" Wouldn't have got a smaller tank though..."

You got that right, bigger 18l tank is better.
I have bought. I use this smaller only now in the winter time and
bigger (black) tank needs new orange decals before install.

I´m going to make valve clearance adjustment , any idea what
is right clearance for intake/exhaust ?

were these used by the Army in Finland ?
nice looking bike with the Black rims

pg

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Watergrasshill fastest desert racer - only desert racer
www.discoveryrally.com

Finnish army use 400 / 640cc ktm.
I bought mine from Germany, because Finnish
army will use those bikes until they are one piece of s##t....only badly
broken/crashed ones goes to the auctions.

Does any one know where I can buy the KTM LC400 LSE military, in excellent condition?

Depends what you mean by 'excellent' condition. Very rarely you can find new ones, but at the price (>6000 EUR) I'm not sure if they are a good deal. BUT you can find some in excellent mechanical condition, with some mileage and scratches on the tank, which are great value.

Check this site: mil Suchergebnisse: Motorräder bei mobile.de

You will have to check back every couple of weeks or so. Most places that sell them are large vehicle dealers that buy them in containers of 20. They sell them off and when they're gone they might get another container. So depending on your timing you get to pick a nice one or be stuffed with left-overs. Or you could try to buy from a civilian owner, hoping that pre-selection has already occurred ;-) The merchant in Neumuenster had pretty shitty ones last time I looked (car merchant, not interested in keeping them in good condition). The one in Niebuell (currently offering 7 KTM mils) however is a bike dealer, so chances are that they've been given a service before you buy, but I haven't been there myself.

But one very important note for anyone interested in this bike:

I know two people on this site who had engine failures with this bike. The rocker arm rollers are a weak spot, especially the small bearing. Make sure you check it before your trip, or at least when you are approaching 25.000km, and replace it asap if it is showing signs of wear. I had mine checked before departure, and it needed a new bearing. No big deal, but if you miss this chance and the bearing goes, the cam bearings and cam shaft will follow, and that will be costly. Apart from that, take maintenance seriously (change oil and lube air filter every 5000km, check valve lash (tell-tale of rocker arm problem at least every 5000km). If you do that, then you have gotten yourself an extremely sweet and robust ride for very little money (starting from 2000 EUR if you are lucky). The WP suspension on this little machine is absolutely awesome!

In addition, tyres, chains, etc last an absolute eternity on this bike. Things that I would consider essential to modify or to take on a trip are as follows:

- add neoprene fork gaiters (~25 EUR) if you are going to dusty places (applies to any USD fork)
- put on a hand adjustable fuel mixture screw (~20 EUR) if you are going to go to high altitudes.
- take a bottle of magura blood (hydraulic clutch fluid) (~5 EUR)!!!
- take a carb needle jet and jet needle as spare (~20 EUR)
- take some oil filters, they can be hard to find
- consider converting to or adding HIDs, the standard head-lamp is pretty shitty.

Other than that, it's a great overlander right off the shelve! More infos/experiences PM me if you like or have a look at Moto Eurasia

Oh and one more thing: not sure if it's true, but I am told that KTM Mils are used for three purposes by the German military: 1) Escort vehicle - high milage, but usually in very good condition; 2) driving school - can be good, can be bad; if you are lucky then excellent mechanical condition, low milage but enough scratches on the tank to bring the price down; 3) physical exercise for members of the special forces (KSK) - you really don't want one of these! If you have frame numbers of potential bikes, then any KTM dealer can tell you where the bike was based, what it was used for and what maintenance/repairs have been done on it. The army has a maintenance contract with KTM, so it's all in the KTM database.

Good luck :-)

One more thing just came to my mind: originally the bike has two ignition settings: one that will only power the ignition and nothing else (no head light, no horn, no indicators, no dash light, not even the neutral lamp has power), and a second one that works as expected (head light always on). When you buy the bike, the "cloak" setting has most likely been disabled to make the bike road legal, but it's well worth converting it back. It makes kick-starting the bike a lot easier, and it enables you to run the bike without battery

You'll have to check how they disabled it, but most likely you'll find an orange cable behind the lamp mask that has been disconnected. Put it back where it belongs, and you got another very cool feature on the bike.

Edit: here's a pic of the cable that had been disconnected on my bike, see red arrow:

Sirakor, Thank you for your reply and informative information, you have been a great help and I am gping to be looking into it. Right now I am in a market for a adventure/enduro 400cc- 800cc range for a trip from Vancouver Canada to the most Southern Tip of South America. There are too bikes many I want...

Best regards
rudy

Does anybody have any ideas where I could get one in Austria?

OR anybody know how tough it is to buy a bike in Germany & register it in Austria?

also, what is the seat height on one of theses bad boys?

