KTM 625 SXC / SMC - The Most Complete Owner's Review of One of the Lightest ADV / Dual Sport Bikes
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- čas přidán 28. 08. 2024
- Nik from Pegasus Motorcycle Tours & Consulting LLC brings you what is intended to be the most comprehensive, complete, and conclusive review of the 2003 KTM 625 SXC Adventure Touring / Dual Sport motorcycle. Is this the lightest, most capable, most under-appreciated ADV bike on the used market?
Please support the independence of this channel so that I can continue to bring you honest reviews based on empirical knowledge and not merely first impression opinions filmed with a single shot from a helmet cam on an unremarkable local ride. Cheers - Nik
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The suggestions and opinions expressed are the result of a lifetime of daily motorcycling, touring, camping, intl, travel, and overlanding experience, including extensive international adventure touring. The opinions expressed are my own only, and do not necessarily reflect those of any retailer or brand mentioned or reviewed, nor any other third party. This video is entirely unsponsored and completely independent. The purpose of this disclosure is to reassure you, the viewer, that what you are getting is an honest personal opinion, so that you can make the best possible decision as a consumer. If you like what you see, please take a moment to like, share, and subscribe to help this channel grow in order to benefit the largest number of riders. And as always - ride smart, ride safe, and keep the rubber side down. Cheers! Nik
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Thanks for watching and participating in the conversation.
Cheers - Nik
I own a 2006 smc 625 for about 5 years now and it is just great! When i bought the bike it had 10300 km and 201 hours,now it has 25800 km and 447 hours. Changed the oil and filters every max 2000km and it starts and functions like a charm! Just like you said,a very very underrated bike,but it was,and still is one of the best bikes ever made!!
Thanks for sharing. I ride the 790 now after owning the 690. Best perfor.ers in class for sure.
I've had my 04 625sxc for 9 years and only had problems with the carb leaking, bolts vibrating loose, and the rear hub cracking. The power on the specs is definitely underrated, I beat my friend's xr and dr650's with ease and we all have the common power mods. All that power is what cracked the rear hub, it has a solid rear hub since it was built for the dirt and enough hard pulls with pavement traction are too much for it. Always keep an eye on the rear hub and sprocket bolts. If you ride hard on pavement replace the hub with a cush drive hub, which is what most dual sports come stock with.
Great suggestions regarding the cush drives. I glossed over that fact a little too quickly in my review. Much appreciated. Tha ks for watching and participating in the conversation. Nik
I have the final year, 2007 and it has a cush drive hub!
But even with 55hp the SXC is nots running fast only 120km/h and is not made for long rids in strait roads like the KLR or DR. I love mine yes, buy again? No way. For what it can a 300Voge could do the same 😉
I have a 01 lc4 640 with 18L tank the motor has been bulitproof the thing puts a smile on my face every time I ride
I test Road One a while back and could not understand why they didn't come with a kickstand. They have that awkward tall center stand that's not usable on Sand or dirt. I also tried putting it on the center stand at the test ride and grabbed right at the header but luckily I had my leather gloves. It would have been a disastrous burn on my hand and was really perplexed that it would be led from the engine right there where you would hold it to lift the bike up and help it on the center stand. Now I ride the 690 Enduro R and am enjoying that bike
Magura are very huge in the bicycle market with hydraulic brakes for 30-40 years. I have a Belgium bike from mid 80's with such brakes and they still work. The mineral oil is supposed to be less aggressive to the O-rings and the system rarely requires repair (At least on paper) But the mineral oil is less resistant to high temperatures.
Thanks Stef for sharing. I appreciate it, I wasn't aware they've been around so long. I don't have problems ever with dot fluid so I'd prefer to have that in my system since the Magura actually leaked on my KTM. If it ain't broke....
Zdravo Nik! :) I have this one in supermoto version. Love the bike!
Great video you've made, Cheers!
