In vague order of importance:

Reliability - Honda
Engine - Ducati power and noise
Exhaust - Loud and safe
Seat - A sheep
Parts & Support - BMW & rescue book
Ease of Maint - KTM 640 Adventure
Electrics - Anything Japanese
Economy - Any big single
Suspension - KTM 640 Adv
Range - KTM etc
Dropability - KTM etc
Headlights - KTM + HID


What do you want/have?

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Jerome

http://www.fowb.co.uk

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Jerome

fowb.co.uk

Oh man, Jerome - you and your loud piped Adventure. =P

Well for one the KTM's electrics are Japanese so thats not an issue. As for parts I don't think you can beat Honda. Especially for something really common in the XR series.

Engine - you want power? Try the Suzuki DL1000 engine in their V-Strom.

Ease of maintenece - I think this might be some British sense of humor that is lost on me? Lets see if I recall the oil change procedure on the KTM 640 Adventure - take off the bash plate (5 bolts) and undo 2 bolts at the bottom of the engine to drain oil. Use Very Thin Arm to undo the 2 little bolts on the front frame tube. If not in possesion of a VTA then borrow somebody's or if nobody around, take off the tank. Watch oil splurt out of the bottom front frame tube until it stops. Remove the front frame tube oil filter with some sort of wrench or tool since nobody can get their hands in there no matter how VTA! Now on to oil filter #2 which is conveniently hidden behind the rear brake pedal. Once you've managed to get the pedal mostly out of your way, proceed to undo this banjo bolt remembering the correct order of the tubes and copper gaskets that hold this contraption in place. More bolts for the oil filter cap... and finally reach in there with your VTA and pull out the oil filter. Surely after we get clean oil filters back in there and get the contraption back together, we can just fill it up with oil and be on our merry way? Hahahah! Kronreif and Trunkenpolz have more "Adventures" in store for us! After filling the engine with oil (carefully measured!) now we fill up the front frame pipe! Make sure you carry a tube thin enough and long enough to fit between your fairing the the front engine pipe at the top fill hole. Now poke a hole in your oil container's cap and fit that tube in there. We will now attempt to fill that pipe up with oil passing through an impossibly thin tube at a very slow rate without losing our patience and using German swear words.

Should I describe the wonderful access to the valve cover bolts for quick and easy checking of the valves?

Hey, enjoy yourself in Central America Jerome!

CountPacMan
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who's tall and has VTA's to go along with his KTM 640 Adventure



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Improvement makes strait roads, but the crooked roads without Improvement, are roads of Genius - William Blake

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Improvement makes strait roads, but the crooked roads without Improvement, are roads of Genius - William Blake

Interesting pun, <strait> presume its not intentional?

Had to laugh ...ease of maintenance KTM oilchange! I still like my Adventure, but be serious......

ok, i forgot about that bit.

what do you suggest?

hydraulic tappets?

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Jerome

http://www.fowb.co.uk

__________________
Jerome

fowb.co.uk

whats a VTA?

I do the service on my 02mod Adv myselfe.. Changing oil and filters, adjusting valves, and cleaning (and oiling) airfilter takes about two houers. Thats not to bad is it? Think the Ktm dont deserve that bad rep. do they??

happy riding

Why in South Africa do KTM take two days to service a 640 ?