ENGLISH
13
DRIVING INSTRUCTIONS
»
Starting off
Pull the clutch lever. Put the engine into first gear, slowly release
the clutch lever and open the throttle at the same time.
Shifting/Riding
You are now in first gear, refered to as the drive or uphill gear.
Depending on the conditions (hill size etc.), you can shift to a higher
gear. Close throttle, at the same time pull clutch lever in and shift
to the next higher gear. Let clutch lever go again and accelerate.
If you turned on the choke, make sure you turn it off again as soon
as engine is warm.
When you reach full speed through opening the throttle all the way,
turn throttle back to 3/4; the speed hardly decreases although the
engine will use less gas. Only give as much gas as the engine can
handle. Through quick and high revving of the throttle, the fuel
usage increases.
By shifting down, use the brakes if necessary and close the throttle
at the same time. Pull the clutch lever and shift down to the next
gear. Let clutch lever go slowly and open the throttle or shift down
again.
NOTE:
Dedicated to nothing but offroad racing, 250/450 SX-F-models make
no compromises in their design. As such, they do not include any
radiator fan, and the size of the radiator is dimensioned for optimum
ergonomics.
In normal racing, the cooling system is sufficient.
If you use your motorbike in other conditions, please note that:
turn off the engine if you intend to run your motorcycle in idle or
at a standstill for longer periods of time (more than 2 minutes).
Avoid letting the clutch slip frequently and for extended periods.
This would cause the engine oil to heat up, thereby heating up the
cooling system. You should drive at low speeds (4-stroke style -
letting the engine pull you) and not at high speeds not by letting
the clutch slip (2-stroke style).
– After falling with the motorcycle, check all functions thoroughly
before starting up operations again.
– A twisted handlebar must always be replaced. Do not adjust
the handlebar, it will lose stability.
– High rpm rates when the engine is cold have an adverse effect
on the life of your engine. We recommend you run the engine
in a moderate rpm range for a few miles giving it a chance to
warm up. After that no further precautions in this respect need
to be taken. The engine has reached its operating temperature
as soon as the radiators become warm.
– Never have the throttle wide open when changing down to a
lower gear. The engine will over-rev, damaging the valves. In
addition, the rear wheel locks so that the motorcycle can easily
get out of control.
– If any abnormal vibrations occur while driving, check that the
engine fastening bolts are tight.
– In the event that, while riding on your motorcycle, you notice
any unusual operation-related noise, stop immediately, turn the
engine off, and contact an authorized KTM dealer.
Braking
Close throttle and apply the hand and foot brakes at the same time.
When driving on sandy, wet or slippery ground use mainly the rear
wheel brake. Always brake with feeling, blocking wheels can cause
you to skid or fall. Always finish braking before you enter a curve.
Also change down to lower gears depending on your speed.
When driving down hill, use the braking effect of the engine.
Change down one or two gears but do not overspeed the engine.
In this way, you will not need to brake so much and the brakes will
not overheat.
– In case of rain, after washing the motorcycle, after rides through
water and in case of rides on wet off-road tracks, humid or dirty
brake discs can delay the braking effect. The brakes must be
pulled until they are dry or clean.
– Dirty brake discs cause increased tear of brake pads and brake
discs.
– When you brake, the brake discs, brake pads, brake caliper and
brake fluid heat up. The hotter these parts get, the weaker the
breaking effect. In extreme cases, the entire braking system
can fail.
– If the resistance in the hand brake lever or foot brake pedal
feels “spongy” (too much play), this is an indication that
something is wrong with the brake system. Don’t ride your
motorcycle anymore without first having the brake system looked
over by a KTM dealer.
Stopping and parking
Apply the brakes fully and put the engine into neutral. To turn off
the engine, push the short-circuit button with the engine at idling
speed until the engine stops. Turn the fuel tap to the OFF position,
park on an area where the ground is firm.
Motorcycle engines produce a great amount of heat while running.
The engine, exhaust pipe, muffler, brake rotors, and shock absorbers
can become very hot. Do not touch any of these parts after operating
the motorcycle, and take care to park it where pedestrians are not
likely to touch it and get burned.
– Close the fuel tap when leaving your vehicle.Otherwise the
carburettor can flood and fuel will enter the engine.
– Never park your motorcycle in places where there are fire
hazards due to dry grass or other easily flammable materials.
Fuel
The racing engine needs unleaded fuel with at least RON 95 (USA
= Premium RON 91).
Use leaded or unleaded premium grade gasoline (95 octanes). Never
use gasoline having less than 95 octanes because it may damage
the engine.
Gasoline is highly flammable and poisonous. Extreme caution
should be used when handling gasoline. Do not refuel the motorcycle
near open flames or burning cigarettes. Always switch off the
engine before refuelling. Be careful not to spill gasoline on the engine
or exhaust pipe while the engine is hot. Wipe up spills promptly.
If gasoline is swallowed or splashed in the eyes, seek a doctor’s
advice immediately.
Fuel expands when its temperature rises. Therefore do not fill the
tank to the top (see fig.).
35 mm