Thanks for watching. Glad you liked it. I've since owned the 690 Enduro r and just picked.up today a 790 adventure. Can't wait to get to know.it.
it actually has about 55 hp with the keihin fcr 41 carburator and it works 2/5 or 3/5 of what is actually capable in order to pass emissions in combination with the ktm competition exhaust .
that is what was told for my 625 smc
640 and 625 models same cc engine different carburator and exhaust different breaks 12liter tank in 640 and 9 liter in 625
Those are wild specs for such a light bike, and I would not be surprised. I have since switched to a 690 Enduro r. Tha ks for watching. I appreciate you participating in the conversation as well. This Saturday I plan to release my review of my Honda xr650l. Hope to see you there. Nik
@@Roger_Gustafsson can your bike wheelie in 2nd gear because i cant although i only ride 6 months about 1 per week for an hour and this is my first bike
i have some thoughts that the bike isnt running well
i have tried to clutch up in 2nd but it doesnt want to lift the front wheel up at all
1st gear power wheelie easy from 20 kmh
stock gearing
@@Roger_Gustafsson it seems that is unrestricted I have checked everything I have seen 190 kmh on the display
I will go to have the carb tuned and check valves
Had a 05 ktm 400exc it was awesome super fast , could hit 90mpn , 6 speed, also had a 250 and 350 sxf's that have all been super reliable
Thanks for watching and for participating in the conversation. I've never had anything under the 600 mark from the KTM line and do wonder how come the sixth gear is reserved for some bikes and not all. I understand it's a cost-cutting measure but it seems like an easy way to make the bike way more appealing since you already have the technology you use another bikes. But I totally understand the appeal of the smaller more dirt oriented motorcycles.
@@pegasusmotorcycletours yes 6 speeds are the best
I had a 2006 for 4 years.....had the suspension resprung and re valved with full exhaust and tuned. I miss that beast. Just bought a 2023 690 enduro r ....the dual balancers im the refined LC4 are definitely worth the extra weight.
I agree. I'm a happy owner of the 690 myself with gold valves and other goodies - what a monster of a motorcycle. Class leader hands down for a thumper adv.
I like my 625 SXC from 2005 😍 bought it 2020 and found only 5 offers. In 2022 now you can choose between a lot of offers. I changed the fork to an 48mm from the 450 exec.
Nice. I see mostly 525s in the desert. I've not experience them though. Right now I'm enjoying my 690 Enduro. Cheers. Nik
I had a new 2004 625sxc once to use on national d-s rides , enjoyed it for 2 seasons with no problems then wanted a lighter KTM for the same riding so l sold it & went searching for a new 2006 400exc , found one 2 states away & still have it today but l still have pic's & memories of my time on a 625sxc .
Nice. I see mostly 525s in the desert. I've not experience them though. Right now I'm enjoying my 690 Enduro. Cheers. Nik
Once again, great scenery in the back drops for your videos. Looks amazing on a large 4K TV.
Do you mind if I ask what type of jacket you have? It's sharp.
I appreciate that's very much because a lot of effort goes into the filming. If you enjoyed this so much please tune in when I release my review of my Super Tenere - shot in eastern sierras, snow and all. Thanks so much for taking the time to complement that aspect because it's the most laborious and time consuming part of making the videos. Thanks also for watching and for the support. I've reviewed my outfit so please run through my playlist to find it. It's called Sedici Alexi, from Cycle Gear. Cheers. Nik
came from dandanthefireman, great riding brother!!
Thanks for watching and great having you here. A new review of an ADV thumper will be released this Saturday to complete the playlist of that class of bikes. Cheers. Nik
Omg! I recognize you! You did a review on the K1200S. Here I am again, funnily enough we have the same taste in bikes!
Edit: after watching your vid i just had to edit - im also looking at a wild g650 xchallenge(1/3 in the country), if i land that i will let go of the SXC. If not, all good too with the SXC!
Glad to have you and thanks for watching another one of my reviews. I'm very happy to hear that you find them entertaining and useful. I actually just sold my ex challenge to a client of mine who took a tour and really like the bike. Right now I'm writing the KTM 690 Enduro R. Happy hunting and see you in the next review. Thanks again for the support.
