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Enduro Chassis & Body Enduro Frame, Plastic, Brakes, Bars, Controls, wheels, tires, sprockets & gearing.


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Old 09-25-2020, 08:46 PM
Longleaf Longleaf is offline
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Default Rad Shroud Fitment and Fork Stiction

Hi everyone,

I've been lurking around here for the past six months while we rebuilt a 2003 EC200 that I picked up cheap ($500) with a seized motor. It's been a LONG rebuild, since we uncovered a plethora of other little issues along the way, as is expected with any 17 year old motorcycle. The bike has been restored as well as could be done without a full machine shop and unlimited budget. We've got about $2k in the build so far, plus hundreds of hours (literally) of my dear husband's sweat, creativity, and care. I've only ridden the bike twice, but I am LOVING it. I thought a KTM 200EXC was my dream bike, but this is everything I had hoped a KTM would be, plus it's not orange!

There are two small issues I was hoping to get some advice on. (One of these belongs here and one in the suspension forum, but I thought I'd consolidate into one post...forgive me!)

When you push down on the handlebars when standing beside the bike, the forks will compress an inch and a half and then stay there. If you pull back, they'll extend all the way, and if you let go of the bars gently, they'll hold that position. Put any weight back on the bars and they'll drop again. Is this just stiction? The seals are leaking a little (but there may not be much oil in them to leak...I hit a small jump and they bottomed out like a fat man on a deflated air mattress). I tried to clean the seals but the issue persists. I presume we need to rebuild the forks, but I want to know if A) This isn't a big deal and we can just top off the oil and rebuild them down the road, B) Replacing the fork seals won't fix it and we need to do something else, or C) This is normal fork sag.

Second oddity: The bike has a 3.2L Clarke tank on it, and I replaced the trashed stock seat pan and foam with a seat of an EC300. For whatever reason, the radiator shrouds have a gap before they reach the seat. I'm guessing the Clarke tank is wider than the OEM tank. Has anyone had this issue? Any suggestions for fixing it? We've considered plastic welding an extension onto the shroud, relocating the shroud holes and sliding the shroud up (would require fabbing up a new boss and would tweak the radiator), and just covering the gap with red vinyl. None of these is a clean solution.

https://imgur.com/a/OCHT6ps

Thanks everyone--this site is has been such a blessing through this journey!


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  #2  
Old 09-25-2020, 08:56 PM
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gasgasman gasgasman is offline
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1) Sounds like the forks are low on oil, or the springs are sagged out.

2) Forget trying to get those shrouds to fit.
Those fuel tanks are Rotomolded. Which means fit can be hit or miss.
You can try shimming up the front of the tank. That will close the gap at the seat.
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Old 09-26-2020, 06:41 AM
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RBrider RBrider is offline
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Your '03 200 sounds like my '01 XC 200 experience. I bet new seals & fresh oil will fix your forks. My '01 forks are WP, pretty much same as KTM .

No help on the tank issue. Mine came with the stock tank. These 200's just sip fuel so never felt the need for a larger tank.

Enjoy your new to you 200.

RB
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Old 09-28-2020, 07:29 AM
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pj7 pj7 is offline
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Nice job on that 200 - it looks great!

In addition to everything they said above, also make sure the forks didn't get mis aligned when you installed the front axle. That can cause them to bind and do what you're experiencing. You may need to replace the bushings in the forks when you change the seals. If they are very worn they can cause that sticking you are having. If you want to get an idea whether you need to order bushings without waiting until you have the forks apart to visually inspect them for wear, you can hold the front brake tightly and try and push the bike forward and back. If the bushings are worn you should be able to see the lower fork legs deflect slightly, and even feel some movement.
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Old GGs: 01 XC300, 02 XC125, 03 DE300, 03 DEO200, 01 SE300, 2011 EC300
Current: 05 DE250, Showa forked frankenbike 300, 05 DE300, 19 YZ250X
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Old 09-28-2020, 03:36 PM
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gg3 gg3 is offline
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You have probably done it but loosen up the triple clamp bolts & try it.Previous owner may have cranked them up too tight.Also inspect for any small dents in the fork tubes especially where the steering stops may have contacted the fork tubes.I had a 2002 300,probably same suspension package-WP forks & Ohlins rear? Was very good once setup.
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Old 09-29-2020, 03:59 AM
Doc Brown Doc Brown is offline
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Should you disassemble the forks for seal replacement please spend the money for the bushings too. Even if they don't look too worn you should replace them. They are not expensive and it really makes sense.

After replacing those parts and some fresh oil I bet your forks will work fine.
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