500 exc maintance schedule for on road use.. SO CONFUSED!!!!

59850 Views 39 Replies 15 Participants Last post by norberto91, Jul 28, 2013

Tay_lord_gang420

Discussion Starter · Apr 9, 2012

Im currently in the process of choosing a dual sport enduro to supermoto out.. I am very interested in the 500exc but am concerned with the maintenance that will come with it from riding on long trips... will it be able to handle long trips with out having to re-adjust the valves and such? the 500 exc is ideally the bike for me because i wanna be able to mash it around a track and mob it up tight technical hills with the switch of the tires.. however just am concerned the bike wont be able to hold up on long rides... any suggestions advice etc would be great, Thanks! :headscrat:rolleyes2:

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ApTard

· #2 · Apr 9, 2012

I'm in the same situation but not really seeing too much quick info on the new exc, or I just can't see it as usual, lol. actually I was leaning more towards the 530 is the 500 what's available to you our was it your choice? And why? I'm very new to researching KTM. Getting into the sxv was easy... Pure terror and fear that still hasn't gone away. Subscribed!

rmbukk

· #3 · Apr 9, 2012

at a guess id say it would be similar to most off road bikes! Oil change every 500 miles or so and valvechecks every other oil change

510Subaru

· #4 · Apr 9, 2012

You have to pay to play with these bikes, performance costs...

brian

· #5 · Apr 9, 2012

I change my race bike oil after every track day....for road I think your 500 mile interval is a good one, but would be at the outside of what I would personally do ...I adjust valves when the bike gets hard to start...when I read the words "long trips" it makes me think of a 690 with an aftermarket seat...

yuu

· #6 · Apr 9, 2012

I'm no expert on these bikes so take what I was with the appropriate grain of salt. If you're only using them on the street you can probably extend the intervals a bit. Why?
- At least for oil you will not be exposed to near the volume of fine dust on the road as in an off road situation. No matter how good the filter you still get silica (sand) in your oil from dust. Off-road it'll build up in the oil faster
- Heat - on the road I'd expect you operating temps will be more regulated and lower. Heat cycles trash oil, and nothing like difficult off-road sections followed by open trail to up-down temps.

For the valves - I'd be sticking to the recommendations, personally. So if it's a road bike, yeah you might save a bit on oil changes, but it will be more needy than most.

it was the maintenance that pushed me to a 690 as my ride as it (hopefully) will see the track, but that will be a minor amount in comparison to the road miles it'll get

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Tay_lord_gang420

Discussion Starter · #7 · Apr 9, 2012

brian said:
I change my race bike oil after every track day....for road I think your 500 mile interval is a good one, but would be at the outside of what I would personally do ...I adjust valves when the bike gets hard to start...when I read the words "long trips" it makes me think of a 690 with an aftermarket seat...

damn. my only problem with the 690 is that its not as dirt capable.. and the flaw with the 500 is that it cant go more than a 1000miles with out the valves being inspected... thats too short of a time for me realistically when im going to be doing 1000mile rides in a weekend.. cant afford to be doing that every weekend so i think i may have to start looking at the 690smc... so what kind of seat would you suggest??

brian

· #8 · Apr 9, 2012

he said SM, so that's street mostly If not all...tight technical trails ? Long rides ?...dunno about Silica content specially on whats described as technical uphill, so I'm picturing dirt ?

When you are on a track either pinned or off the gas, on the brakes, and dropping 3 gears from 80 mph plus dumping the clutch the oil gets alot of content ( specially with a slipper)....have 5 sessions or 6 session in a day doing this and the oil is done....
not sure what the book says about valve adjust but I have run 80 hours on my race motor speed shifting and bouncing off the rev limiter and still the valves are in spec and starting 1 st kick..

brian

· #9 · Apr 9, 2012 (Edited)

Tay_lord_gang420 said:
damn. my only problem with the 690 is that its not as dirt capable.. and the flaw with the 500 is that it cant go more than a 1000miles with out the valves being inspected... thats too short of a time for me realistically when im going to be doing 1000mile rides in a weekend.. cant afford to be doing that every weekend so i think i may have to start looking at the 690smc... so what kind of seat would you suggest??

