Vanessa

Nice!

Some good points here, thanks for posting them.

Where the Loctite is concerned, you can use the 242 type as long as you thoroughly clean all oil off both the screw/bolt and the internal thread. I use Loctite’s own spray cleaner to do this and promote good adhesion. Then allow time for the Loctite to set before using the bike.

The 243 can be…[Read more]

In cold weather, say below 5 degC, my bike will take a good 15 mins of gentle warm-up riding (40mph max) to warm up the coolant. Even then, the temp gauge hovers around the 3 bar reading.

In the summer (20 degC or more) it warms up very fast and shows 4 bars on the gauge.

I think this is normal operation. The temp gauge on these bikes seems to…[Read more]

Hi Kieran,

Whether going up or down a tooth on the rear sprocket is better is up to you and what you want to achieve. Going up a tooth (what I did) will mean higher engine rpms for a given speed and gear, quicker acceleration but ultimately a lower top (flat out) speed. Since I don’t ride my bike flat out in top gear, I wasn’t worried about the…[Read more]

Nice!

Maybe the chain has a stiff link or is loose or not adjusted properly, and is jamming up as you roll the bike?

Yep, my bike looked like that after a short ride on a damp day when I first got it. Had to do something about the muck going everywhere, even more so when it’s road salt as that can really eat into the finish.

I know what you mean about extensive computer use, I used to do a lot of CAD as a job, and in the end I couldn’t use the computer mouse…[Read more]

I don’t think I could ride my SP401 for 5 hours. I can manage about 1 hour before needing a break. I’m no spring chicken though, and my joints hurt a lot after a while, so I have to take breaks. I can ride my Harley for longer (managed 2.5hrs on it once before stopping), but that bike is much more comfier than my Svarty.

Once I’ve made all those…[Read more]

Thanks, they are sweet little bikes, I love mine. Rode it today to work. It was zero degrees and I had to warm the lithium battery up, but it ran just fine. A bit cold, so lots of layers and heated gloves, but still awesome fun. My hubby met me at work on his 1250GS and we rode home cutting through the rush hour traffic together, much fun!

When I…[Read more]

Ha, reading your mods list made me smile, I’ve done a lot of those mods to my bike. Including the radiator guard, engine guards, frame sliders, and side stand foot enlarger. I’ve also fitted the longer front mudguard from the 2020 model, and added a fender extender to it, and a rear hugger extension as well. They keep the bike much cleaner. I…[Read more]

What other mods do you have planned?

I see your bike has hand guards, that will help a bit with windchill on the hands. I’ve fitted hand guards to my bike. In fact every bike I’ve owned I’ve fitted heated grips and hand guards. Coupled with my battery heated gloves, my hands stay warm and toasty even at motorway speeds in sub-zero temperatures.

Awesome! I was out on mine today too, nice and sunny but very cold. We had the first frost this winter this morning. Thank goodness for heated grips!

Nice bike! I have a similar story, had a Yamaha MT-07 and didn’t get on with it. Swapped it for a Svartpilen 401 (2019) and couldn’t be happier. I’m based in the Midlands too, but I’ve never seen another 401 locally. They’re rare for sure.

With reference to your ABS question, the biggest change that upsets ABS systems is the inertia of the wheel and tyre combination. If your new wheel and tyre are larger diameter and/or heavier than what the bike originally had, then the ABS system will struggle to prevent deep wheel slip in a harsh braking scenario. This could prove to be…[Read more]

That is not meant to have anything screwed into it on the stock Svartpilen 401. It’s rusty because the thread inside has no protection and is cut into the steel. I think it’s used on other KTM variants. I cleaned the rust out of mine, put some coro-block grease in it and then screwed in a short black stainless steel flanged button-head screw to…[Read more]

My 401 has a few screw holes with no screws in them. But your photo link doesn’t work.

That’s a really sweet bike, I love it!

Don’t they come with spoked wheels as standard?