New 2013 Husaberg TE250

[AndyD]

Picked up my new TE250 from the dealer.. try to start it.. the kick starter is catching on the subframe, and wont return to the top... battery isnt big enough to start it either.
very disappointed a new bike from KTM/Husaberg has a fundamental quality issue like this.
I called the dealer and was told they have used a die grinder to fix the other TE's they had.

[MikeJ]

Seems you are not alone with this problem,
Brand new TE250
The guy mentions in the last post about filing the kickstarter.

[noobi]

Picked up my new TE250 from the dealer.. try to start it.. the kick starter is catching on the subframe, and wont return to the top... battery isnt big enough to start it either.
very disappointed a new bike from KTM/Husaberg has a fundamental quality issue like this.
I called the dealer and was told they have used a die grinder to fix the other TE's they had.

Very odd for KTM, how much of the kick start would you be expected to remove for it to clear? Surely if the shop said they had to do that fix on other TEs then they would have checked and fixed it as part of the assembly. I would take it back and ask them to do it.

As for the battery, the starter is really a re-starter, and you shouldn't be using it to start the engine from cold. It is a KTM engine, and the shortcomings of the starter are well documented. However, the stock battery, a 5 amp I believe, can be substituted to a 7 amp fairly easily and provides more juice.

[AndyD]

Very odd for KTM, how much of the kick start would you be expected to remove for it to clear? Surely if the shop said they had to do that fix on other TEs then they would have checked and fixed it as part of the assembly. I would take it back and ask them to do it.

As for the battery, the starter is really a re-starter, and you shouldn't be using it to start the engine from cold. It is a KTM engine, and the shortcomings of the starter are well documented. However, the stock battery, a 5 amp I believe, can be substituted to a 7 amp fairly easily and provides more juice.

I dont need to remove anything from the kick starter, just to grind off some of the subframe.
I realise that the battery isnt intended to start it from cold, however as I cant kisck start it this was the only way I had to try and start it.

[AndyD]

Seems you are not alone with this problem,
Brand new TE250
The guy mentions in the last post about filing the kickstarter.

Hmmm very interesting post. Interesting he doesnt menyion about the kickstarter hitting the frame until the end.
Basically it makes it unable to be used as it stops near the bottom of the stroke and doesnt return high enough for a decent kick.

[FlangMasterJ]

Wouldn't it be a little safer grinding a little off the kickstart than the subframe?

When I got my KTM 660 I noticed the footpeg was loose so I tightened it back up low and behold the kickstart got stuck behind it. Guess it's not just Husky.

[AndyD]

the kick starter catchs on the subframe after it passes the bolt connection to the mainframe.
I think its safe to grind here, its not structural

[fahnkahn]

i guess with ktm being largly owned by the indians and more indian/pakistani parts the quality is bound to give you the shits,come to think of it the orange does look a bit like last nights curry before i push the flush button

[noobi]

i guess with ktm being largly owned by the indians and more indian/pakistani parts the quality is bound to give you the shits,come to think of it the orange does look a bit like last nights curry before i push the flush button

LOL, you're trollin right? Or are you actually that dumb?

[ktm84mxc]

You saying the wobbly heads own KTM , it's bad enough they own half of Dorkland at least they know how to catch a train when they do something bad.
And don't KTM/Husaberg use the same frames on the 250/300 so it should affect both brands?

[fahnkahn]

LOL, you're trollin right? Or are you actually that dumb?

bajaj auto ltd indias largest motorcycle manufacturer owns 47% of ktm pretty soon there will be a dealer on every corner,some models are currently being manufactured in india as are a number of parts so no im not trolling that dumb-whats your excuse

[ktm84mxc]

You're onto it Fankahn the wobbles will soon own 49 percent of KTM and the Duke 125/200 is made in India, like a lot of Japanese makers have plants in Indonesia, Brazil, Spain , China etc.....
The question will be are the parts made in India or will it be an assembly line as in C.K.D. like we had in NZ's auto car makers.
Didn't Harley Davidson have a share in KTM for a while, also Polaris/Bombardier to.
As they say nothing wrong with a wobble every home should have one.

[noobi]

bajaj auto ltd indias largest motorcycle manufacturer owns 47% of ktm pretty soon there will be a dealer on every corner,some models are currently being manufactured in india as are a number of parts so no im not trolling that dumb-whats your excuse

I know Bajaj own 47% of KTM Power Sports, the owner of KTM Sportmotorcycles. It was more you confusing design with quality that I was pointing out.
KTMs could be built completely in India, assembled there but not made, and people would still buy them. Because they fill parts of the market other manufacturers have abandoned.

The kickstart binding on the subframe, is a design issue, not a quality of parts issue, see the difference.
The starter motor not running in a bearing is a design issue that causes the starter to wear, the frame cracking however is a quality issue.

[takitimu]

I know Bajaj own 47% of KTM Power Sports, the owner of KTM Sportmotorcycles. It was more you confusing design with quality that I was pointing out.
KTMs could be built completely in India, assembled there but not made, and people would still buy them. Because they fill parts of the market other manufacturers have abandoned.

The kickstart binding on the subframe, is a design issue, not a quality of parts issue, see the difference.
The starter motor not running in a bearing is a design issue that causes the starter to wear, the frame cracking however is a quality issue.

Not so sure about the frame cracking being quality, if its a husky 125 I'd say its design . The forks on a six day 350 being put together wrong, now that that's quality, the pipe guard on a six day 300 going on fire that's quality, the paint flaking on a 2012 sxf 2012 that's quality.

All up though ktm bikes do seem to last and the stator is absolutely amazing.

Though I thought husaberg subframes were plastic, is the te250 not ?

[ktm84mxc]

It appears on the 2013 they've gone to the plastic sub frame and will require some tweeking . Could always buy a Beta as these use the KTM engines with there own frames.
Anyone know what engine powers the Fantic enduro bikes?