer; I have only ever owned a TT600 and XR600 which went well but kick start only soured.

There were some lovely thumpers at the 1000 Bike Show this weekend.  The guys are really taking the restorations to another level now.

[Spokey]

On 9/6/2025 at 3:25 PM, Hairy said:

I do not think so.

He started the bike on a vid for me and from the day it arrived at my place it did not.

But I do not think the problem was with him, but the dude he bought it from previously.

Wow, Hairy, what a runaround. I have been away and just catching up on the forums. Sorry that it has ended this way with the bike as spares and not rideable.

I bought my 83 XL600R with videos showing it being started and what looked like a good paint job etc. Bike arrived and was very much not as glamorous as the pics. She is now in Durban having a rebuild and restoration. I will never buy a bike again unless I travel to see it.

Good luck offloading this Katoom and hope you can find a good thumper to enjoy the back roads.

[Andymann]

18 minutes ago, Spokey said:

Wow, Hairy, what a runaround. I have been away and just catching up on the forums. Sorry that it has ended this way with the bike as spares and not rideable.

I bought my 83 XL600R with videos showing it being started and what looked like a good paint job etc. Bike arrived and was very much not as glamorous as the pics. She is now in Durban having a rebuild and restoration. I will never buy a bike again unless I travel to see it.

Good luck offloading this Katoom and hope you can find a good thumper to enjoy the back roads.

Is your bike with Malcolm?

 

[Spokey]

1 hour ago, Andymann said:

Is your bike with Malcolm?

 

Yes. I plan to send my little FS50 there when the Honda returns home.