Newbie setting up 2013 KTM500XCW

[Speedy88]

Hi all.

New member here from NorCal. Great site for info, My wife hates it already!

A couple years ago I went out with a guide for a full day on a fully set up Husky 450FX/TS ARO (120 I think) Had so much fun I wanted one but have $ constraints so even tho I already owned a good bike for it I couldn't swing it.

Well I found a used 2017 TS 120 RAW for cheap so I pulled the trigger!

Going to be riding btw 6,500 & 9,000 elev. with sledders (I'm the only snowbike so far) so it will probably be a little more open areas, but my buds are pretty good in the trees where I'd rather be.

My bike already has a Vortex ecu, FMF can, Rekluse EXP 3.0 clutch, Tugger straps, Seat concepts comfort seat

I've got decent gear from sledding over the years. Klim Havoc boots, Adventure pants, Moose jacket, large backpack/bladder, Waterproof moto gloves, ski goggles, Baofang radio, Garmin in reach mini, Gaia phone app,

I'm planning to do a budget build with these mods:

Trail tech hose mount coolant temp gauge (Can anyone tell me where to plumb the sensor so I get the recirculating coolant temp in the engine regardless of (stock) thermostat's position?)
Slip in home made plastic rad block panels
Home made engine blanket
Stock airbox with prefilter only
Tether kill switch
Heated grips + EE "muffs"

Other considerations:
13 or 14T counter sprocket?
2" bar risers (I'm 5'10")
Ice scratchers for "Road work"
Extra fuel can & waterproof storage box
Grip heaters on bottom of motor for trailering and easier starting

I have a shovel, probe, basic first aid/emergency kit, Bivvy bag, tow rope, battery booster/jumper,

Going to get a beacon, avalanche/first aid/CPR training, snow bungee maybe?

Where am I misguided? What essentials am I missing here?

 

[heliwrench]

I ran a similar setup a few years ago, 2014 500 EXC with 2016 TS 137.

You can run the inline temp sensor between the head and the thermostat. The thermostat will stick out a bit further than stock, but it will still be narrower than the rad. If you cut a little bit off of each end of the inline sensor block it will narrow it up a bit. Use some short pieces of heater hose and one hose joiner to hook it all together. You will have to cut the crimped hose clamps to remove the stock hoses from the plastic housing. It is not ideal and you end up with extra potential leak points, but it works. Mine never leaked. I don't think there is another way to get the temp reading from the right spot other than going to an aftermarket thermostat like a thermobob that has a port for the sensor.

I ran the airbox completely intact, with a dry foam filter covered with the TS pre filter. I think there were 2 days in 3 seasons that I had any issues with it icing or plugging up with snow.

13T worked for my 137. You might be able to pull a 14 with the 120 depending on your weight and snow conditions. You can run into issues with chain tension, the chain tensioner on the TS doesn't have a lot of adjustment. Sometimes a certain countershaft sprocket will be the only one will work out to have the chain tensioned properly without it pushing the chain down into the track. You will have to try it and see. I also ended up changing the gearing in the chain case to get the gearing where I wanted it. Stock is 17 over 17, and I ended up going 18 over 16 to gear it up. Before that 2nd was too low for climbing, and 3rd was too high. It made 2nd into approx 2.5, which is what it needed. Gearing it 16 over 18 made 3rd into approx 2.5 as well, but I lost way too much top end for cruising on the trail ride in.

Ice scratchers are a must, I roasted a set of sliders in one weekend with poor trail conditions down low. I think bikes are even worse than sleds since you tend to be riding on one rail or the other a lot of the time on the trail.

The stock runner on the ski is useless on icy trails, the gold triple point one is awesome.

Looks like you've got pretty much everything else covered.

 

[aka Mr Floyd]

My 2cents:

Overall you sound very well sorted.

Don't need the tether kill switch, bikes don't stay running when you fall off.

I found I need muffs or grip heaters, not both. With grip heaters I just run plastic hand guards for protection/minor wind break and I can still wear lightweight gloves.

Only thing that you didn't mention was some way to stiffen up your front suspension. If the airpro kit is compatible with your forks, that's the easiest route.

Where in norcal do you ride? Here in farnorcal we hit up Mt Shasta and Mt Lassen.

 

[heliwrench]

Only thing that you didn't mention was some way to stiffen up your front suspension.

Forgot to mention that as well. Stiffening up the front end was probably the best 200$ I spent on the bike. Seemed to ride/handle much better with the forks held higher up in their stroke. I did heavier springs and didn't change anything else and it worked for me, but there are many options. The front end would bottom out all the time.

 

[Speedy88]

You can run the inline temp sensor between the head and the thermostat. The thermostat will stick out a bit further than stock, but it will still be narrower than the rad. If you cut a little bit off of each end of the inline sensor block it will narrow it up a bit. Use some short pieces of heater hose and one hose joiner to hook it all together. You will have to cut the crimped hose clamps to remove the stock hoses from the plastic housing. It is not ideal and you end up with extra potential leak points, but it works. Mine never leaked. I don't think there is another way to get the temp reading from the right spot other than going to an aftermarket thermostat like a thermobob that has a port for the sensor.

