Shity Austrian plating!

Cannot believe how piss poor the quality of the plating is on the fasteners and banjo fittings on this bike. KTM should be ashamed. And I don't even live in an area where corrosion should be a concern.

Since I've started my SD beautification project (wheels, rotors, rearsets, etc) I've noticed a lot of corrosion and started replaceing the offending fasteners (axel pinch bolts, rotor bolts, etc.). I've noticed my brake and clutch line banjo fittings and bolts are rusted at the master cylinders. Looks like shit!

Brake lines will be no problem as I can source them from several different manufacturers. The clutch line could be another issue as it appears to be a smaller diameter than the brake lines. I obviously want them all to match for asthetic reasons and am thinking black lines (SS with black sleeving) with red fittings and blue banjo bolts. Anyone know of a source where I can purchase both? One stop shopping for clutch and brakes?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, John

If you want to deal with a UK company based at Silverstone race track in the UK then I cannot recommend these people high enough. Custom lines to your spec at a good turn around and the best quality.
http://www.earls.co.uk/earls/
Here's a link to the thread where they got mentioned.
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=15770&p=183692&hilit=brembo+monoblocks#p183692

I wholeheartedly agree. My bike is just fourteen months old and every single plated fastener is rusty. Piss poor quality and finishing. My local stealer has offered to remove and spray them all with an aerosol silver paint but frankly it's not good enough. Grr.

my bike is a 2005 build, so is 6 years old, and since last August she's lived outside underneath a cover in North West England (read that as === wet and cold), and I don't have a single bit of rust on any of those places you've mentioned, nor anywhere else that I can find.


Perhaps the build quality was higher on earlier models? so that would make them faster, AND better quality?!

So i'm not the only one... Was starting to to think my bike had the mileage turned back.. Same issue.. had to replace all hoses with Hel braided hoses.. used the normal diameter for the clutch hose.. but now have a slightly hard clutch...( Not sure if its related) Had alot of the alluminium powdercoated and also replace all the engine bolts, Handle bar bolts and fork bolts with Stainless steel.. (still battling to find right hand engine casing bolts as there is one longer one.)... NOT IMPRESSED!!

I do enjoy customising a bike.. but having to replace bolts and braided hoses was not on my list .. should be quality straight off the bat!!

As per Samba, 6 yr old bike, had it from new. No worse than jap crap and in most cases a whole lot better.

Slightly corroded banjo bolts and the odd cheap faster are normal on 99% of motorbikes, and my SDR is no worse than any bike I've ever owned. The few bits that are furred on mine include the front brake banjos, a few upward facing hex nuts where water collates, and the pushrod for the gear lever, but that's all, ...on an 08 bike that is kept outdoors, ridden in all weathers, all year, in London, under a £20 cheap cover.

My Hondas, Kawasakis and Ducatis were all much worse, with corroded engine casings, bottom yoke and top of the rear shock (on the Honda!!!), you name it. ...KTMs are one of the better bikes, in my experience.

Not that it isn't annoying to have furred-up braided line connectors. I wince at mine when I clean the bike.

(Surprised yours is corroded Davo. I didn't think anything was wet for long enough to rust in SIngapore!)

On a new bike, it does help to coat those vulnerable bits and bolts with a tiny dab of ACF 50. Lasts for ages.

Again, 2005 bike here with no corroded bolts, banjos or anything else

As usual as the years have gone by KTM have obviously started to cut costs and use inferior quality parts

Just another good reason to keep the trusty ol 05

my bike is washed every week and no corroded bolts... 08

I've got a very well kept '06 and quite a few of the fasteners have surface rust, I think the plating at KTM must be a bit hit and miss, judging by the opposing views.

Dutch: (Surprised yours is corroded Davo. I didn't think anything was wet for long enough to rust in SIngapore)

Too right Buddy. I don't understand it. But most fasteners on my bike are pretty low grade steel too. They are only good for a couple of uses and they round off. Like they are made if some kind of new low tech sci-fi material having qualities of putty but yet also rust. Grrrr.

?????
I've experienced none of this "corrosion" in approx. 30,000 K. on my 2007 SD.

yep mine is shit looks like its been a winter hack, they look like the same quality of bolts that were on my rsv, I will eventualy replace all

Some bolts yes , a few have lost it's shiny cover.

But no rust, especially in the brakes banjos.

p.s- 05 SD in fast orange

06 with 30k and no major problems with bolts that have never been removed, anything that has been of once or twice hasnt rusted but coating looks 2nd hand.

To be honest, everything is budget these days and I regularly clean my bike and spray ACF-50 on lots of bits and Daytona 365 on the rest of her. I was outside a Honda dealership last week and laughed at the corrosion and wear marks on virtually new bikes, it was bloody awful and you would think it would be a lot better. Again outside a BMW dealership 3 weeks ago and pissed myself seeing corrosion on a 3 week old S100RR. So its clean and protect what we have or would you pay 50% more for a better built bike.I doubt many of us could afford to pay for what we really want

Hel performance USA made me a custom rear brake line black stainless with a black sheath and black SS banjos.. i talked with a very nice guy named Jim at Moto Heaven, he made the line...The phone number is 814-489-3379
I sent him a sample of what i wanted and i had my product 3 days later, i was very impressed...Call them to see if they came make the clutch line as well.

Being of Austrian ancestry I’m a little upset! Not even a trace of corrosion on my bike! English roads still have salt in the gutters, no issues this end. Should keep yours clean mate!!!

Not had the chance and my Oberon slave cylinder has yet to arrive....good thing I didn't pull lines or bike would still be sitting in same spot. Got dyno time scheduled for Friday so looks as if this weekend is out as well.....will be riding.

John

I'm really surprised at the corrosion on there Lowrance!

Again, mine's a 2005 and the only signs of rust are on the disc bolts and where previous owners/stealer have mashed the centre clamp for the bars

I'm in So Cal as well!

General consenses seems to be the earlier (05/06) models have better plating than the later versions. Makes sense considering the bean counters are in control of everything these days.

John

You were serious. I have an 07 that has aproximatly 12k and mine look like the quality that was on my original Duke II. I am wondering if someone did not use a cleaner or combination of cleaners that somehow etched the metal. They look like a bike that had sat outside for twelve years on the side of a barn.
I would say your deterioration is not a normal condition to the SD.

I'm the only person who has ever touched this bike and I've not used any cleaners capable of etching through plating. The bike is always garaged and is meticulously maintained. I'm very anal about my bikes (just ask anyone who kows me...I'm meticulous about their bikes as well! ).

John