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Dr Ross - I want a 2nd opinion

A

Aussieforce

Joined Nov 2006
164 Posts | 0+
Melbourne Australia
in the 07 adb mag Dr Ross has someone write in and ask whether he should buy a KTM 625 over berg 650 even though it is 20kgs heavier as he has concerns over reliability and vibration. Dr Ross advises it is a "No Brainer" as KTM have runs on the board and have been king of the dakar for the last 10 years (btw how many bergs enter dakar?? - can't win if they don't run)

As a berg owner and ambassaodr I was a bit annoyed by this article.
 
Dr Ross is not the first Berg Basher nor will he be the last.

My bike has 4800kms so far in less than a year and no probs so far :)
 
bergs have done several rally raids with good results.
saw some pics and a report on this very site.

going down that line of thinking everyone who wants a big bike should ride a ktm cos when was the last time anyother manufacturer had a really good result, other then ktm?
 

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  • Saturday, 1 December 2007 (2).pdf
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Not really a fair comparision is it?The LC4 engine is old tech,heavy and underpowered compared to the berg .The LC4 is a good unit,I have a Duke11 and am familiar with its character.If you want to compare the berg 650 with a KTM motor maybe one of the 660cc Lc4 based race motors would be more in the range.Really the Bergs were not designed as endurance machines,but I think that with softer cams,lower compression coupled with a few oem accessory items like cush drive and the antihopping clutch we might all be surprised how well one might do.
 
people need to remember that bergs are enduro racing bikes not sh!t box XR's designed to to eleventy billion miles with no oil change. Have a look at the results from the races that the bergs were designed for and they are very competetive. Ya can have hell power or a bullet proof engine. Not both.

On the other hand the bergs don't get much mention in the MX scene.......why's that? The MX version must have some differences to the enduro's other than the lack of lights.
 
i think we need to know the difference between unreliability (ie you have no conntrol) and service schedule (when you do!).

husaberg presently have both. we never want to see A whilst we stick to the schedules in B.

regards

Taffy
 
Taffy,
Most people who race a motorcycle and are serious about winning buy a new bike every year.Keeping your technolgy current and your bike fresh is part of the game.I do feel at this time that the Berg line is showing its ability to stay reliable for its required term.
For those who choose to keep the machines longer and use them for recreation purposes they have also shown that they are reliable enough.
Everything wears out and becomes unreliable, even us..rejoice in the fact that a piece of machinery can be rebuilt.
Saw this printed on a 4wd ers t-shirt the other day
BUILD IT
RUN IT
BREAK IT
REPETE
Cheers..
 
I too think that this is an apples to oranges comparson.
I would think that a much better comparson would be between a 450 or 550 berg to a RFS motor.

Both the 650 and the 625 have their place in the market. In general they are two very different nitches. Even if someone sets them up to do the same tasks. They both have a very different way of getting the job done.
 
Hey Aussie force,have a look at who Dr Ross is working for this year and it might shed some light on his answer.....KTM!!!
 
as we all know both bikes come out of the same factory , so why would he be negative towards the yellow and blue ? .
 
Hi Fellas,

I'd say tht it's lack of knowledge, and I'm not implying that Dr Ross doesent know his stuff, but the Bergs are still percieved as a relative unknown in my opinion, and if you were all going out to buy your first Husaberg, Like I did last year, you do get a multitude of negative information.

Thankfully some of us do some basic research on the bikes we are interested in, and find out the benefits of weight, power, rideability, componantry and som of the technical specifications before we comit to a purchase.

I know when I read about the vertically split cases and cylinder, I thought, Holy S@#&T! and if you peruse this site for any time, you pick up that a lot of people do have probs with their Bergs, but, all in all, we find the benefits of being a Berg owner outweigh the issues or percieved problems.

one of my mates just brought the most powerfull 450 motorcrosser on the market, another has a Yami 250, they are all good bikes, one has heaps of power, the other has good suspension none of them are as universal as the 550 berg!

I couldnt b e happier owning my Hussie.

Azza.
 
You've hit the nail on the head I think Azza. I believe we have traveled a similar path to our choice of a Berg.
I have traveled a full circle to end up back with an enduro bike. I started with a TT600 but found it to heavy for the single track, so I bought a new 03 WR450. Excellent bike, but then decided I would like to do adventure rides and not so much single track. Hence arrived a KTM 640 Adventure, put some heated grips on it and a rack and away we went. Great bike for that purpose except they vibrate a bit. No dramas all good except I really missed the single track stuff, the weight and nice paintwork on the 640 didn't agree with single track. Not allowed to have two toys apparently !!!! So lots of research and "hey presto" a Fe650e Berg is in the shed with guidance from my KTM/Husaberg dealer !!!! My first impression was "Holy Crap" how good is this thing. With the future addition of a Clarke big tank and a buddy tank under the seat I think that I will have the "do it all" bike. Single track and adventure riding really are possible on the one bike. Being an ex mechanic, I really don't consider changing the oil regularly to be a problem. Horses for courses, but I think the Berg will be as close as you can get to a multi course horse !!!!
ORANGEBERG and I will be doing some of that adventure riding out west soon so we will post how the mighty Yellow and blue steed performs. Can't wait.

