KTM 990s Motorcycle User Manual


 
ENGLISH
17
DRIVING INSTRUCTIONS »
Starting off
Turn on the light, pull the clutch lever and engage 1st gear. Slowly
release the clutch lever while you gently accelerate.
BEFORE YOU START OFF, CHECK THAT THE MAIN STAND HAS BEEN
SWUNG UP FULLY. IF THE STAND DRAGS ON THE GROUND, THE
MOTORCYCLE CAN GO OUT OF CONTROL.
ALWAYS TURN ON THE LIGHT WHEN YOU DRIVE. OTHER DRIVERS
WILL BE ABLE TO SEE YOU MUCH SOONER.
DO NOT ATTACH A HELMET OR OTHER OBJECTS TO THE HELMET
LOCK ROPE WHILE DRIVING. YOU CAN EASILY LOSE CONTROL OF
THE MOTORCYCLE.
Shifting/Riding
You are now in first gear, refered to as the drive or uphill gear.
Depending on the conditions (traffic, road gradient, etc.), you can
shift to a higher gear. Close throttle, at the same time pull clutch
lever and shift to the next higher gear. Let clutch lever go again
and open throttle. Do not shift gears and accelerate carefully in
curves.
Only accelerate to the extent that road and weather conditions allow.
Be especially careful when you accelerate in curves. Abrupt open-
ing of the throttle can cause the motorcycle to go out of control
and also increases fuel consumption.
By shifting down, use the brakes if necessary and close throttle at
the same time. Pull clutch lever and shift down to the next gear.
Let clutch lever go slowely and open throttle or shift down again.
If the engine is killed f.ex. at a crossing, simply pull the clutch
lever and start. It is not necessary to switch the gear to NEUTRAL.
Stop immediately if the FI indicator lamp lights up while driving.
The FI indicator lamp will start blinking as soon as the transmis-
sion is in neutral. The rhythm of the blinking lamp will let you deter-
mine the two-digit "blink code", e.g.:
Blink code 34: FI blinks 3x long, 4x short, pause,
Blink code 06: FI blinks 6x short, pause
The blink code will indicate which component is defective (see
Troubleshooting). This makes it possible to pinpoint the defect if
a diagnostic tool is unavailable.
AVOID ABRUPT LOAD CHANGES WHILE RIDING AROUND BENDS
AND ON WET OR SLIPPERY GROUND. OTHERWISE YOU MIGHT
EASILY LOSE CONTROL OVER YOUR MOTORCYCLE.
WHILE RIDING YOUR MOTORCYCLE, NEVER SWITCH THE IGNITION
LOCK TO POSITIONS AND .
DO NOT TRY TO CHANGE THE SETTINGS WHILE DRIVING. YOUR
ATTENTION WILL BE DISTRACTED FROM THE TRAFFIC AND MAY
CAUSE YOU TO LOSE CONTROL OF YOUR MOTORCYCLE.
THE PASSENGER MUST HOLD ON TO THE DRIVER OR THE HOLD-
ING STRAP ON THE SEAT WHILE RIDING AND KEEP HIS/HER FEET
ON THE PASSENGER FOOTRESTS.
REGULARLY MAKE SURE THAT THE BAGGAGE AND CASES ARE
TIGHTLY FASTENED.
AFTER FALLING WITH THE MOTORCYCLE, CHECK ALL FUNCTIONS
THOROUGHLY BEFORE STARTING UP OPERATIONS AGAIN.
A BENT HANDLEBAR MUST ALWAYS BE REPLACED. NEVER TRY TO
STRAIGHTEN THE HANDLEBAR BECAUSE THIS WILL CAUSE IT TO
LOSE ITS STABILITY.
HIGH RPM RATES WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD HAVE AN ADVERSE
EFFECT ON THE LIFE OF YOUR ENGINE. WE RECOMMEND YOU RUN
THE ENGINE IN A MODERATE RPM RANGE FOR A FEW MILES GIV-
ING IT A CHANCE TO WARM UP. AFTER THAT NO FURTHER PRE-
CAUTIONS IN THIS RESPECT NEED BE TAKEN. THE ENGINE HAS
REACHED OPERATING TEMPERATURE AS SOON AS THE SECOND
BAR ON THE TEMPERATURE INDICATOR LIGHTS UP.
