Helicopter or Tow Rope to Get A Dirt Bike Out? 5 Miles of Hell Trail - Part 3 

I think people need to realize that KTM has been forced into fuel injection for two-strokes because of the European emission standards for on road vehicles (many European countries permit two-stroke motorcycles to be licensed for street use). They didn't go to fuel injection for the American market. I think they deserve a lot of credit for keeping the two-stroke alive. They have certainly done a lot more than Yamaha has with regard to marketing two-strokes throughout Europe and the U.S., over the last decade or so. If you think they are expensive (they are, of course), it's the price that must be paid to meet government mandates. KTM has to spend big bucks to develop, test and market advanced technology. The cost is passed on to the consumer. Let's show some gratitude instead of contempt folks!

New title, “Why I Had to Buy My Friend a Clutch.”

CRACKED FUSE for sure,, I'm a diesel tech i see this all the time on freightliner M2 and cascadia. They are mounted on the fenders and bounces around, make sure ur fuse box is not loose or it will keep happening, or try to put a piece of foam in the fuse cover to apply slight down pressure on to the fuses to help withstand vibrations

Imagine spending over 10k on a new KTM just to get stranded in the worst place possible

Thats why u cant beat a carb with kickstart...

Love my perfectly tuned carburetor hahaha.

Really glad I went with my '19 YZ250X over a '19 250 TPI. Saved several thousand dollars and have over 100 hours with no issues. I'll kick it all day if it means avoiding stuff like this!

Anyone who has been doing this sport for any length of time has probaly had a similiar experience. However your experience is exactly why I decided to buy a 18 Husky TE300. It comes with carb and kickstart. Just saying manufactures listen to your customers. Keep it simple but unfortunately EPA is dictating how manufactures have to build bikes.

Cant believe nobody thought about changing the fuse anyway especially when you're out in the middle of nowhere with no multimeter.

Damn Bro, that sucks. Thanks for sharing, it give us a heads up to plug and play with the spare fuses instead of just a visual check. Thank God you were riding with someone else instead of solo.

There is a much better way to tow a bike. (The bike being towed) Put the tow strap in the center of the handle bars, wrap it around once, then put the end of the strap between your hand and hand grip, hold it tight with your hand. If you have a problem just release the end of the strap and it pulls out. There are 4 escape routes on the FMOH only 3 of them are marked clearly. Luckily there is an escape route just after the Crux. The Crux seems to be hard on both the rider and the bike that is why the the escape is at the top of the hill. By the way the "Crux" was originally called the "Wall"

Holy fuse from hell!! I pack tools, but I dont haul a multi meter ever. EFI wont ever go away, we will just get better at mitigating the risk. Good job on you and your crew solving the problem and getting the bike out!

A tugger strap on the front forks makes it way better for towing as it keeps rope off ground and away from front wheel pulls even and attach to seat mounting on towing bike works great and not such a struggle great on fuses Kyle as your dad said sometimes you just cannot see if it blowen

LOL! Dude we have all been there. Thanks for having the balls to admit it. So fun cause we can relate.

I carry a power lead with quick clips and have got a friend out trouble by powering the pump direct from the battery. His ecu connection had a pin corroded and had snapped. The efi light gave the fault code to help diagnose 👍

good lesson just bought a 2019 xcw because I am more comfortable with old fashion carb when you are in the middle of no where

I’ll stick with my 2019 YZ250. Old school with a carb and I didn’t spend 10k of pure disappointment

Absolutely mind boggling video. "we've got spare fuses but instead of plugging them in I prefer to waste an entire day"s riding & burn up my buddy's clutch." Wow. Just ****ing wow. The helicopter ride would've just been icing on the cake & qualified this for Americas Funniest Home Videos.

Kyle, throw a mini 12v test light in your bag and you will find the issue immediately. You can also throw some short wire in your bag to temporarily hard wire the component straight to the battery in the event you don't have spare fuses.

I think it would be worthwhile to measure the current drawn by your fuel pump (or ECU i can't remember which fuse you said it was) and compare that to the current drawn by Tyler's bike. I wouldn't start carrying a multitester in my kit, but you could build a tiny LED-resistor circuit to put in series with fuse you want to test and use your battery for the power supply. I've been an electronics engineer for 22 years and your dad's right, sometimes fuses "just blow", but more often, there is a reason for the failure -- in this case your fuel pump might be drawing slightly more current than it should (which is why it would be interesting to measure) and the fuse might have been on the lower side of it's tolerance. Thank goodness you had your buddies to help you out of there; and I think I'll be ordering a tow strap now! Awesome video series! Edit: I don't see the tow strap on your web site.

