Long-Term Update

Long-Term Update

KTM 525 SMC

Low-maintenance plan

HERE IN THE MODERN AGE OF MO torcycles it is now easier than ever to find a bike that needs no other attention than to be ridden. Such is the case with our long-term KTM 525 SMC. Okay, the usual unavoidables-cleaning the air filter, changing the oil and lubing the drive chain-are still required. Other wise, our bike has needed nothing.

We frequent many of Southern Cali fornia's motocross hot spots and have found that the 525 is best suited to the nat ural-terrain of Cahuilla Creek MX Park (www.ccmxpark.com), with its deep sand, loamy uphills and long straights. Whoops? What whoops? Just lean back, gas it and wheelie over them! The power is so linear and forgiving one of our editors com mented, "It truly feels like cheating, and I like cheating." In supermoto guise, the engine hasn’t received the same accolades. It’s plenty fast but not exactly cheater-like, and some testers have found that the four-speed transmission holds them back on longer racetracks.

At this point, the chain and rear sprocket are worn-out and need replacing. Oh, and the little lever on the petcock snapped off, which means you now need pliers to turn it on. And the right-side frame protector is MIA. Somewhere along the way, the bike also broke two spokes in the rear wheel. Looks like we’ve got a day in the shop ahead of us. Hey, that’s the price you have to pay to play.

$7298

MV Agusta BRUTALE

Soothing the savage

NAN EFFORT TO INCREASE POWER, improve throttle response and get bet ter fuel mileage, we installed an MV Agusta Corse Fl titanium full exhaust sys tem ($3650!) and a Dynojet Power Com mander III USB ($332) on our long-term Brutale. We had the PCIII custom mapped locally ($280 labor) and in concert with the pipe, output is up to 110 horsepower and 52 foot-pounds from the stock 102 hp/49 ft.-lbs. Gains at peak were accom panied by small losses below 7000 rpm.

Throttle response is better overall and the bike is much more rideable, but we're still working to improve running during the off/on transition. Fuel economy is up slightly, but on average we haven’t seen the improvement we’d hoped for, even during a slow-and-steady, rainsoaked all-freeway grind from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Other than the loose steering head previously reported (“Out of adjustment,” said a rep; $76 labor), no other repair has been required, and the 13,500-rpm inlineFour hasn’t used a drop of oil. The only amusing issue came during the abovementioned rain ride: water caused the tripmeter/clock/odometer to toggle and reset randomly. Overall mileage was not lost, and once all the parts dried out, normal function was restored. Welcome to Italy!

$13,995

Buell XB12S

CityX conversion

OUR continues LONG-TERM to hum LIGHTNING along despite XB12S being hammered by a variety of riders and friends of the magazine, to date requiring no repair, though it’s late for its 5000-mile service. The big-inch but physically small Buell is still a wheelie monster, an attractive nuisance that tests the willpower of all who ride it.

With the popularity of the Lightning XB9SX CityX among editors, we've re cently done everything possible to turn our XB12S into a big-bore CityX using bolt-on pieces from the Buell parts cata log. Off went the standard saddle, on went the flat, tall and cushier CityX seat ($99). AFAM handlebars with cross-brace ($70) were added, a bit unnecessarily as the bends were similar. Pirelli Scorpion Syncs ($266) replaced the stock Dunlop D207s. Handguards ($34) will help keep hands warm when winter arrives.

The seat change met mixed reviews. It makes the bike feel taller, something appreciated by our long-legged riders, and it’s definitely better padded and allows more fore/aft movement. But 5foot-7 Assistant Editor Mark Cemicky spoke up for the inseam-challenged; he preferred the standard seat. The Pirellis, however, were universally popular, with more linear response to turn-in and more neutral steering when trail-braking than with the stockers. U

$10,495