IF THE RED OIL PRESSURE WARNING LAMP LIGHTS UP WHILE DRIV-
ING, THE OIL PRESSURE IS TOO LOW TO ADEQUATELY LUBRICATE
THE ENGINE. STOP IMMEDIATELY AND SWITCH OFF THE ENGINE.
IF YOU CONTINUE TO DRIVE, ENGINE DAMAGE WILL OCCUR WITHIN
A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. CHECK THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL OR CON-
TACT AN AUTHORIZED KTM WORKSHOP.
NEVER HAVE THE THROTTLE WIDE OPEN WHEN CHANGING DOWN
TO A LOWER GEAR. THE ENGINE WILL OVERSPEED, DAMAGING THE
VALVES. IN ADDITION, THE REAR WHEEL BLOCKS SO THAT THE
MOTORCYCLE CAN EASILY GET OUT OF CONTROL.
NEVER USE YOUR MOTORCYCLE WITHOUT AN AIR FILTER.
OTHERWISE DUST AND DIRT MAY ENTER THE ENGINE AND CAUSE
INCREASED WEAR.
STOP IMMEDIATELY IF A PERCEPTIBLE POWER LOSS OCCURS
WHILE DRIVING DUE TO A DEFECTIVE IGNITION CAUSED BY A
CYLINDER MISFIRING OR BREAKING DOWN. IF THE UNBURNED
FUEL/AIR MIXTURE REACHES THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, IT WILL
IGNITE AND THE RESULTING HEAT WILL DESTROY THE CATALYTIC
CONVERTER AND THE ADJOINING COMPONENTS.
THE RED COOLANT WARNING LAMP LIGHTS UP WHEN THE COOLANT
TEMPERATURE HAS REACHED 120°C (248°F).
POSSIBLE CAUSES FOR THE INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE:
– LOW DRIVING VELOCITY AND HIGH LOAD SITUATION IN HIGH AIR
TEMPERATURES
– LEVEL OF COOLANT IN THE SYSTEM IS INSUFFICIENT
– FAN AT RADIATOR IS NOT RUNNING
IMPROPER USE OF THE CLUTCH WHILE DRIVING AT LOW VELOCITIES
LET THE ENGINE COOL DOWN. MEANWHILE, CHECK WHETHER ANY
COOLING LIQUID IS LEAKING OUT OF THE MOTORCYCLE. CHECK
THE COOLING LIQUID LEVEL IN THE RADIATOR (NOT ONLY IN THE
COMPENSATING TANK). - CAUTION SCALDING HAZARD! DO NOT
DRIVE ON, UNTIL THERE IS SUFFICIENT LIQUID IN THE COLING
SYSTEM.
IN THE EVENT THAT, WHILE RIDING ON YOUR MOTORCYCLE, YOU
NOTICE ANY UNUSUAL OPERATION-RELATED NOISE, STOP IMME-
DIATELY, TURN THE ENGINE OFF, AND CONTACT AN AUTHORIZED
KTM DEALER.
Braking
Close throttle and apply the hand and foot brakes at the same time.
Carefully apply the brakes on sandy, wet or slippery surfaces.
Always brake with feeling, blocking wheels can cause you to skid
or fall. Also change down to lower gears depending on your speed.
Always finish braking before you enter a curve.
When driving downhill, use the braking effect of the engine. Change
down one or two gears but do not overspeed the engine. In this
way, you will not need to brake so much and the brakes will not
overheat.
IN THE RAIN, OR AFTER THE MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN WASHED,
BRAKING ACTION MAY BE DELAYED DUE TO WET BRAKE DISCS.
FIRST, THE BRAKES MUST BE BRAKED DRY.
ON SALT-SPRAYED OR DIRTY ROADS BRAKE ACTION MAY BE
DELAYED AS WELL. FIRST, THE BRAKES MUST BE BRAKED CLEAN.
REMEMBER THAT THE STOPPING DISTANCE WILL BE LONGER IF
YOU ARE CARRYING A PASSENGER OR BAGGAGE.
WHEN YOU BRAKE, THE BRAKE DISCS, BRAKE PADS, BRAKE
CALIPER AND BRAKE FLUID HEAT UP. THE HOTTER THESE PARTS
GET, THE WEAKER THE BRAKING EFFECT. IN EXTREME CASES,
THE ENTIRE BRAKING SYSTEM CAN FAIL.