Done 5MOH 3 times, once I tipped over and tore my MCL. Medical issues and breakdowns can always be an issue, but I’ll do it again. Sh*t happens. Carry on.

Man I know that feeling. I once had to tow my Honda 250x out form a transmission bearing seal failure that got cough in the timing chain on a freshly rebuilt engine, luckily the engine died before any debris got cycle through the engine. We had to tow my bike it was about 1.5 to 2 mile out after a full day of riding. The simplest thing can sometimes end a day, but that's also why we ride in groups as well.

Good job on this Kyle. I've done the same visual onl,y checks myself on fuses. Lesson learned! Thanks a ton.

Oh man, I had my clutch go out at China Wall in Glamis and we had to tow it back through the deep sand. What a nightmare. Come to find out it was just my Rekluse clutch out of adjustment and I could have fixed it quickly on the spot. Doh!

😆 Lesson learned the hard way on checking fuses. Been there myself. I have seen fuses that were not blown but corroded or a burnt coating on one of the blades.

Hmm, when we got to the top of the Crux, I decided to check my gas, to my surprise the fuel level was just above reserve, it was full when I left, turns out my float was to high, so me and another guy start out on the escape route, about a half mile out my throttle sticks open, I was lucky that didn't happen on 5moh, took slide out inspected nothing wrong, half mile later stuck throttle, took slide out, nothing wrong, this happened about 6 or 7 times, then the gas ran dry about 1/4 of the way back to the main parking area, put the bike down off the side of the jeep road out of site, hopped on the back of buddys bike the rest of the way, packed up my stuff, drove back to my bike, loaded it up and I was done for the weekend. Someday I'll go back and finish it.

i got towed last week!!!! my fuel pump wire came off . i was able to diag it in the woods because i do carry a mini test light on me. highly recommend haveing a test light on you if you own a fuel injector bikes.

Had the exact same thing happen to a buddy with a 2019 ktm 300tpi wtih less than 10hrs on it. Had to push it back to a road and tow with a strap back to the truck in the dark. Ended up being the fuse for the fuel pump and there was spares on board.

Cheap $5 Harbor Freight pocket sized digital multimeter for every ride from now on. You could’ve checked for continuity on the fuse, replaced it, and been on your way in less than 10 minutes. People don’t think an electrical/electronics tool is necessary for the rider’s tool pack. They’re wrong. It would have saved your ride in this case...

Would be awesome if they could figure out how to make a simple 2 stroke that didn't need a fuel pump

This is one advantage of my antique Suzuki lol. Buddy of mine gave me a 1980 ds250 two stroke and the only electric parts are the coil and the lights. Which the lights are long gone. Problem is I need an engine for it because my case is cracked on one side

I learned something from this post (nothing to do with TPI though, LOL) I've never seen someone pull bike from foot peg to foot peg. That looks so much easier than subframe to triple tree. You can teach old dogs new tricks.

Oh boy. That is my worst fear, I've never actually rode with anyone else, so always solo. I broke down 40 miles from the road once, it also was an easy fix. Just needed a jump start. A disaster to get out. Thanks for the fuse knowledge. I would have thought the element would be obviously broken.

Very thankful for you sharing this. It will certainly cross another rider's mind if the same thing happens.

So you swapped tanks and ECU's but not fuses?

On my carbed bikes I have been left stranded by contaminated fuel, fouled plugs (fouled 6 plugs on one ride), a float that cracked and kept the float needle from opening and frayed wiring.

As a 17 year old who races a 2017 beta 390 I figured out that the fuse was bad. My whole bike was fine but all of a sudden fuel pump was out, had a couple extra fuses in the air box/under seat. I found a solution which is turn if the on board navigator and haven’t had a problem since. Just know your bike before stuff like this happens. Nice ride and nice bikes. That trail looks pretty fun

Calm seas never made a good sailor .. :-) These are the times You remember...

The xcw is such a beautiful dirt bike, which I didn't think there was such a thing. I like how he removed the tail light. I like the headlight, but have been wanting to get rid of the tail.

So happy with my carb lol. Sorry for the pain man fuses but everyone eventually.

Lol, hindsight and all. It's funny even in the video you said power was not getting to the fuel pump. So close. Great footage, thanks for the video! Keep up the good work.

Every LIKE is someone thanking you for passing on this valuable lesson learned! 🙏 👍

I did that run on a 2012 KX 450f. I had not ridden a bike since I was 16 and did it when I was 42. The old kawi did not disappoint but obviously I had some modifications done. Riding a 2019 KTM 300XCW injected now.

Being a mechanic for 25+ years some times it’s the sample thangs, fuse can be a easy thang to over look 👍🏽

That's a good lesson, thanks for sharing.

