Cutting 6mm aluminum plate

[Soulcatcher668]

Would have been cheaper to take the skid plate off and go over to a GTAMer or local shop to do the cut at their place.

Just saying.

I would have offered my workbench and drill press but it's probably in worse conditions than yours.

If only there were a GTAM member with a machine shop.......

If you want some help with it..... hit me up...

 

[Hardwrkr13]

This is the plate. You can see the oil screen bolt through the largest cut out. Thats what I need to enlarge. Looks like raw aluminum but the description from the KTM powerparts catalogue says "hardened". Poor design as they only needed to change the cut out a little to save some grief.

Sent from my SM-S938W using Tapatalk

On the newer 1290 Super Adventure's you can get at everything with just a tilt of the skidplate. Of course the crash bars are directly in front of the screws to allow that though and they take twice as long to remove as the skidplate would be.

 

[JC99]

On the newer 1290 Super Adventure's you can get at everything with just a tilt of the skidplate. Of course the crash bars are directly in front of the screws to allow that though and they take twice as long to remove as the skidplate would be.

I've always just removed the skid plate to do oil changes before but as I'm now older and crankier I'm more annoyed by the design of this thing. One small change would make things so easy. The underside bolts that secure the skid plate appear to be made of butter with Phillips heads and so over the years they are starting to get a bit burred so I know with every change there’s the chance that a short oil change job is going to be something much longer, more unnecessary and a lot swearier.

 

[oioioi]

Slight detail.

Has anyone used the oil drain plugs with the quarter turn "shut off" valve.

This would make it easier to drain the oil without removing the skid plate.

Ot something like this

Amazon.ca

 

[JC99]

Slight detail.

Has anyone used the oil drain plugs with the quarter turn "shut off" valve.

This would make it easier to drain the oil without removing the skid plate.

Ot something like this

Amazon.ca

Those look like they protrude a fair bit? Decent idea though.

The one thing that bugs me a bit about bikes is that I don’t see much design input for the repair side of things. Every bike I've had has had plastic trim that seems fastened in a way that looks like an afterthought and a jigsaw designed by a psychopath. Getting to the airbox on my KTM is an absolute faff etc etc.

 

[Ash]

I use an EZ-Drain valve on the car and it works well. It protrudes about an inch and a half, although you can get ones without the hose nipple if you want a shorter one, but running a drain hose right into a jug is really nice. It doesn't help with the mess from the oil filter though.

 

[Brian P]

I've always just removed the skid plate to do oil changes before but as I'm now older and crankier I'm more annoyed by the design of this thing. One small change would make things so easy. The underside bolts that secure the skid plate appear to be made of butter with Phillips heads and so over the years they are starting to get a bit burred so I know with every change there’s the chance that a short oil change job is going to be something much longer, more unnecessary and a lot swearier.

Time for a trip to Bolts Plus for compatible socket-head cap screws ... or flat-head machine screws if they have a tapered recessed head.

 

[Gary]

It doesn't help with the mess from the oil filter though.

A ziploc bag might, if you can arrange it right.

 

[nobbie48]

FWIW I use a outer to cut patterns in aluminum sheets. 6mm could be a challenge.

 

[tat2]

Slight detail.

Has anyone used the oil drain plugs with the quarter turn "shut off" valve.

This would make it easier to drain the oil without removing the skid plate.

Ot something like this

Amazon.ca

I used a Fumoto drain (like in the amazon link but without the nipple) on my 2000 Katana 600. Worked like a charm, I didn't put one on my KLR as it would have stuck out past the aluminum skid plate.

The Fumoto website has a fitment guide for cars/trucks/industrial/motorcycles.

Buy Fumoto® Valve Online | Replace Oil Drain Plug

By simply replacing your stock oil drain plug, you can drain your engine oil without tools or mess. Trusted by over 10 million satisfied customers, the original Fumoto Engine Oil Drain Valve continues to offer individuals, truck owners, marine engine mechanics, and industrial engine maintenance...

www.fumotousa.com

 

[crankcall]

if KTM used an alloy aluminum (hardened) for that plate it may take a bit more effort to chew on. I know you dont want to pull the plate off but I'll bet your saving a lot of grief working on a nice flat surface vs. standing on your head ,

In an unrelated matter , my Tacoma has a skid plate , with a cutout for the oil filter . My not Toyota mechanic would not do an oil change without pulling the plate , I ask why , he says those plates are a pain to work around. The Toyota dealer did an oil change 'through the hole' , says thats why its there . oky doky. I get home and next morning huge puddle of oil in my driveway , Oh F says me, check dipstick , engine is full . Toyota dealer managed to spill the filter contents into the plate which being a big bowl held it all till I parked on my sloped drive. oy vey