You are asking the wrong guy to brands of seats

but there are many companies out there that re do them...I'd jump on the KTM section and look at the 690 guys and ask what they do... for example one of my race buddies had his seat done here locally and I was blown away to how comfy it was compared to mine......you can always mod the front end to allow better turn on on the rare trail ride ? slide forks up, triples ? adjustable for ends...tough call to get a bike that does all...tight trail riding is pretty much out... trails and fire roads I think is the best you will be able to handle imho
the true reason for these smaller bikes to be licensed is for the trail guy to ride on road to the trail head and go for it... nothing extended was ever in the minds of the MFG's again IMHO..

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yuu

· #10 · Apr 9, 2012

people seem to like the renzaco seats - I've got no FHE.

Mine came with a corbin seat. Never ridden the stock, so I can't compair. But I knocked out 120-150 miles the other day and it was pretty good. My tail bone was a touch sore the next day, but that might be in part due to sitting on the seam of my tail pack or a portion.

Since folks report the stock seats on the 690 SMC/Enduro are about as comfy as a ride on a 2x4 I'd have to guess the corbin is a step up.

Skully25

· #11 · Apr 9, 2012

Tay_lord_gang420 said:
damn. my only problem with the 690 is that its not as dirt capable.. and the flaw with the 500 is that it cant go more than a 1000miles with out the valves being inspected... thats too short of a time for me realistically when im going to be doing 1000mile rides in a weekend.. cant afford to be doing that every weekend so i think i may have to start looking at the 690smc... so what kind of seat would you suggest??

so you're expecting a lightweight enduro, a trackday bike and what I can get from the 1000 mile rides, a touring bike... all from the same machine :headscrat

the 500 shares the same head as the old 530 exc. depending on the type of use it can easily go over 50 hours of use without the valves needing adjustment because it uses shims, but for the kind of use you have in mind that doesn't even matter. a 500 in your case is not the right bike at all. have yet to meet the guy that jumps on a bike like a 500, rides a 1000 miles over the weekend and comes back unbroken....... you'll be filling the tank up at least 10 times over those 2 days since a bike like that doesn't even get 100 miles out of a tank...

doing those kind of distances a lot means even a 690 is going to need quite a bit of attention if you want to keep up with proper maintenance.

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Tay_lord_gang420

Discussion Starter · #12 · Apr 10, 2012

thinkin im gunna go with a 690 enduro r and put a set of supermoto rims and hubs on it... plus a couple other little mods but i think thats what im set with... :thumbup:

MillertimeSM

· #13 · Apr 10, 2012

Skully25 said:
so you're expecting a lightweight enduro, a trackday bike and what I can get from the 1000 mile rides, a touring bike... all from the same machine :headscrat

the 500 shares the same head as the old 530 exc. depending on the type of use it can easily go over 50 hours of use without the valves needing adjustment because it uses shims, but for the kind of use you have in mind that doesn't even matter. a 500 in your case is not the right bike at all. have yet to meet the guy that jumps on a bike like a 500, rides a 1000 miles over the weekend and comes back unbroken....... you'll be filling the tank up at least 10 times over those 2 days since a bike like that doesn't even get 100 miles out of a tank...

doing those kind of distances a lot means even a 690 is going to need quite a bit of attention if you want to keep up with proper maintenance.

I disagaree... I have seen many bikes that can match up to Lords standards, maybe not 50ft jumps but stop taking him so literally he wants a well capable machine that stomps some hardcore off road trail riding as much as some very good handling street carracteristics in the tight techy's as well with little maintenance ...

