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ktm pipe repair

2 stroke pipeWell, I have a 2012 KTM 300XC whose pipe has seen better days. It seems 2 stroke KTM’s are quite vulnerable to dents because of the size of the expansion chamber. The peanut gallery online has made several comments when viewing pics of me about how many dents (some very large) are in my pipe. I considered replacing it after watching the scary YouTube videos about heating and adding compressed air to remove the many dents I had. Since I have 3 sons and care about my eyes and extremities, I chose not to pursuer the DYI approach. Here’s where Pacific Crest Pipe Repair (piperepair.com) comes in.

I checked out their before and after pics and was impressed with what I saw. So, I took the chance and shipped off my pipe to them to see how good they are.pipe repair looks perfect

I had no dialogue with them before I sent in my pipe. I did exchange a couple of emails to ensure they received the pipe and understood the magnitude (in my opinion) of the necessary repairs. They didn’t show one ounce of concern and I interpreted this as they didn’t see any issues and had seen much worse. Next thing I know, I received an email that my pipe was in route back to me.

When I received it I was beyond pleased. I’d sent the pipe to them with tape on all the dents and the pipe was by no means clean. What I received was a very clean pipe that looked almost new. There are some very minor signs where the old dents were near welds and it isn’t 100% perfect, but for what I spent, it was well worth it to me. Much better than paying $249+ for a new FMF pipe.

ktm pipe looks like newThe cost for the repair was $60 plus $18 for return shipping.

Now, I must consider using the carbon fiber pipe guard that was reviewed earlier ($149.95 + shipping). I must decide, is it cheaper to have the dents removed as needed or should I protect it from the get-go? By my calculations, I can get it fixed 2 times before I recover the cost of a pipe guard.

I think I’ll rely on Pacific Crest Pipe repair since the coast was reasonable and the turn around time was so quick. I only went with a repair because I had so many dents and a few were very large. I doubt I’d go for an additional repair unless the pipe is seriously damaged.

If you have any questions about my experience, hit me up on the FTR forums or on Facebook.

As a side note, Pacific Crest Pipe Repair is donating a free pipe repair certificate to the FTR banquet! They do 2 stroke, 4 stroke and vintage repairs. Honestly, I hope I win it as I have no complaints about their work and quick service.

Contact Bret at 541-664-0400 or bret@piperepair.com

Shaun Foutch, Master B #1B

P3 pipe guard KTM 300 XC

Overview

P3 Composites is a company that specializes in producing carbon fiber guards for many off road racing machines with various applications. P3 Composites makes everything from pipe guards, to heat shields, to brake guards, and boot guards, all from high strength woven carbon fiber. Also, they are an American company and their products are all made in the good ole’ USA. It was a no brainer to give them a chance to protect the tinfoil thick expansion chamber on our 2012 KTM 300xc. And with a price tag of 149.95, it is a very competitively priced product in the pipe guard market.

First Impression

The P3 pipe guard we ordered came straight from P3 Composites themselves. P3 marketed the pipe guard as one that would fit all KTM 250’s and 300’s from 2011 to 2014 with either a stock or FMF pipe. When we saw this it made us a little weary about the overall fit of the guard, and were worried that it may be too universal.

It took us a while for us to actually get our hands on one of these guards. Since all the pipe guards are formed and made in house at P3 Composites, there was a pretty substantial backorder, especially for the KTM model we were choosing. This little inconvenience was all but forgotten when we first opened the box. We were very surprised by the shear thickness of the carbon fiber used to make the guard! It was nearly twice as thick as other carbon fiber guards we had tested in the past (Moose E-line)! This was a good sign as we have had issues with the ends of past carbon fiber guards chipping and losing the integrity of overall structure. We were feeling pretty confident in the overall strength of this guard compared to the competition.

Testing

Unfortunately, this pipe guard has seen a lot of abuse. Actually, every pipe guard we have ever tried has taken its fair share of abuse due to our impressive (yes, that’s what we’ll call it) riding style. This thing has definitely held up to its end of the bargain. It has seen everything from logs, to roots, to rocks flying off the back of 450’s. So far, this thing has protected our stock pipe better than anything else we have ever tried. There are no signs of stress or deterioration, which has been a common occurrence with other carbon fiber pipe guards we have tried in the past. We credit the thickness of the guard and the great fitment for its better-than-the-rest protection capabilities. The stock pipe on our 2012 300xc still looks brand new, with just a few scratches here and there. If you factor in the cost of a new aftermarket pipe, this thing has more than paid for itself.

Final Verdict

This is by far the best pipe guard we have ever had the opportunity to test. It hands down puts the completion to shame as far as quality and protection are concerned. It is priced slightly higher than most carbon fiber guards on the market, but it more than makes up the difference in its attributes. Plus, it’s made in the USA while most others are made in China or some other foreign country. Do yourself a favor and check out P3 Composites the next time you’re in the market for protecting that trusty steed of yours.

See the rest of P3’s products here:  p3carbon.com

Author:  Brian Ashby
Brian Ashby KTM 300

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