I ended up going 18 over 16 to gear it up. Before that 2nd was too low for climbing, and 3rd was too high. It made 2nd into approx 2.5, which is what it needed.

Ice scratchers are a must,

Thanks for the tips Heli. I wonder if I am overthinking this.

I could more easily just mount the sensor in one of the rad hoses and if she's running lower than operating temp (Tstat closed) I would know to close down the rad blockers until the temps come up to 170'F+, correct?

I mean, if the temp is low, it doesn't really matter HOW low does it? Just that it needs to be corrected so the Tstat opens, yes?

Ultimately, I might scrap the rads & go with a tunnel cooler, just need to rob a bank or two.

Also, great info on the secondary TS gearing to dial it in for the motor/terrain/conditions. How hard was it to swap that out?

And what scratchers did you get? I see Timbersled sells some for the ARO but not the RAW

Only thing that you didn't mention was some way to stiffen up your front suspension. If the airpro kit is compatible with your forks, that's the easiest route.

Where in norcal do you ride? Here in farnorcal we hit up Mt Shasta and Mt Lassen.

Thanks Mr F

Looks like the air pro will work. Prolly just stiffen up the comp, ride it first & see. Gotta do a "shakedown". Currently sprung for 210 lbs in the dirt but I understand the snowbike is different.

Been riding sleds up above Bear valley off Hwy 4. I've only snowbiked near Mt Bachelor/Bend OR

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

I run the same bike, and at one time the same basic TS kit. One schrader valve in one fork cap and 20psi air good to go.
Stiffer shock springs, 220 - 230 from SouthWest Speed $50 a piece or so. Make sure the bike front axle is at least 1 1/2" forward of the ski bolt, look up old threads on that, huge handling difference. If you can score an old air box off ebay, cut the bottom out to avoid snow build up. Troll for a set of the fox gas shocks that came stock on all the TS kits except the RAW, by 2nd year you will need them, all the same from day one up to your kit, except spring weights.
Cut holes in the chain case cover to allow lots of snow to cycle and cool your chain.

 

[Speedy88]

One schrader valve in one fork cap and 20psi air good to go.
Make sure the bike front axle is at least 1 1/2" forward of the ski bolt, look up old threads on that, huge handling difference.
Cut holes in the chain case cover to allow lots of snow to cycle and cool your chain.

Thanks Castleman1 More good info.

I like these ideas as I am doing a budget build.

Did you drill out & tap the fork vent holes in the cap or drill completely new holes? Does it matter which side? I'm planning to switch her back to dirt mode in Summer.

Is there a way to search only in the Snowbike forum for old threads like the ones you mention?

Got any pics of your modded chain case? Size holes, locations, etc

 

[heliwrench]

I'm not sure that it would work properly in the lower rad hose if thats what you're thinking, I think that temp would always be reading low since the coolant has passed through the rad at that point. Changing the gearing was easy, just need 2 new sprockets and lock washers. The stock chain length should work. I just grabbed some generic scratchers from the polaris dealer, I don't think they were anything special.

 

[Speedy88]

I'm not sure that it would work properly in the lower rad hose if thats what you're thinking, I think that temp would always be reading low since the coolant has passed through the rad at that point. Changing the gearing was easy, just need 2 new sprockets and lock washers. The stock chain length should work. I just grabbed some generic scratchers from the polaris dealer, I don't think they were anything special.

I was reading a thread here about plumbing the sensor into the bleed hole on the head of a 2 stroke and it got me thinking maybe plumb it into the drain hole on the water pump.

It’s only a 6mm bolt tho and in a vulnerable spot

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

fork caps, just take one out and find a spot you can safely tap a hole for an 1/8 " pipe threat, makes no diffence as to which side of the bike. take off your chain case cover first and see how many and how big a holes your kit has in the aluminum side place, might be enough to let snow in, if not some two or three 3/4 holes in the bottom of the cover seems to be enough to keep the chain cool.

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

by the way, looked at my 500 forks, I tapped the fork caps with a schrader valve that had a straight 6mm or 1/4 thread, used to air up fox air shocks, these are most readily available at well equiped mtn bike shops, as all their air shocks use this small air fitting.

 

[Speedy88]

Troll for a set of the fox gas shocks that came stock on all the TS kits except the RAW, by 2nd year you will need them, all the same from day one up to your kit, except spring weights.

Thanks cat. Are you talking about the Fox QS3 shocks or something else? Ebay has alot of Fox shocks, but I'm not sure what model to search. Where else would be a good place to search for a pair? Classified here turns up nothing

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

check classified on the forum here, lots off folks bought the kit to lower their timbersled and have the orignal set sitting around. Same length as on your raw kit, on TS kit they have never really changed, later shock have better dampening rates and stiffer spring, otherwise any of the gas shocks of a TS kit will be better than the throw away RAW shocks.

 

[Speedy88]

OK, Good info. Thank you CSM1.

The classified section here is pretty quiet, so I'll try posting a wanted to buy ad.