MillertimeSM

· #14 · Apr 10, 2012

if you want a real byke buy my 610...:clap::rofl:

:hmmm:

brian

· #15 · Apr 10, 2012

MillertimeSM said:
I disagaree... I have seen many bikes that can match up to Lords standards, maybe not 50ft jumps but stop taking him so literally he wants a well capable machine that stomps some hardcore off road trail riding as much as some very good handling street carracteristics in the tight techy's as well with little maintenance ...

all he is doing is quoting the requirements....:anim_peep: hell I wouldn't do 1000 miles on my cruiser...:rofl:

Tay_lord_gang420

Discussion Starter · #16 · Apr 10, 2012

brian said:
all he is doing is quoting the requirements....:anim_peep: hell I wouldn't do 1000 miles on my cruiser...:rofl:

1000 miles really isnt that far to do in a weekend... i know dudes who do that in a day... so cmon dont say you wouldnt do a 1000 miles on your cruiser... cause if thats the case you outta sell it and stick to pit bikes and cruising from tent to tent if thats all you can handle...
:Funny::clap::thumbup:

Skully25

· #17 · Apr 10, 2012

MillertimeSM said:
I disagaree... I have seen many bikes that can match up to Lords standards, maybe not 50ft jumps but stop taking him so literally he wants a well capable machine that stomps some hardcore off road trail riding as much as some very good handling street carracteristics in the tight techy's as well with little maintenance ...

you find one of those you may as well have come across the holy grail of motorcycles. I've been around bikes long enough to know what you can expect from one...

a 690 enduro will be a handfull in the tight technical trails, which is what he said he wants to do with the bike, don't ask me how I can take that to literally. it might be decent on the street as a sm, do well on the more open offroad stuff and handle the larger distances but it's still not going to tackle every task you throw at it and come out with flying colours. same goes for all the othe compromise bikes out there like a 610 husky. this simply is a 2 bike job description. one for the hardcore offroad stuff and trackdays, one for the street and traveling.

Tay_lord_gang420 said:
1000 miles really isnt that far to do in a weekend... i know dudes who do that in a day...

all that says to me is highway, highway, more highway... as in most boring ride ever imo. :anim_peep:

the longest streetride I did on my old 450 and 530 was 250 miles spread out over a day, mostly backroads where you actually enjoy riding a supermoto. those last 50 miles you just want things to be over with...

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MillertimeSM

· #18 · Apr 10, 2012 (Edited)

Skully25 said:
and those bikes are? you find one of those you may as well have come across the holy grail of motorcycles.

all that says to me is highway, highway, more highway... as in most boring ride ever imo. :anim_peep:

lol those bikes are? you really want me to name some.. haha ok maybe like the husky 610 like you know, theres the ktm 690 and the sxv5.5, bmw hp2's, hell maybe even a drz400 these are jus some off the top my head... Maybe not the most capable in the tight techys as my 250 but it still can handle a good amount of road dirt riding.
Id say any of these choices would be legit for you...
and as for the most boring ride ever comment i dont think you "see" what Lord is trying to achieve here this isnt the "holy Grail" of motorcycles lol or is it?!

comparing each bike to see what the advantages and disadvantages are. obviously the 500exc is going to be extremly capable in the dirt but for how much road he will be riding with me i feel like it will be hard to keep up on the maintenance intervals:headscrat
if you guys are so stoked on tables tops and the tighest most technical extreme hardcore trails I wouldnt even do the 500 you will get smoked... id go for the 450 or something haha but then at that point theres no reason to have it street legal at all imo.

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Skully25

· #19 · Apr 10, 2012

the fact you put sxv 550 in that lists tells me all I need to know :anim_peep:

MillertimeSM

· #20 · Apr 10, 2012 (Edited)

:rofl: whats wrong with the aprilla??? i have never owned one... sounds like you have from experience...:clap:
instead of bashing bikes lets hear what you prefer?
what kinda bike would you ride skully?
a streetcapable machine with good handling offroad characteristics... lets hear it

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