KTM LC4

KTM LC4 400

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Every Dakar I had this strange feeling I missed something in life... Successes of Castera and Sainct on the F650 off course were great and I had lots of fun with my 'SixDays'. After regular excursions to the unpaved (only voluntarily) something had to be changed. My enduro had to carry water for sure. Liquid Cooled - 4 stroke, there was no other option. I tried such a green KLX650, but KTM gives you most enduro for your money.
At a KTM dealer some 120kms up North a new 400 grinned orange at me. I just could not forget the grin and after leaving my red SixDays I rode around with the same grin on my face. Riding a KTM is addictive :-)

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Equipment

An out-of-the-box LC4 surely is good enough but I really wanted to add some extras.

Sigma BC500 bicycle computer as a tripmaster
Acerbis roadbook reader - turned by hand and with bothe knobs on the left side
Nylon hand and handle protection
20 litre fueltank - second hand and repaintable
Skidplate from CRD
Tool bag - home made from 'Ortlieb-canvas'

An extensive description is on the LC4 400 Equipment page.

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Why a 400 ?

The 400 more easy to handle at low revs compared to a 620 or a 640. For small and sneaky tracks this surely is an advantage. In the dirt the bike runs smoother and is therefore easier to control. You don't need a big bore for power - 43hp (31kW) works fine for me. Several test rides proved why enduro professionals like Eric bernard and Joan Roma prefer the 400...
The electric foot. It comes handy if your'e in the dirt up to your pegs ;-) From model 2000 KTM equips all LC4 enduros this way. The extra weight is worth the extra help. Apart from that the battery protects bulbs from being burnt.

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Maintenance

Changing oil and filtres is very easy - the well layed out repair manual is a great help. However some things can be done easier:

To remove and mount the micro oil filtre a special tool is an asset. These tools can be bought or ordered at automobile part shops - the cup to fit in the filtre should have 14 sides and 64 mm diametre. An old wrench and a piece of bicycle chain will do the job as well.
To let out the oil of the front frame tube remove the plug on the right side of the frame next to the steering head. The oil will now flow out firmly.
When replacing the oil filtre on the right side of the cranck case there is no need to remove both attached oil hoses. Just remove the plastic guard for the front sprocket and the electric cable of the idle gear control switch. The lid of the oil filtre housing can be moved from its place.
To protect the front suspension from dirt coming in after every offroad ride the inner tubes should be washed well and sprayed with multi-use oil like WD40. Don't forget to cover the brakedisk when spraying...

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