Oh I see well that 690 R is a whole new bike. Not letting go of my SXC, would love to keep this as it is a futurr classic, ordered aftermarket jettings etc for it haha.
Looking forward to your next reviews. Always ride safe!
I have one, with the big tank and love it!!!
Thanks for watching. I've since switched to a 690 Enduro r and holy smokes what performance. I'm loving it. Great to hear you are loving yours too. Cheers. Nik
The 620 is even cruder and I guess lighter as it has no starter motor. I liked mine so much I had the piston and gearbox rebuilt rather than upgrade. It's very customisable if you like building your own bike. Keep it simple and reliable I reckon. This is the bike for you if you're into Zen.
Thanks for sharing. Even cruder?! That means a bike for true bikers. Right now I'm riding the ,690 Enduro R and loving it.
What is that jacket you're wearing? Great bike, great review👍
Thanks for watching and for the support. I've reviewed my outfit so please run through my playlist to find it. It's called Sedici Alexi, from Cycle Gear. Cheers. Nik
@@pegasusmotorcycletours thank you, I'll look.
I'd be very curious about how it compares to the XR650R which has a lot more power and weighs just a few pounds more. The XR600R you mention doesn't measure up to its more recent brother. And by "recent" its production life was 2000 to 2007.
I realize it's not the same bike but I've reviewed the 650L on thie channel. Check out the playlist. Cheers.
Really looking forward for a BMW R1200+GS Review. I hope to see it soon, no pressure though :D.
I know it's not really your type of bike but still..
Thank you for watching and for that request. It most definitely is my type of bike and in fact an upcoming review will be of the competitor Yamaha Super Tenere 1200ES. I own one and filmed it in eastern Sierra recently so I hope you tune in for that. I appreciate the support and that you seem to value my takes on these awesome machines. Cheers. Nik
@@pegasusmotorcycletours I just assumed it is not because you seem to go offroad with more capable machines(lightweight). Thanks, and looking forward for the Tenere review as well.
i`m the proud owner of the 07 SXC, sexy. LOVE it. this thing has crazy power and a real head-turner. parts, in Australia, are a bit hard to find though. and i can't find that link to the book in the description
Thanks for watching. www.manualslib.com/manual/1286507/Ktm-625-Sxc.html
I had a 2001 LC4 640. Absolutely loved it. I just couldn’t handle the starting issues. With the high compression, the battery only had enough juice for 3 or 4 attempts. Then the kickstart being on the left side plus again the compression and all the sorcery needed to work out the decompression lever made it unreliable for me. Even to push start it was very difficult because of the high compression engine. I had to always carry a battery pack with me and a 10mm wrench to take the seat out and reach the battery to jump start it.
Still, when it ran it was bliss 😀
I had a plated 620 Lc4 that was kick only.........and it was a snorting fast monster...........to start it everything had to go just right, no magic button to fall back on.................it shook so hard it felt like hammers beating the bottom of my feet,it blurred my vision at speed..............oil changes were about an hour or so if everything went just so..........kind of sketch but a fun bike to ride.
Thanks for sharing your opinion. That would be very annoying. Perhaps a bigger battery with higher Cold cranking anps? I have the same issues with my custom bagger. Massive 1900cc twin takes so much muscle to crank. I appreciate you watching and sharing your insight. O have since switched to a 690 Enduro r.
Φιλε πολλη ωραιο το βιντεο με το ktm .Βαλε τους υποτοιτλους στα Ελληνικα.Χαιρετισμους απο ΕΛΛΑΔΑ.
Thanks for watching. It try to do it. Ps. I just reviewed my KTM 790 if you're interested.
Nik,
I hope all is well. I have a 2003 SXC and your review has helped me really navigate ownership of my first ADV(long time sport/bagger rider). I have a QQ regarding the seat on the SXC. I went to their website and the didn’t have this models seat. Did you use the 640’s instead?