No idea where to buy these in Austria, I guess there must be an Austrian website for used motorbikes.
There are only a few for sale in Germany at the moment, one close to the Austrian border, in Traunreut or something (check on mobile.de). I wouldn't pay the asking price though, mine (same year of 1st registration) was cheaper two years ago and had only half the mileage. Registration in Austria shouldn't be a problem since both countries are in the EU, but you'll better check with the authorities. I registered a British bike in Germany and it was very straightforward (apart from having to change the headlight), no duty or tax.
Peer

PS: Not sure about seat hight in mm right now, but I'm 1,80 and reach the ground with both feet easily. With luggage I can even bend my knees a bit and have both feet fully and firmly on the ground.

Hey guys,


Roughly how much would it cost to have someone change out the the rocker arm rollers and the small bearing?

(if you haven't noticed I am looking into buying one )

i had a similar bike years ago, a ktm lc4 lse, s reg it was. practicly the same as a 640 but with a sleaved down barrel i think. the low seat came from shorter travel suspension and using 17 and 19 in wheels. it got used a lot for trail riding but was a bit heavy. sold it to a girl who rode from london to capetown on it and she had no props apart from a fork seal. i loved it and always wished id kept it as an overland bike....

Since it hasn't been mentioned so far: the KTM Mil has a 21" front, and a 18" rear.

When i was in the Army we had the old bomadears then went to the MT350 then 500s all had a Rotax engine re badged to Harley Davidson then I think back to Rotax.
The only problem with them was how high as im only 5ft 5!

How high is the KTM?

I would be very intresetd have looked @ ex brit MOD bikes, after using them for yeas but can tell you they are a pig to start the MOD had the Starter removed??
have a look at these the best feture on the Amy bikes is the SA 80 holder on the front forks good for the sunday paper,
If any one is thinking of getting 1 of the MT make sure the cases are at the back NOT the front or you will have to hunt for the frames for them,
In my reg we did a few modifercations & had 2 jerrry cans at the rear & cases @ the front SA80 case was removed and mounted on the handle bars, will look & see if I can find any photos of me on one of ours on Exercise, or when i was in Iraqc

Brit Army bike owners Club MT Riders Club
MOD & EX direct sales
Welcome to MOD Sales Online - Military Vehicles for Sale - Ex MOD Land Rovers for Sale Force MotorCycles

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We are the Pilgrims, Master, we shall go Always a little further: it may be beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow, Across that angry or that glimmering sea.

I was really taken by the mil spec KTMs in this thread when I was looking for a winter hack/trail bike and ended up with a standard orange LC4 400 from 2000 and just 6000 miles (off ebay!).

I'm 5'7" with a 30" inside leg and struggle with some of the other trail bikes out there. I have a 950SM which although lower than the LC4 is harder to manage as the suspension is firmer and the seat wider. My LC4 on 21/18" wheels is about 890mm tall but as it compresses so much when I get one (chunky) leg over it, I've not had a problem.

I have a set of Pirelli knobbly tyres, a bash guard and lower gearing to put on this weekend and then I'm going to give this trail riding thing a go!

Seat:

cheapest option: get a used sheep skin baby cart liner off ebay (~5 EUR). Worked for me all the way to Nepal. Alternatively take the seat to any upholsterer to redo the cushion. Gel inserts are great for continental climates, but can become a bit stiff below freezing and a little toasty in the desert ...

Gauges:

- Overheating is not a problem on the KTM Mil. If you intend to use it only for stop and go in very hot cities, fit a second fan and put it on a switch.
- Empty gas: errr... hardly any bike has a fuel gauge, let alone an accurate one, especially in this price class and on an enduro. But you have the reserve and the trip counter which you zero when you refuel, so you know exactly how much mileage you have left. Easy and the same as any other enduro.
- Battery/alternator: even rarer to find on a production bike than the fuel gauge and of little practical use as the battery will be dead by then ... take a cheapo multimeter instead if you must

If you want gauges for the above, and want it OEM, then swap the bike for a GS or a big adventure :P Alternatively, put on a rallye computer with the required sensors, but with the whole shebang we're talking 300-500 EUR. I am just converting my tach to a rallye computer (SIxO Homepage), but not because it's really neccessary, but because I'm back home and fiddling with the bike eases the desire to set off again. (plus the analogue tach cable broke again, and I'm fed up with it ...). The Touratech IMO (as found on the KTM Adventures) are another, more expensive, option (if you want comparable features). For just a digital tach that fits the original housing, try the MAE-Tach of the SXC/EXC models, but it won't give you the gauges you are after.

Headlight: stick in a HID conversion kit. Not road legal in most western european countries (UK is a different story), but who cares once you have departed ... Alternatively, rob a bank and spend 350 EUR on the Touratech one. Don't use higher wattage bulbs - stuff will smolder and melt, and the stator is already weak as it is.