Well this seems bad

I <3 Svart

I <3 Svart

fast rider
Joined
Oct 13, 2020
Messages
61
Location
Virginia
Took my Svartpilen out on the trail and then some backroads today. Maybe 30 miles in total. Got back to the garage and parked. Took one last look as I turned out the lights and realized that my bike was bleeding. A decent size puddle of oil was forming underneath and as I got a bit closer to the engine I smelled that hot, oily smell. I didn't want to touch anything because it was all still quite hot, but I got my phone camera to give an upward view and the oil seems to be coming out of here

engine.jpg
Now I'm far from an expert, but that does not look normal to me. In fact it appears to be a decent sized hole in the crank case cover out of which my bike is ridding itself of its lifeblood. I'm probably lucky I got home at all.
 
Looks like a foreign object mauled it...
Where on the block is that and what was in that trail that was friending fo mo 10w50...?

Replacement engines are about as expensive enough for the insurance to total it...
 
BISavage said:
Replacement engines are about as expensive enough for the insurance to total it...
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Damn is it really that serious? I thought maybe the damaged part could just be replaced, fill it up with oil, and then be back in the game. I'm gonna go out and look at it again.
 
Dammit yeah after actually getting up under there to look at it I misjudged where that hole actually was. It's kinda at the very front of course at the lowest point. It was probably a rock.
 
Depending on where the damage is, it's possible to repair it. I've fixed a busted case on a bike before. Thoroughly clean any oil from the area, sand it so there's a rough surface along the fault line and a finger width out from there, and patch it with metal epoxy. Depending on the type of injury it might need to be filed along the line as well to give some extra depth for the epoxy. If the case has been depressed, don't try to pull it back to shape, just epoxy the gap.

If it's been well cleaned and degreased you can do it without having to get to the inside surface. Degreasing is the key.
 
I totally agree with @Dr.Shifty definately fixable one way or another, and the solution described above is good.

But... not wanting to get into the personal stuff about insurance policy or whatever, just want to mention that this kinda damage could be covered by your insurance under certain circumstances so it may make sense to inform yourself before disclosing too much infos, or taking repairs into your own hands.

Its like breaking a wheel on a curb... a 300 buck wheel may not justify the deductable, a 1200 buck wheel may... see where I am going... but if they can jack up your premium than the calculations goes the other way...
 
Yeah I think I'm going to inform my insurance company and just see what they have to say about it, but I'll keep the epoxy solution in my back pocket. If it was a couple years old I'd do it no problem, but it just seems wrong to bodge a fix on a bike that's not even a year old yet.
 
I <3 Svart said:
Yeah I think I'm going to inform my insurance company and just see what they have to say about it, but I'll keep the epoxy solution in my back pocket. If it was a couple years old I'd do it no problem, but it just seems wrong to bodge a fix on a bike that's not even a year old yet.
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The 'fixit' part of my brain clicked into gear before I even thought about the age of the bike. The one I repaired was a 1981 Suzuki GS, and over 20 years old when I did the repair.
 
Well if you end up getting a new Svart I'd suggest a skidplate, I was thinking of the T-Rex myself.
N170-20SkidPlate-6T.jpg
 
BISavage said:
To me it looks like front right side of the block.
🙈
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Yeah that looks like about the spot as best as I can tell. Along the underside of that lip.

Spoke with my insurance company, rep had no clue what I was talking about and suggested that I should have the shop look at it before deciding whether or not to file. I assume that a dealership replaces something like that rather than repairs it. Of course my dealership is not even open today nor is any KTM dealership in the immediate area so I can't really ask. At the dealership's rates any job that takes over 5 hours is going to meet my deductible anyway.

The thought of loading my bike up, taking it out to the shop, and paying my deductible regardless of whether it's repaired or replaced is making that tube of metal epoxy look real appealing right about now.
 
Well I feel foolish. Again.

I put the bike up on paddock stands today to start cleaning and degreasing the area to prepare to patch the hole. Turns out that my "hole" was a hole, but not an unintentional one. Once upright, oil started pooling and then dripping out of the oil filter cover cap 🤦‍♂️. What I saw with my camera was the oil leaking out and then rushing to the lowest point on the engine because it was on the sidestand. I guess what I saw as a hole was actually an optical illusion because after running my fingers over that area and examining it with a camera again there is no hole there.

Took the cap off and sure enough there's a spot on it where something hit it just right. When I removed it there was a big scuff in it and the right side bolt was bent. I assume that once I replace that bolt, reseat the cap, and fill it with oil we'll be back in business. Again I got fooled into thinking something was worse than it actually was.
 
Well that's actually great news! I hope it really is just a bolt to replace that fixes it. You might get a new o-ring for the oil filter cap too...
 
I <3 Svart said:
Took the cap off and sure enough there's a spot on it where something hit it just right. When I removed it there was a big scuff in it and the right side bolt was bent. I assume that once I replace that bolt,...
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Time for an upgraded cap 😉

And thats probably the reason they use soft bolts...
 
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