Any help would be appreciated.
-Marcel
Greetings and welcome to the channel. I'm glad to hear you are enjoying your KTM. I recently switched to the 690 and am loving that bike. Seat Concepts used to be headquartered here near by in SoCal, but have since moved to Idaho. I think the 640 seat will fit but can't confirm and don't want to give you the wrong information. If you have a larges gas tank than the original, it also wouldn't fit. Not a lot is available for these bikes any more so best of luck. Ps, this Friday I'm releasing a trailer of my new private guided tour of the Eastern Sierras in case you are interested for the future. Cheers.
That KTM just made my list of considerations.. Thanks!
My 2 reservations regarding KTM is:
1. I don't like the orange.
2. High maintenance
There is a CZcamsr "CycleCruza" who took a Yamaha 450 FX and made it street legal.. I need to look into what's involved with that.. if it's not too hard I think I'm going with that option. It's pretty sweet
I have a DRZ400 supermoto with 50/50 (dirt/steet) tires. One of the big pluses with that bike is oil changes only every 4k miles.
Both are great points to consider. I've never considered legalizing a dirt bike cause in California there are always added hurdles. It tends to affect resale value albeit typically for the better. I've owned and reviewed the drz on this channel and think it's a fantastic bike. Thanks for watching and for the support. Please run through my playlist to find it. I've also made a tutorial for how to clean it's carb and install a larger desert gas tank. Cheers. Nik
Question to the owners - how to adjust diamond shape lamp in place of that OEM square ?
I'm sorry, I'm not understanding. The headlight?
Can I ask you about the Side Stand? I have a 2003 and it only came with a center stand, which is horrible if you have a full set of luggage on it. What kind of side stand do you have?
Yes, I've noticed that in the 640, and never understood the logic behind it for a dirt bike. I couldn't tell you honesty, i believe it's a stock sidestand. I have sold the bike and now ride the 690 Enduro r. Thanks for watching. Nik
Hi mate, those clutch fluid issues you have at the end, what did you do to repair that? I have an 07 model SXC and it keeps losing it's oil. I've had a kit put through the system and it keeps leaking oil. Very frustrating.
I hate to say it, but I was never able to pinpoint where the fluid was leaking from. It's kind of frustrating considering how simple the motorcycle is. I sold it shortly after this review and have not kept in touch with that particular buyer. In any case my leak was very slow and didn't require a lot of attention. I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you.
@@pegasusmotorcycletours no worries mate thanks for the reply. I've been doing some research and think it may be the clutch slave cylinder. I have ordered another one. Fingers crossed that's the problem.
I bought my 625 brand new 2007 ..still have it ..goes like a charm but backfires ..I've had a couple machinic look at it to no prevail..tried jets ..seal on muffler..yeah nahh ..
Hm, let me know what it turns out to be. I can't think of a reason it would be doing that.
Valve adjustments or timing would be worth a look if you haven’t already
Cheers. I have a 2004 KTM 625 SMC. I notice the engine rpm go up when stuck in traffic, is it because it's air-cooled? can I install an aftermarket fan to fix that?.
Also, what is the main difference between the SXC and the SMC again?
Thank you so much for making this video. As you said, it is very hard to find information on these bikes.
Thanks for watching and for your question. The bikes are actually not air-cooled, they are rather liquid cooled. Everybody is going to get hotter while sitting in traffic but that should not affect the idle. The idol should always be hello no matter what the temperature is doing. The higher the idle the higher the temperature. That's for the differences, the SMC has 17-in tires and 2-in less of travel in the rear wheel. I believe an inch less in ground clearance as well due to the smaller Wheels. Has a more aggressive exhaust located under the rear seat and other smaller differences that don't really affect the performance. It would be easy to convert one into another.
What tires are you running? 04 625 sxc owner here.
Hi. Thanks for watching. Shinko 805.