The best way to find out who your real friends are... break down at the crux of 5MOH and maybe look for unicorns?? probably a better chance to find unicorns than a true friend in that situation. You have good true friends...

Out of the years of watching this is my new favorite...

The beauty and reliability of everything electronically driven these days I guess.

It happened to me on a kawi too, the fuse by eye was perfectly fine, I searched everything on the bike, then i finally decided to swap fuses for the hell of it. BOOM it was a CRACKED fuse, you really couldn't tell it was blown but at home I moved the pegs of the fuse and saw it was cracked (probably due to vibration). So now when I have an electrical issue, I replace and move around fuses FIRST.

Thanks for the heads up as I have the same bike !

Had the same situation happen to me with a faulty ground on my 350. Visually, it looked fine, so I didn't remove the ground strap and reattach. Could have saved me miles of pushing... Same lesson learned - visual checks aren't enough.

I know that spot (The Crux) well, the obstacle is challenging and made all the harder as the soft sand and big rocks run up to it is now chewed to Hell from all the traffic. Just getting through the approach to the Crux is not that easy, as your video shows. When I lead rides on 5MOH, my group always takes the bail out to the right and we lift the bikes over one little tricky section there. We love the light two strokes and curse the heavy 4 strokes in that spot. Your buddy Tyler is an awesome rider. I am super impressed how he waltzed straight up it - I am guessing he must be a good trials rider. Hate to be "that guy" in the tired TPI vs. carb debate, but I intentionally bought a new '18 300 XC as I wanted a new 300 with a carb while I still had the choice. It has a stone simple Lectron and a Trail Tech fan and always runs great, no matter what kind of torture I put it through. I am glad to hear it was just a fuse though, lesson learned, if the fuel pump quits on a TPI try changing the fuse no matter what it looks like. On my '10 Husaberg FE450, the original made in China fuel pumps would seize and then burn out if the gas in the tank was hot. Almost got stuck in a tough spot with the original pump, but letting it cool and then slapping both sides of the tank while cranking it vibrated the stuck pump enough to free it and got her spinning again! That experience was enough to make me demand the carb on my new 300 though. Still have the 450, still working great on a Ducati fuel pump I put in after that ride ;) My experience with my 450 does make me wonder - why did the fuse blow on your TPI? Perhaps the extreme environment of 5MOH got the fuel in the tank hot, and the fuel pump partially stuck or dragged, which increased the load on the electrical system and popped the fuse? Fuses should not blow unless there is a reason. I lined the bottom of my 450's tank with reflective insulating material to keep the fuel from heating up and of course replaced the pump, have not had any problems since. Perhaps hot fuel and resulting fuel pump issues may be a thing for TPI. I don't know. Edit - Darn it, every time I take a group to 5MOH, we wind up taking the bail out halfway through as at least one rider has had enough. Have ridden the south end 4x now, have never ridden the 2nd half. Was hoping to do some reconnaissance via your excellent videos!

Sucks. Wonder why it blew the 2nd start up after it was tipped over. Did it think it got too hot since it wasn't submerged for a second or something? We need to start carrying a test light

This is exactly why I jumped all over the '19 xc, last of the carbs. Figured it would still be cheaper, and lighter, than a 2020 TPI even if I had to replace the Mikuni carb for a Lectern or Smartcarb. Turned out the Mikuni works great with the JD kit, win all around. I'll give TPI a few years to sort itself out. For now TPI just looks like the worlds most complicated carburetor.

Sorry but you guys can keep those TPI Bikes. Electronics have no place in the dirt and water environment. Old school reliability for me.

The only way to really check a fuse is the do a continuity test with a multi-meter. Out in the field you have to ask yourself, will I hurt something if I try "this." It's always worth trying to put in a new fuse. I hate that you didn't get to finish the trail... :(

If you could switch tanks across bikes should’ve taken off the bar pad and connected tow rope there so it doesn’t pull left or right! Hahah I had to pull a quad one time on my bike 😂

Good lesson for everyone 👍👍

Sheesh ..... now i gotta carry a multimeter and complete spare fuse pack. I ride alone too.

That trail looks awesome, I’m doing a road trip to southern Utah in April and this is on my list of places to ride

HMMM I wonder if Vegas Romaniac got stuck... I may just have to switch to a yammi 4 stroke! You caught yourself, by saying you cannot get power to the fuel pump. ... note to self check fuse first!

On a positive note, next time you will swap the fuses in. Lol Lesson learned.

