Things that go bump in your bike!

[theboogieman]

Well the intention was to spend my time actually playing on my 'new to me' 2010 ec 300, but a set of leaking seals made me realise I had to do at least some maintenance before having a good thrash round.
(my usual practice is to strip a bike or car when I get it so that I 'know' it's safe or race ready)
It would have been nice just once to have had a play first.

Anyway the struggle to get the front axle off began to set off alarm bells that the bike may not have had 'regular' maintenance.
By the time I had got the front apart and found the spacers were siezed solid to the axle, and that the bearings had fallen to pieces,
I realized that I was the first person to do ANY maintenance on it.

I couldn't belive how in just 2 years it could be so bad.

Then things started getting strange, (hence the thread title)

And as I can only put 4 images in a post for some reason, I'll have to split this into 2.

 

[theboogieman]

I decided that I would do a full strip and prep now and break the motor down later to do rings etc
(now that I was aware that I was the first to do anything on the bike.

On lifting the tank out, It rattled.
upturning it revealed the contents:

Now, even though I'm primed for the fact that things may get weird, this I did not expect.

I took the subframe away to clean and then lifted the carb away to clean out and note jet sizes, which revealed,

I'll let the pics tell the story:

I have no idea where an electical rubber grommet would have been origionally on the bike, if it ever was, or how the hell it got past the air filter carb slide or needle.
I can only imagine it being dropped in during some maintenace, but as I am definately the first to turn a wrench on the bike, the only other way it could get there would be at the factory?.

Haha, I'm curious to see how it goes with both sides of the reeds opening.

 

[Harry]

This looks like a case of having a three year old "helper" with you when you are doing maitenance, as I do.

 

[waycrazy]

Wow how did that bike even run????

 

[stainlesscycle]

how could so much stuff be wrong with a 2010... someone had a helper for sure.

 

[blitz11]

Did you know the seller? A disgruntled KTM dealer?

BTW, what is "gruntled?" Gruntled actually sounds worse than disgruntled.

 

[theboogieman]

I'm dreading taking the float bowl off. Or the clutch cover, I'll probably find someones teddy bear or sweet stash!

 

[Clay]

That looks like the rubber grommet that goes in the top of the radiator. I've dropped stuff in the air box before but how did it get past the air filter? Wow!

 

[REVERUP]

I just love the title of this post, it also goes with your screen name. That's some crazy stuff you found there......

 

[bowhunter007]

Perhaps the junk in the fuel tank was intended to help stir your premix, so it wouldn't separate

 

[STEVEV]

my guess is the filter was off when it fell in. Or, could be a grommet off a plastic air box cover?

 

[socalgasgas]

Are you sure it has a filter?

 

[theboogieman]

I think it has a filter, well there is a soft lump at the back that's blacker than the plastics.

 

[Fred1956]

It looks like the center grommet from an air filter to me

 

[GMP]

Too thick for filter grommet and ID too small for radiator. I'd say silencer mount grommet, looks like a new one too, keep it! The other thing I'm sure you know is the fuel filter screen that was knocked off the inside of the petcock (by bolt?). Looks like very sloppy work habits during what little work was done, or just plain sabotage. I would imagine where you live it doesn't take long for decay to set in if things are not cleaned and greased properly.

Some people should not be allowed to work on bikes, and do more harm than good.

 

[Neil E.]

The other thing I'm sure you know is the fuel filter screen that was knocked off the inside of the petcock (by bolt?).

I found my fuel filter laying in the tank. The fit of the original plastic part is poor and I had to make up a small clamp ring to anchor it better. Everyone who removes their tank should remove their petcock and tug on the filter to be sure it is secure.

 

[Diggs345]

Seems to me we must have bought our bikes from the same person , chain and sprockets were shot , rear wheel axel part siezed , thilthy air filter, rear pads shot , fork seals leaking, and bike was just grubby all over.
Wouldnt you think if they are going to sell a bikebthey would at least make an effort to clean the air filter and give the bike a good scrub , thankfully its not had a hard life and just needed a little ❤

 

[GMP]

You would think so, but some could care less and think nothing of passing their problems on to others. Others just think a bike is disposable, do little to nothing to it, and get a new one every year. My stuff goes out the door like I would want it to come in.

 

[theboogieman]

Proper maintenance, or the lack of, is one of my pet peevs.
I am still finding things with this one. I've just cleaned the wheels and the rear set a new first for having NO tight spokes whatsoever.

On a lighter note, I have to chuckle at the idea that gasgas want you to get full use out of ALL your tools ~ how many differnt sized nuts/allens/screw heads can one bike have!

 

[husley]

10' 300

10' 300 and my front wheel spacers/wheel/axle have not been cooperative since day one. Even if I have zero time since last servicing the front axle it is still not easy to take apart. Maybe there was some bad manufacturing that year?