@@pegasusmotorcycletours Awesome! I ended up going for the Dunlop Trailmax Missions and they ride great! Huge improvement in streetability over the D606s.
XR650R weighs 277 curb
60 hp
12x12x12...
Crazy stats. I've experienced the crf450 and tho7ght it was a hyper bike.
@@pegasusmotorcycletours that's another great thing about the XR650R, it's stable at speed. Very stable. I was wondering about those numbers 38hp , 315#(?). Frankly, I thought it would be lighter and higher hp.
I don't understand or agree with this content I bought an sxc 625 from new in 2009 ..the vibration was so bad it would walk backwards at idle with the kick stand down on my concrete area.. further more the vibration killed batteries and also my body as after 6 fuel stops to do 500 KMs I was basically dead 🙏 at around 110 KMPH it would get a crazy head shake so obviously rake angle on the front is wrong! Aftermarket steering damper a must. Aftermarket counterweight a must or just buy and re jet an xr 650 that smoked this orange 🤣
But I think we do agree. I also think the vibration is this bikes biggest fault. I then switched to the 690 and now I ride the 790. I agree. Thanks for sharing. Please check out my newest project and product www.ThePegasusPlanner.com
what happened to the bmw xchallenge video?
Thanks for asking. I'm releasing a Kawasaki Versys video this Saturday and the challenge.is next I promise.
@@pegasusmotorcycletours Thanks for the update
@@Ari--d Thank you for the patience. Cheers.
Haha- entertaining. Reason mineral oil instead dot 4 is the slave can leak into the main engine oil. You don't want dot 4 in engine. Mineral oil neither. If u want a stone axe reliable bike this class with performance, carb you're looking at a set up xr650r. Had both. Also you need more momentum getting up Diablo. We r out there all the time. I responded on your fb socal dual
Thanks for watching. I appreciate the clarification as well. Yeah, i definitely couldn't get enough momentum at diablos with my tires and that sand that's at the bottom. I was surprised the chain bounced off since it was in spec. I appreciate you taking the time to watch the review and participate in the conversation.
Everything is designed that way for a reason. You don't understand that motorcycle is all ^_^
Could you elaborate on what you.mean by everything? What are you referring to exactly?
A friend told me once, don't ever buy a KTM, unless you enjoy visiting the repair shop every other week.
(my friend is a mechanic btw)
Valuable advice. I think they've improved recently on that unfortunate reputation and I have a 2017 690 Enduro R so I'll let you know if that remains true. So far I'm loving the bike.
KTM is the biggest seller of euro bikes. If none of them worked they wouldnt be out selling BMW.................1 mechanic isnt the whole story.
It is open and you have about 60 hp.
I'm not understanding your message. What are you referring to?
@@pegasusmotorcycletours If there are no restrictions on the bike: depending on the region there is only 2/3 throttle movement available and there is a screen on the exhaust that restricts flow. with all the restriction bike is around 32 hp what it says on the specs. unrestricted 625 sxc is around 55-60 hp
Ive had one of these. The vibration is like a washing machine on spin cycle that's missing one leg..............cool bike other than that. ..........the occasional engine suicide has always been a problem with the Lc4's.................there are very good reasons these bikes are hard to sell and arent used for ADV riding. Ive had KTM's for many years.
Thanks so much for watching and for participating in the conversation. In your opinion what is the main reason for ktms being hard to sell? Reliability? Is it the older ones or new ones as well?
@@pegasusmotorcycletours The Lc4 engine/trans has had various issues along the way,so people who know that tend to shy away. + the vibration they're known for doesnt help too much....The newest ones,from 2017 on up are way better and re-designed.............its not all KTM's are hard to sell but newer is better for their street legal efforts...I bought an 890R and its been a great bike.
Clutch is heavy and not very precise.
I've always had a leaking clutch fluid problem with mine, but yes, it's not a one finger operation.
@@pegasusmotorcycletours The slave cylinder sometimes leak. New piston and oring might solve it.
@@Roger_Gustafsson Thanks for the tip. That did it!