KTM 85 CRANKSHAFT FAILURES

A lot of riders are seeing premature failure of the KTM 85 09-current crankshaft big end bearings.

There are a number of modifications that improve longevity dramatically.

Fitting of a Pro-X con rod this has better lubrication slots than the OEM rod. We can also offer our own con-rod – lighter, stronger, harder wearing.

In a good number of cranks I believe the mode of failure is due to the crank touching the side of the crankcases causing the left hand (LH) thrust bearing to ‘skid’ generating excess heat which in turn seizes the big end needle roller.

Tolerances on the crank, LH bearing, cases etc all have an influence on this situation.

By converting to our hybrid ceramic crankshaft bearings this utilizes deep groove ball bearings on both sides of the crankcases keeping the crank much more centred ; thus dramatically improving service life of the crankshaft.

A small Crankcase modification will also improve lubrication.
We use & recommend Bel-Ray H1-R oil at a mixture ratio of 40:1.