KTM 85SX - Manual (Page 17)

ENGLISH
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MAINTENANCE WORK ON CHASSIS AND ENGINE
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Checking and adjusting the steering head bearing *
Check steering head bearing for play periodically. To check, put motorcycle
on the stand so that the front wheel is off the ground. Now try to move the
fork forward and backward. For readjusting, loosen the three clamp screws
[1] of the top triple clamp and turn steering stem bolt [2] clockwise until there
is no more play. Don’t tighten the steering stem bolt all the way, otherwise
the bearings will be damaged. With a plastic hammer, lightly rap on the triple
clamp to release tension. Retighten the three clamp screws to 20 Nm.
IF THE STEERING HEAD BEARING IS NOT ADJUSTED TO BE FREE OF PLAY, THE
MOTORCYCLE WILL EXHIBIT UNSTEADY DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS AND CAN GET
OUT OF CONTROL.
IF YOU DRIVE WITH PLAY IN THE STEERING HEAD BEARING FOR LONGER PERI-
ODS, THE BEARINGS AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE BEARING SEATS IN THE FRAME
WILL BE DESTROYED.
The steering head bearings should be regreased at least once a year
(i.e. Motorex Long Term 2000).
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ALL MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENT OPERATIONS THAT ARE MARKED WITH AN ASTERISK * REQUIRE SPECIALIST KNOWL-
EDGE. FOR YOUR OWN SECURITY, LET THESE TASKS BE CARRIED OUT BY A KTM-DEALER WHERE YOUR MOTORCYCLE WILL
BE OPTIMALLY SERVICED BY APPROPRIATELY QUALIFIED, SKILLED STAFF.
– WHEN CLEANING THE MOTORCYCLE, DO NOT USE A HIGH PRESSURE CLEANING UNIT IF POSSIBLE, OTHERWISE WATER
WILL PENETRATE THE BEARINGS, CARBURETOR, ELECTRIC CONNECTORS, ETC.
– WHEN TRANSPORTING YOUR KTM, ENSURE THAT IT IS HELD UPRIGHT WITH RESTRAINING STRAPS OR OTHER MECHAN-
ICAL FASTENING DEVICES AND THAT THE FUEL TAP IS IN THE OFF POSITION - IF THE MOTORCYCLE SHOULD FALL OVER,
NO FUEL CAN LEAK FROM THE CARBURETOR OR FUEL TANK
– ONLY USE SPECIAL SCREWS WITH AN APPROPRIATE THREAD LENGTH SUPPLIED BY KTM TO FIX THE SPOILERS ON THE
TANK. USING OTHER SCREWS OR LONGER SCREWS CAN CAUSE LEAKS IN THE TANK THROUGH WHICH FUEL CAN FLOW
OUT.
– DO NOT USE TOOTHED WASHERS OR SPRING RINGS WITH THE ENGINE FASTENING SCREWS, AS THESE WORK INTO THE
FRAME PARTS AND KEEP WORKING LOOSE. INSTEAD, USE SELF-LOCKING NUTS.
– LET YOUR MOTORCYCLE COOL DOWN BEFORE BEGINNING ANY MAINTENANCE WORK IN ORDER TO AVOID GETTING
BURNED.
– DISPOSE OF OILS, FATTY MATTERS, FILTERS, FUELS, WASHING DETERGENTS, ETC. PROPERLY.
– UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MAY USED OIL BE DISPOSED OF IN THE SEWAGE SYSTEM OR IN THE OPEN COUNTRYSIDE.
1 LITER OF USED OIL CONTAMINATES 1,000,000 LITERS OF WATER.
Breather plug front fork
After every 5 hours of use for competitive racing, slacken the breather
plugs [3] a few turns in order to relieve excess pressure from the inside of the
fork. To do this, place the motorcycle on a stand with the front wheel lifted
off the ground.
EXCESSIVE PRESSURE IN THE INTERIOR OF THE FORK CAN CAUSE LEAKS IN THE
FORK. IF YOUR FORK IS LEAKING, IT IS RECOMMENDED TO OPEN THE BREATHER
PLUGS BEFORE HAVING THE SEALS REPLACED.
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