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12/13/2016
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Wrentham, MA
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MikeL281
10/3/2017 11:33am
10/3/2017 11:33am
Edited Date/Time
6/19/2018 1:36pm
I bought a new 2018 KTM 250sx-f from a dealer when it first came in a few weeks ago. I put my name on the list waiting for it to come in and was the first to get one from my dealer. I have about 5 hours on it. I literally haven’t even tipped the bike over or any sort of crash at all before this. I was racing coming down a fast section of the track on the inside of someone trying to make a pass. He came over on me trying to shut the door coming into the next turn. No problem, just hit the brake right? I went to hit my back brake to check up a little and there was no brake, it didn’t work. I clipped his back wheel and went flying off the bike. I broke the L4 vertebrae in my back a bunch of hematomas, torn muscles etc. spent 3 nights in the hospital for internal bleeding and am now on my third week of missed work. Come to find out the problem with the brake was whoever assembled the bike put the brake line in the ring spot and it was touching my exhaust. Which obviously eventually burnt a hole through it. Couldn’t have happened at a worse time.
Ok so after that long story I guess what I’m wondering is:
Who assemblies that part of the bike is it KTM or my local dealer?
Has anyone else had this issue?
Do you think there is any chance they will do anything for me? At least give me the new parts to fix what was broken in the crash, maybe more.
Is it even worth looking into further?
What should my next steps be?
I also wanted to post this so other people can be on the lookout for this and hopefully avoid what happened to me. Thanks
Ok so after that long story I guess what I’m wondering is:
Who assemblies that part of the bike is it KTM or my local dealer?
Has anyone else had this issue?
Do you think there is any chance they will do anything for me? At least give me the new parts to fix what was broken in the crash, maybe more.
Is it even worth looking into further?
What should my next steps be?
I also wanted to post this so other people can be on the lookout for this and hopefully avoid what happened to me. Thanks
As for the bike, KTM/Husky are really good for helping out their customers in ways like that. Definitely contact them, or your local dealership and explain what happened. I have a pretty good feeling that they'd at least give you the parts for free to fix the issue. As for anything else though, I don't think so. Riding a dirt bike is dangerous as it is, so I don't think they'd compensate you missed out pay or anthning like that.
Heal up though! Best wishes.
https://youtu.be/nKrL_Y5zmj0
I have a hard time figuring out how it would touch the exhaust line.
The Shop
Usually when you get a new bike, good rule of thumb is to tear it down and re-torque everything, and grease all the bearings which usually come bone dry. You can make the argument that it's a 10k bike all day long, and that this should be done from the factory! But hey, every single new bike I've ever owned came all the way apart to check everything.
Unfortunate, but a little look over of the bike before riding it and you probably would have caught that.
Get well soon!
Even if you don't get any recourse, you may save some other poor bastards life if they deem a recall is necessary.
Only one time in over 20 years did I ride a new bike straight off the showroom, and (had Dad not insisted on an abbreviated once over at the track) it nearly cost me a gearbox (no oil). Over the years, besides Forrest Gump grease jobs (never know what you’re gonna get), I’ve found loose bolts, poor air boot sealing, a barely tightened drain plug, loose bar mounts, loose spokes, poorly bled brakes, and the list goes on. If I’m trusting my hind end to the bike 20 feet in the air, it’s getting a thorough once over and the best way to do that is a complete tear down when new.
The other thing is that this only takes a day. Tear the bike apart, check torque specs, grease everything, put on any aftermarket stuff, do the air filter, check fluids, safety wire grips, put on a decent chain, reassemble, done.
Pit Row
The only problem you will have is proving it came like that from either the factory or the dealer. How do we know you didn't have the back wheel off at some point and you put it back together wrong?
What evidence do you have that it came like that from the dealer? Do you have pictures from the day you purchased it? Does it show the incorrect installation of the brake line?
This gets to be a bit of sticky of a situation overall.
Who ever assembled that and thought it was a quality job is fired immediately
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