06 525 EXE

[verdo26]

I am looking at getting myself an '06 525 EXE and was wondering if anyone has any history with the bike? I am going to look at one this upcoming weekend and was wondering if there is anything I should look at in particular? Any warnings?

I happened upon a video earlier saying that they need to be topped up with oil quite often. Can anyone explain this to me? The video didn't really go into details about what he was talking about. The same video also claimed it has fairly poor mileage does this seem to be true?

Do you think a giant loop bag would fit on the back or any similar luggage system?

I am looking to use this as kind of a dual sport focusing on 90% dirt I would think.

Thanks for reading and helping out.

 

[filterwrench]

I have a 07 525 exc,
Biggest issue I know of are the intake valves they are soft. It's recommended to upgrade between 200 and 300 hours the longer one waits the more it will cost to redo the heads other than that the RFS engine is quite reliable.
The suspension is good but the frame geometry is dated. The newer models are much more trail friendly.
The sub frame will not hold up to packing much weight so filling up saddle bags will definitely require sub frame reinforcement after some time.
Ktm has stopped making some key components for the RFS bikes which could become a real problem with 15 year old stuff. If the price is right and your handy with wrenches could work. I would not pay more than a third of the cost of a new one as it will cost more to keep an old bike running and yes they do use a lot of fuel compared to the fuel injected models.

 

[sagot]

I have owned 2 KTM's and I highly recommend that you buy a new one and trade it in 3 years later.
Also the oil change interval is 10-15 hours on that bike!
I know that people were adding extra oil reservoirs/coolers at the time.

 

[verdo26]

Thanks, I went ahead and bought it. The guy took care of it and seemed like it was in decent condition. Has new rubber on it and the only thing that needs addressing is the countershaft seal. Easy enough fix and I am not to bad on the wrenches. I think it will suit me for now. I would love to be able to afford to go new and all that but just not in the budget. It's my third bike I currently have one for highways, a 2021 Harley Low Rider S, a bike for single track, a little 06 TTR250 that just goes for days and takes the beatings that I give it. And now this EXC. I was able to get it plated and I mainly want it for getting out far on some logging roads and doing some bike camping places I can't quite get the truck. I've been doing a little reading and think I will pick up a little extra side work so I can do a few upgrades. Thinking a new tank, try and see if I can increase oil reservoir, and perhaps a fan.
Im going to replace the countershaft seal, clean the carb, clean and freshen up the air filter, take a look at the valves and see about adjusting, ( I don't know a whole ton about this task but have a few friends that may be able to guide me, would like to avoid shop costs if I can), change the oil and give the brake pads a look over. I think after doing all that I'll be laughing and the bike should treat me pretty well. I am also going to install a small hidden kill switch seeing as there is no ignition and I don't need anyone riding away with my bike.
The limited oil capacity just means that because there is less of it, it degrades faster I guess right?
As for storage I am looking at a couple options but looking to be as minimalistic as possible, hammock, tarp, sleeping bag kind of thing, nothing major.

All in all I think i good a good deal, I picked the bike up for 3k and will have to put a bit of time and some money but should do the job.

Now just need to find some routes to take it on. Looking at signing up for the HUMM Cascade and the Wandr Rockies coming up this summer. (looking for teammates)

Cheers

 

[filterwrench]

It will be a fun bike to ride for sure. FSRs will work well with the way the bike is set up. If you plan on singletrack then a fan would be good to have. Oil cooler will be beneficial if you plan on extended travel over 100 kph its the transmission heat that will degrade the oil the most.
Have fun!

 

[verdo26]

Was wondering if there might be someone who can shed some light on a couple issues I'm trying to deal with.

The bike starts fine and goes no problem with the choke open but when I go to close the choke it just dies. I just took the carb off and cleaned the whole thing up. Wasnt very dirty, was grand really. I've adjusted the idle and hope that works. Any other ideas?

I'm also having issues with my signal lights. They dont work. Head lights and horn are working fine but for some reason the indicators arent working. The fuses all seem fine. The ounces I've found (main 15 amp and the 10amp on the starter relay). I'm not really sure where to go from there?

Once those two issues everything else is pretty small and should be ready for action.

Thanks for whatever info that may come!

 

[filterwrench]

I would replace the jets they are likely plugged also center gasket will be toast by now so complete rebuild is best. I have same issue with my 07 and will rebuild in the off season. Got it running ok for this season with fresh jets
Signals most likely an open wire. If none work start from the switch. Both issues are common on older KTMs.
I would check and adjust valves also. Good vids on u tube for that.

 

[verdo26]

Well I figure I'll just keep updating my progress as I go. Hopefully it's not too much of a bore. Over the last few night I've been able to make some progress... ISH.
I took the carb off and gave it a good clean and a look through. I was actually very surprised at how clean it was and did not appear to have any gunk and crud built up anywhere. I decided not to put in any new jets as they looked so clean. May have been a mistake.
I reinstalled the carb onto the bike and moved in to dealing with the countershaft seal that's been leaking. I figured this would be a good opportunity to drain the oil so out with the old. In order to get better access to the countershaft seal I took the back wheel off to get some slack in the chain. Seal went in like a dream nice and easy. Cleaned things up while I had the access available. Also cleaned and greased the axel since it was available.
Put all that back together, adjusted the slack in the chain and put that gas back on.
Time to test the engine. Started up no problem. Sounded good and was running well and then when I killed the choke it barely would putt along and could see the lights flickering.

Kept dying and it actually drained my battery trying to restart it. So still no problem with the choke on. Gonna get new jets and start again think.

Pretty frustrating to say the least. It's also running extremely hot. Or at least I think it's quite hot which makes me worried about what I found in the oil plug.

Is this too much debris in the oil?

 

[sagot]

Hi there. Just chiming in two months later.
Sorry to hear about the problems with your 525.
Did you ever get your carb issues sorted?
Sounded like the pilot circuit was clogged or...
Low compression can cause poor idle... Yikes

 

[BRYAN690R]

Best to soak/clean your carb in a hot water/Simple Green solution using an ultrasonic cleaner
for best results

 

[TOMHerdy]

I also heard about the problem with the exhaust valves, they need to be replaced part of it. In general, the bike itself is not very comfortable, better to get a newer model with a better engine, in addition, the problem for older bikes remains with the spare parts that are sometimes hard to get. When it comes to oil, I can tell you from my experience that when I bought my HD, I was told that it needs to be changed often, and it really does, but as I found out later it all depends on the type of oil and its quality, when I bought the best oil for harley davidson, the oil problem disappeared. Still, better look at a newer model, but if you like the old ones, be prepared for trouble.