the highs and lows of a berg owner

Highs and lows?... some may have read my last post thanking DCR for sterling service on my bike, what a difference a day can make!
I've had the lows of having my bike in bits being mended for weeks at a time, then the high of getting her back, then the even higher high of pulling her out the shed this morning for my first ride since the engine was freshened after losing a couple of tappet nuts.... guess what?? LOW LOW LOW!!!!!!! After 15 minutes the engine sounds like a jackhammer... think its the same problem thats just been repaired. I'll keep you posted as to the outcome of my stripping the engine AGAIN. I'll do it tomorrow i just cant face it tonight or the petrol and matches may just come out! A couple of beers to try and chill out are needed i think. Is this the standard Berg ownership procedure?

hussadaddy i getting that way my self all i want to do is go and have a good days riding with out having to repair something!
Used to ride my KX wash it change clean filter lay it away> tighten chain every now and then.
ok had to replace piston rings and used more fuel but it was reliable. :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

O.K. fellers, these 2 owners of EARLY Husabergs need our help!

Let us know what you find and we will try to help you!

Regards,

Joe

JoeUSA said:

O.K. fellers, these 2 owners of EARLY Husabergs need our help!

Let us know what you find and we will try to help you!

Regards,

Joe

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Did Husaberg really make an engine prior to 2001?
According to a survey of new US Husaberg dealers the answer is no. :lol: LOL

Sorry Joe, I simply could not help myself.

Dale

Evil man Dale... :twisted:

Well ive had the covers off this morning and guess what?... one of the tappet bolts has snapped, hopefully i'll have some recourse to send it back to DCR as the engine only has 15 minutes running since they sorted two bolts for me that had snapped and went through the engine replacing anything that needed to be. Any ideas as to why the tappet bolts keep snapping?, it may be helpful to know what to look for. Is it just bad bolts?
I know how you feel Lplates but i just keep persevering as ive had no bike thats so rewarding and gives me such a feeling when i'm riding it.... when it works that is haha. I may get a new Berg as they seem to be a bit more reliable, i'll still keep the OLD one though Dale as it has more character than the tame new bikes. :wink:


An update - Dave at DCR has agreed to take the bike back over there and sort it out (told you he was a top bloke). Also he has some brand new '04 model 450 bergs for sale and i'm quite tempted at the discounted price (£3800), any views on these anyone?

husadaddy501 said:

Evil man Dale... :twisted:

Well ive had the covers off this morning and guess what?... one of the tappet bolts has snapped, hopefully i'll have some recourse to send it back to DCR as the engine only has 15 minutes running since they sorted two bolts for me that had snapped and went through the engine replacing anything that needed to be. Any ideas as to why the tappet bolts keep snapping?, it may be helpful to know what to look for. Is it just bad bolts?
I know how you feel Lplates but i just keep persevering as ive had no bike thats so rewarding and gives me such a feeling when i'm riding it.... when it works that is haha. I may get a new Berg as they seem to be a bit more reliable, i'll still keep the OLD one though Dale as it has more character than the tame new bikes. :wink:


An update - Dave at DCR has agreed to take the bike back over there and sort it out (told you he was a top bloke). Also he has some brand new '04 model 450 bergs for sale and i'm quite tempted at the discounted price (£3800), any views on these anyone?

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In answer to your question as to the reason the tappet bolts snap, my answer is that some one has tightened them so hard that they have cracked and now snapped while you were riding it.

Thats why Husaberg publishes critical fastener torque values in their Owners and Repair manuals, so the correct torque can be applied to each bolt and nut using a 'torque wrench'.

But once a fastener is over torqued, it must be replaced or likely it will break as yours have!

Regards,

Joe

here's a high of owning a Husaberg, charging through the deep water crossing at a local enduro

JediBerg smoke on the water

ok newer berg hey mines an 03 so go for the 04 :lol:

husadaddy501 said:

Evil man Dale... :twisted:

i'll still keep the OLD one though Dale as it has more character than the tame new bikes. :wink:

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First generation engines rule!

What style tappet screws are you using? Original radius half ball with lash cap or later model swivel foot? Such is critical.

