New to country, help with KTM ADV value!

[K9OFSTRIKEX]

Howdy folks!

I am back to posting to find some help decoding New Zealand!

I am finally in a position to be getting a bike here in New Zealand and have been looking for a good adventure tourer so that I can hit the gorgeous NZ back-country just as well as I can ride freeways and commute.

That said I have found a 1998 KTM 620 Adventure that I am very interested in, but have still been unable to figure out vehicle valuation in your island market. The bike has about 61,000k's and upon my inspection today, seemed quite clean and well cared for *knock on wood*, and has even had that nasty little main bearing problem all sorted as well as a shiny new big end and cylinder head on the bike (courtesy of a thermostat failure). So what would you folks recon such a bike would be worth in NZ?

Thanks for your help, and depending on how negotiations go tomorrow, I hope to be getting a chance to ride with some of you very soon!

Cheers,
Beau

[dino3310]

welcome Mate,
personally i wouldnt touch it with that higher klms but with the rebuild she should be right for a few more years, i suppose for a KTM of that year around 5.5k-6k would be about what its worth(just my opinion), but for that kinda money i would rather have this one, http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-246285187.htm all set up very reliable and ready to boogie

[warewolf]

Nothing wrong with the kays, LC4s are not highly strung like the RFS bikes. Do a top-end refresh at 60Kkm and she'll do 120Kkm no problem.

The thermostats are becoming a known issue. One thoughtful diagnosis suggested they fail to open as the bike warms from a cold start, then suddenly pop open releasing a flood of cold coolant into the over-heated head. The heads crack right in front of the water inlet.

Pricing them is difficult when there are only about 10 official imports in the country (that's across all years). There are more LC4 Enduros around, see if you can price one up relative to the Adventure.

[Crisis management]

If it's any help I recently bought an 05 640 adventure with 19,000 kms, never been offroad, with KTM tank bag & BMW riding suit for $8,700.

With that in mind, I would have thought the bike you describe would have to be in the $5,000 range. Depends on how much the seller wants to sell.

[dino3310]

is this the one you are looking at buying http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-246622594.htm heres another http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-247113741.htm and another http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-244688575.htm

[K9OFSTRIKEX]

Thanks for all of the feedback guys, I am going to try and get all the responses into one post so that I'm not running a whole slew of mine in a row... Here goes!

welcome Mate,
personally i wouldnt touch it with that higher klms but with the rebuild she should be right for a few more years, i suppose for a KTM of that year around 5.5k-6k would be about what its worth(just my opinion), but for that kinda money i would rather have this one, http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-246285187.htm all set up very reliable and ready to boogie

I have been looking at the DR, it looks like a fantastic set up, only problem is, I need to stay under 6 with all things considered (bike, gear, and insurance) and junkmanjoe has already come down significantly on the DR and couldn't bring himself to go down far enough (VERY understandably) to where I could bring in the whole package at 6.

Nothing wrong with the kays, LC4s are not highly strung like the RFS bikes. Do a top-end refresh at 60Kkm and she'll do 120Kkm no problem.

The thermostats are becoming a known issue. One thoughtful diagnosis suggested they fail to open as the bike warms from a cold start, then suddenly pop open releasing a flood of cold coolant into the over-heated head. The heads crack right in front of the water inlet.

Pricing them is difficult when there are only about 10 official imports in the country (that's across all years). There are more LC4 Enduros around, see if you can price one up relative to the Adventure.

The owner (a former KTM employee) said when the big end was done he looked over the piston and rings and found everything to be within spec still, would you still recommend a refresher in that case, and if so, about what does that run?

From what it looked like on his old cylinder head, that is exactly what happened in his case. He has a new thermo to go with the bike but has been running without now so the cooling is running all the time and since cold weather starts are not a big issue in NZ, you think it would be ok to run the bike without?

Not a bad idea running price comparo on the enduros with these bikes almost as rare as good burritos down here...

If it's any help I recently bought an 05 640 adventure with 19,000 kms, never been offroad, with KTM tank bag & BMW riding suit for $8,700.

With that in mind, I would have thought the bike you describe would have to be in the $5,000 range. Depends on how much the seller wants to sell.

Sounds like you got a pretty sweet deal on that one... Have you enjoyed owning it thus far?

That really seems to be the consensus as well as my original incling, somewhere in the 5's.

is this the one you are looking at buying http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-246622594.htm heres another http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-247113741.htm and another http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-244688575.htm

It be the first one: http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-246622594.htm

[warewolf]

The owner (a former KTM employee)

Ummm, sounds like we are talking about the same bike & rider KTM dealer employee, more precisely? If so, he's owned a couple of 640As and knows them. He said he was running with the thermostat gutted to act like it was full open (no thermostat at all would change the flow characteristics).

If the bike running temp is OK, you could leave it until the coolant change at 2 years to install the thermostat. Or do it after 1 year as next winter approaches. Draining the coolant is messy, and don't forget the bleed bolt near the spark plug (if the '98 has it).

With a new head, I'd be surprised if he didn't give it the once-over - we were talking about it quite some months ago, if not late last year.

You are right, good Mexican food is rare here - it's out there, but rare indeed. However it's no real cause for alarm since there's plenty of excellent Italian, Thai, Turkish, Indian,.... and top-notch beer to wash it down with. Strangely enough, we don't have the US's fascination with Mexican food, but we get lots of SE Asian.

[Eddieb]

almost as rare as good burritos down here...

Have you tried the Mexican Cafe, just across the road and slightly down the hill from the Sky Tower.

[warewolf]

Highly over-rated; very average food and the service no better

[yamafitter]

Not a bad idea running price comparo on the enduros with these bikes almost as rare as good burritos down here...

We cannot get a good burrito in Canada either.
We have to go to Buffalo and stop in at the Mighty Taco. Having said that there are some great Chinese restaurants in Toronto and Vancouver.

[dino3310]

I have been looking at the DR, it looks like a fantastic set up, only problem is, I need to stay under 6 with all things considered (bike, gear, and insurance) and junkmanjoe has already come down significantly on the DR and couldn't bring himself to go down far enough (VERY understandably) to where I could bring in the whole package at 6.

That DR's just under 6k now mate contact junkmanjoe on KB if your keen, but youll have to be fast before it gets snapped up.

Edit - didnt read your post right, ignore my dribble

[Eddieb]

Highly over-rated; very average food and the service no better

I haven't been there for about 5 years but was happy with it then. Maybe it's changed.

[warewolf]

I haven't been there for about 5 years but was happy with it then. Maybe it's changed.

Me neither. Had heard it runs hot n cold... but there's places that are good every time.

[K9OFSTRIKEX]

Heard the main reason it got such a good rep to start with is they used to do really cheap jugs of margharitas and anyone who has ever eaten at taco bell after downing a few drinkskis will know that when under the influence, trash mexican tastes just as good and sometimes better than great mexican when sober and now that they don't do the jugs anymore the taco bell affect has worn off...

And that sounds like it may indeed be the same guy wolf! Great guy, and this bike has just been AMAZING!!!!