Update on the update on the 350/390 SXF

Turns out I do have an overheating problem at least when I ride real tight (2^nd 3^rd gear) trails at altitude (5000 +) and plus eighty five degrees. All that plus little air movement through the radiators was perhaps causing the fuel to overheat making pop stalling an issue. I’ve been running waterless coolant which can be a benefit on one hand but can also be potentially a big problem on the other. No radiator boil over can give you a false sense of security and the heat just continues to build.

I decided to install a fan kit but found out apparently no one sells a kit that will work with an IMS over sized tank installed on a 350SXF. (I would assume the same would go for the XCF as well) Accerbis does make a tank that will work with a kit, but in order for me to install a standard fan kit I’d have to buy a new gas tank, which on one hand isn’t bad because disconnecting the fuel line to either remove the fuel tank or to change the little micron fuel filter is difficult with the IMS tank. Well, turns out replacing the IMS gas tank to install a fan kit isn’t the only problem, seems the output of the SXF stator isn’t enough to properly charge the system with a fan. At this juncture I wasn’t willing to spend the time researching a fan that uses very little power that I can cobble together into a system. With an electric start only and a Rekluse I don’t relish the idea of adjusting the clutch so I can bump start it if I forget to turn off a fan. Spending five hundred dollars plus for a tank, fan kit and stator for a problem that may only occur occasionally didn’t make sense to me.

I did decide to try the higher output water pump KTM sells and see if that would solve the problem. The kit was about $100 and was easy to install. I’m not sure how much it increased the water flow but looking at the difference between the stock impeller and the new one I’d say at least double perhaps triple. 

I’ve now ridden the same tight trails without experiencing the same problem, it wasn’t quite as warm though but hopefully this solved the problem, only time will tell. Installing the water pump kit would be a good investment for anyone having KTM borderline overheating issues.

Doug 21J