I believe Dr Ross to be a very knowledgeable man, and he has helped lots of people with bike problems, but like you say, I get the feeling he hasn't really checked out the Bergs yet in detail. Maybe we should invite him to the Force ride ????
Cheers :D
Garry.
 
cypher said:
bergs have done several rally raids with good results.
saw some pics and a report on this very site.

going down that line of thinking everyone who wants a big bike should ride a ktm cos when was the last time anyother manufacturer had a really good result, other then ktm?
Click to expand...
i have been helping a rider in Perth Australia with some advice and he is entering a 07 in the Astralian Safari 8000km this year, i will be following him closely
dont know his riding ability but some good riders have sprung from West aussie over the years, Go for it Gazza. i wish i was there with you on mine.
ORANGEBERG
 
KTM has indeed dominated Dakar recently, in great part because of their level of support and infrastructure they have committed to. It's become more important than the bikes themselves, and KTM has invested heavily.


Just like how the Baja 1000 is dominated by Honda on bikes with technology rooted in the 1980's. It's all about the support nowadays. Helicopters, precise pre-running, etc. Makes all the difference in the world.
 
i have been helping a rider in Perth Australia with some advice and he is entering a 07 in the Astralian Safari 8000km this year, i will be following him closely
dont know his riding ability but some good riders have sprung from West aussie over the years, Go for it Gazza. i wish i was there with you on mine.
ORANGEBERG
Click to expand...

Well I'm only a mid level vet rider who wants to finish more than anything then place as high as I can without breaking me or the bike !

When I did the Safari in 2001 my highest placing on a stage was 9th overall, but I did run consistently just outside the top 10 in 12th-14th on most stages. Overall I finished as the last offical finisher as my LC4 motor lunched a main bearing and I lost time replacing the motor to continue !!!

Given the number and calibre of riders that I have heard that should be entering this year, including some top USA Dakar riders, as well as the top national Aussie off-road riders, a mid field finish sounds like a great target to aim for!! I'm not fast, but my strength is consistency and being on top of the navigation.

I have chosen to use a Husaberg FE650 this time because the KTM 640 Adventure I used in '01 was too big for me, way too heavy. I have had 520/525's since the very first 2000 520 EXC and have done 1000's of desert riding and racing km's on them and have a lot of faith in them. It would be the logical choice for me to use a 525 this year.

HOWEVER I have put my cash on a 07 FE650 because I have done a lot of research and feel the 650 will be a better ride for me and be more competitive: its lighter, handles better, has more grunt and a higher top speed. SO apart from reliability its a no brainer !!

I have got good solid info from this forum, a couple of Dutch & Swedish rallye teams that use Berg's, and info from a few good Aussie dealers such as Orangeberg.

So its on with the punt and hope the bike doesn't let me down. As a back up my local dealer has been great and I will have a complete brand new spare '07 FE650 bike with me to take anything that needs replacing including the motor !!

The bigger picture plan is to see if the Berg will hold together ok this year and learn from it, then run a 2 bike team in next years Safari with my mate who is an ex top national level MX'er and a natural Rallye pilot. He is a real podium contender, and I will ride shotgun for him.

I should have the bike built by the end of May and will post some photos and details then.

Cheers
 
Gazza said:
i have been helping a rider in Perth Australia with some advice and he is entering a 07 in the Astralian Safari 8000km this year, i will be following him closely
dont know his riding ability but some good riders have sprung from West aussie over the years, Go for it Gazza. i wish i was there with you on mine.
ORANGEBERG
Click to expand...

Well I'm only a mid level vet rider who wants to finish more than anything then place as high as I can without breaking me or the bike !

When I did the Safari in 2001 my highest placing on a stage was 9th overall, but I did run consistently just outside the top 10 in 12th-14th on most stages. Overall I finished as the last offical finisher as my LC4 motor lunched a main bearing and I lost time replacing the motor to continue !!!

Given the number and calibre of riders that I have heard that should be entering this year, including some top USA Dakar riders, as well as the top national Aussie off-road riders, a mid field finish sounds like a great target to aim for!! I'm not fast, but my strength is consistency and being on top of the navigation.

I have chosen to use a Husaberg FE650 this time because the KTM 640 Adventure I used in '01 was too big for me, way too heavy. I have had 520/525's since the very first 2000 520 EXC and have done 1000's of desert riding and racing km's on them and have a lot of faith in them. It would be the logical choice for me to use a 525 this year.

HOWEVER I have put my cash on a 07 FE650 because I have done a lot of research and feel the 650 will be a better ride for me and be more competitive: its lighter, handles better, has more grunt and a higher top speed. SO apart from reliability its a no brainer !!

I have got good solid info from this forum, a couple of Dutch & Swedish rallye teams that use Berg's, and info from a few good Aussie dealers such as Orangeberg.

So its on with the punt and hope the bike doesn't let me down. As a back up my local dealer has been great and I will have a complete brand new spare '07 FE650 bike with me to take anything that needs replacing including the motor !!

The bigger picture plan is to see if the Berg will hold together ok this year and learn from it, then run a 2 bike team in next years Safari with my mate who is an ex top national level MX'er and a natural Rallye pilot. He is a real podium contender, and I will ride shotgun for him.

I should have the bike built by the end of May and will post some photos and details then.

Cheers
Click to expand...

Gazza,
Sounds like you have a solid game plan. Keep us updated, and good luck with the race.
 
Good luck GAZZA. It helps when you have good advice from people who have "been there and done that", like ORANGEBERG. We will follow your progress with envy and best wishes.
Cheers :D
Garry.
 

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