In addition Husaberg had several batches of improperly tempered screws noted for fracturing @ the nut / rocker interface. (Swivel and fixed design)

Dale

I really cant tell you which ones Dale, i dont do the work myself, but rest assured if you tell me which ones they should be using those are the ones i'll insist on them using when they put the new ones on!

ok newer berg hey mines an 03 so go for the 04

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Hhhmm... thought yours was older lplates, maybe i should hold out for an 07 :lol:

In my personal opinion a solid setup is that of one piece SS valves, hard weld tips and OE swivel foot tappets.

If you are attempting to mix such items problems will arise as the early "lash cap" equipped valvetrain has little room to properly accommodate the swivel feet tappets without modification.

Take some pictures and send them along.

Dale

Dave Clarke seems to think the problem is caused at some point by over-revving, creating 'valve float' as the older bikes didnt have a rev limiter on them... but then again i'm not that brave

husadaddy501 said:

Dave Clarke seems to think the problem is caused at some point by over-revving, creating 'valve float' as the older bikes didnt have a rev limiter on them... but then again i'm not that brave

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With all due respect to Dave "such is not likely".
As Joe mentioned earlier "over torquing" is the more likely culprit.

Dale

Unfortunately my berg ownership has been all lows too, i hadn't owned a 4stroke mx bike before, and i bought a 99fc501 3 months ago, so far i have ridden it about 20 minutes.

2 minutes on the test ride, first felt good, spluttered in second, i thouhgt because it was cold, then took off like a demon in the upper gears, i bought it.

went riding that weekend, warmed it up, took off, again first felt fine then it spluttered in second, i thought that was a bit odd, but we were on fire roads and it felt fine in all the upper gears, then we got onto some tight trail and thats when i realised what was going on, second gear was completely shagged, and it was engaging and disengaging rapidly, so the bike felt like the motor was spluttering, when it was infact all in the box, took it home and ripped the motor out and took it to the shop i bought it from, 3 weeks later when they finally pull it down they come back with a $3200au quote, three gears in the box are rooted but enough metal filings went thru and stuffed the piston ect, plus the head was stuffed, and so were the exhaust valves, after some arguing with them i got them to do the labour for half price and parts for cost, it's still going to cost me $2200, well it was going to cost me that much, last week they rang me and said the didn't realise but the conrod is stuffed too, and extra $360! they should be putting it together now, i've just sold my roadbike to pay for the repairs, i hope it'll be worth it.

they seem a little unimaginative to just quote you for EVERYTHING new!

you should tell them just to do the box and get it back together - get some fun out of it first!

regards

Taffy

I went and had a look while the motor was in pieces, the stuff they quoted was indeed very worn, i wouldn't have risked running it anymore and having a failure and have to spend more money, plus i would have had to double up on the labour too, this way the motor should be close to new, if i get the expected 100 hours from the piston reliably then i'll be happy.

You said you warmed the bike up Delahare, from what i can gather this is something you shouldnt do, or leave the bike ticking over, when you start her up get on her and go, and if you stop for any length of time turn her off... from what i can gather it can do major damage.

On the other matter DCR failed to pick my bike up, when i rung they offered to send the parts free... but i'll have to put them in myself. Best get the cover off and start searching for the missing nut and bolt!

lows , shocking lows

a friend of mine buys a 2000 fs 650 with 2200 klms in pristine cond .

he rides it up the road nails it in 3rd and BANG .

a huge hole in the top of the rocker cover , on inspection the decomp arm broke loose and wrecked his day , big time . :cry:

Thanks for the info husadaddy, but with any vehicle you shouldn't jump on and put the motor under load when cold by warming up i just mean one or two minutes untill the raiator starts to come warm, then go, so it's not stone cold. you are correct though, any bike without a thermo fan is gong to struggle not to overheat if you leave it idling for a period of time.

LINEAWEAVER said:

.....

First generation engines rule!

.....

Dale

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Such an elegant design!!! I like'm too! Plus, if you choose the older bikes, you can have 8 of them for $1000 each before you catch up to what all you new bike owners pay (cough cough, don't look at my signature)

That means you and 3 of your best buddies can ride all day, and still each have a parts bike waiting! Though, I guess it would be nice to not need a parts bike...

-Parsko

PS- These older bergs and parts ARE really cheap here in Europe. I'm thinking of getting ANOTHER spare motor!