On my 18 300exc , the earth from the battery to the subframe is toast and caused all sorts of problems Although when you look at it, it looks fine, its just broken under the heatshrink

that tow strap looks like it works , pretty good

Good thing you didn't try it on a 1973 Honda CB 175 like the plaque on the trail to the south says "Helicopter lifts are expensive". According to the story the closest one he could find came out of New Mexico. And a shout out to all the people that walk the trails with a bucket of paint and a brush, they ask all of us to avoid riding on the paint to help it last longer....

good content , just a knowledge-tool I’ll have in the toolbox thanks señor, many people make it, you made it entertaining

New title “How To Tow a Dirt Bike” 😂

They make fuses that light up if they go bad. Makes easy to find or call attention to it.

Great video, bummer to find out about the fuse. But, the little detail that bothered me is the comment on the Beta kickstand. With over 100 hours of riding, mine has never fallen down. I know it has a smaller footprint, so I act accordingly. Flipside, my buddy on a KTM has had his bike fall multiple times. He just isnt careful.

Kyle, Can you please educate me a bit on the fuses? Do I need to pack extras or are there extras on board? New 2020 TPI Rider!

Buy a TPI they said, its the future!!!! Ill stick to my reliable carb thanks.

Sad to hear: experienced riders butt getting kick by a little troubleshooting. 😊 You were so close: you tested your parts on the buddies bike, they are all good, then it has to be something simple: a blown fuse, a loose wire. Somedays it's just not in the stars and miss the obvious. Seems like a nice trail, hope I can try it one day.

Pissed!!! He had the fix in his pocket nothing worse 😱

I always worry about stuff like this in hard to get to areas. "...sure hope I don't break the bike in this canyon" lol. One good thing to carry is wire. It doesn't take up space on the bike or in your pack. 2 4ft pieces of 14/12 gives you the leeway to bypass problematic wiring harnesses. Sometimes its just useful for testing stuff without tracing all kinds of wires.

KTM "ready to recover"

Just saw this video and funny thing, the Beta didn't have any electrical issues because they come carbureted! I'd take that kickstand issue any day over EFI. Rolling with the 2022 Beta 300r RE and love this thing. KTM's a great bikes but the Beta with IRC JX8, KYB forks and Smart Carb, sky's the limit baby.

Just bought a 23' XCW 300. What spare parts do you guys ride with? Must haves?

Can you do a video of checking the fuse

Do you carry your drone in your pack? And if so, do you have a more protective bag/case for it?

99% of the time fuses blow for reason. I'd try and put that circuit thru an amp meter to get an idea how close to max you're getting.

Exactly what I bought an 18....runs just as good no electrical crap

Sometimes that's how you learn...

Definitely recommend installing tugger straps on forks and seat for the next fuse failure! 🤣🤣

Has anyone helicopter their bike out? And what was the cost? I was on a construction site where a helicopter was being used the type you’d see on TV show MASH That was $1200.00 an hour. Wasn’t big enough so they used a Huey Vietnam type that was $1800.00 an hour. Hope if you need one your super rich

How do you mount the camera to your helmet?

Sorry man that sucks... I've never had that problem where a fuse was bad and looked good, but I have swapped fuses when they looked good but I was not getting power..

Imo, I don't think it's accurate to say TPI bit you. The TPI "system" didn't fail, it was a fuse. Yes the fuse Supplies power to a part of the TPI, but if your Headlight fuse blows, did your Headlight fail? I say no.

Kyle. I have a trivia question about FM of H: Do you know who laid it out and when, and on what bike?

What drone does he have

In my 40 years of riding dirt bikes not once has any of my carbureted bikes left me stranded,

What camera mount are you using Kyle? Didn't see it in the affiliate links.

I sincerely do not like not having a back-up kickstart on my 2019 YZ450FX. It is currently in the shop getting the starter clutch replaced at roughly 135hrs of TT on it, lame.

That's too bad. Man, still not comfortable choosing an EFI 2 stroke. I know they are getting better but sticking to Beta for now.

Wow.....that looked extremely hard.

May I suggest taking an electrical troubleshooting/ electrical basics, course at your local Technical Institute. You'd be surprised what a person learns.

Kyle, thank goodness you were not by yourself out there🙏

So if the fuse fails on the fuel pump, the bike won’t start and that sucks, but at least it’s a fail safe, as in no damage to the engine. I was wondering, what happens if the fuse fails on the motor oil pump? Is it wired to prevent the bike from starting so that you can’t inadvertently run the engine without motor oil being injected? I haven’t owned a TPI yet, but am thinking about it. Has anyone tried pulling the fuse and just seeing if it’ll start without power to the oil pump?

Really glad I got a 2019 300 XC with a lectron

What amp fuse? What kind should I carry? Glad you didn’t become coyote dinner out in the desert. LOL!

I don’t get how u can’t tell if the fuse is blown or not