Camso DTS 129 install-what is involved/degree of difficulty?

Ben 500RR-S · Oct 20, 2017

For those of you that have installed the DTS 129, is the install difficult or tricky at all?

How long did it take you?

I'm handy and can easily change out tires/tubes, my fork oil, changing fluids/clutch plates and steels, the easy stuff, but I have never taken a swingarm or the linkages off.

As my bike has about 1,900 miles and about 80 hours and I've had it since 2017, I can imagine that all my parts should come off fairly easily so I have that going for me.

Any advice, tips or tricks would be appreciated.

byeatts · Oct 20, 2017

Ben 500RR-S said:
For those of you that have installed the DTS 129, is the install difficult or tricky at all?

How long did it take you?

I'm handy and can easily change out tires/tubes, my fork oil, changing fluids/clutch plates and steels, the easy stuff, but I have never taken a swingarm or the linkages off.

As my bike has about 1,900 miles and about 80 hours and I've had it since 2017, I can imagine that all my parts should come off fairly easily so I have that going for me.

Any advice, tips or tricks would be appreciated.

I just installed HMK,s personal Camso on a 18 SX. fitment was perfect and easy job,

Bgg · Oct 20, 2017

It easy

It is easy. Much better if you have someone helping out. First time took me around 3 hours - but I had never done anything like this before. Going back was 2 hours. Take time to read the manual before you start, makes it much easier..
Have fun, the Camso DTS is awesome - never had more fun on a bike, and it will go where ever you dare.

Ben 500RR-S · Oct 20, 2017

Bgg said:
It is easy. Much better if you have someone helping out. First time took me around 3 hours - but I had never done anything like this before. Going back was 2 hours. Take time to read the manual before you start, makes it much easier..
Have fun, the Camso DTS is awesome - never had more fun on a bike, and it will go where ever you dare.

Thanks. I will have my wife if I should need an extra hand or two. 3 hours ain't bad at all. It will be nice when it is cold out and I can't ride the bike anyway come December.

I can only imagine how much fun it is going to be. I like riding the dirtbike more than anything else so I can only imagine that on the snow/in the snow is going to be a blast.

Ben 500RR-S · Nov 9, 2017

I have an email to the parts department of my local Beta/Camso dealer to find out exactly how much the DTS 129 kit and the wheel kit will cost.

I need to have the kit installed for x-mas weekend so I had better get started now.

I did have my rear linkage all apart to grease everything and thankfully, as my bike is new since February, it was easy getting everthing off.

Vincenthdfan · Nov 9, 2017

Ben 500RR-S said:
I have an email to the parts department of my local Beta/Camso dealer to find out exactly how much the DTS 129 kit and the wheel kit will cost.

I need to have the kit installed for x-mas weekend so I had better get started now.

I did have my rear linkage all apart to grease everything and thankfully, as my bike is new since February, it was easy getting everthing off.

I bought a very lightly used 2017 Camso DTS 129 for $2800. It came off of a Honda CRF450.

The biggest downside was, buying a Fit Kit for my 15 KTM 500 EXC (from a Camso authorized dealer) was an additional $399!

The Camso wheel kit (which I haven't bought) is $399 as well.

I saw one slipped onto a bike at our local snow show and they are very well built wheel kits...thick, wide, and stout rubberized wheels. Very well engineered set up too.

But, I don't think I'm willing to shell out their price for one at this point in time...at least not after bleeding money out of every other pore doing initial snowbike set up for the first time ever!! :face-icon-small-sho

wwillf01 · Nov 10, 2017

You will want some type of wheel for the ski... Unlike other kits it is a pain with the dual skag without snow ..

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Ben 500RR-S · Nov 16, 2017

I paid my dealer in full for a 2018 DTS 129 kit for my 2017 Beta 500 RR-S yesterday.

It will be about 2 weeks before it arrives at the dealer. I'll be waiting but the good part is that there is NO snow anywhere near me but it will start up north, 200 miles north, soon.

I do know I have to get an engine jacket, probably a PST one as I like one already made, and I'm not sure about either 12V grips, AME or Bikemaster, or just some handlebar muffs.

I also have to eliminate my license plate holder as it would probably get hit by the 12" of travel that the DTS 129 has.

I truly appreciate all the help you have given me so far and all the posts. Riding the dirtbike is #1 to me in the world. I can see that the snowbike will be either #2 or, dare I say it, #1?

Hellbound · Nov 16, 2017

Ben, DTS-129 attached to the bike using a strut so the kit frame doesn't move in relation to rest of bike so your plate should be fine. mike

Ben 500RR-S · Nov 16, 2017

Hellbound said:
Ben, DTS-129 attached to the bike using a strut so the kit frame doesn't move in relation to rest of bike so your plate should be fine. mike

Ahhh, thank you Mike!

Like the tunnel on a snowmobile, the track moves, not the tunnel. Same with the DTS kit. The bottom of the track/rail, will flex up and down but the top of the track will stay in the same position relative to the top of the frame/tunnel.

If so, this is good news as I can save time, energy and money in relocating my plate and removing the plate extension. Here is what I'm talking about on my bike:

Hellbound · Nov 16, 2017

That plate does come low...I am trying to attach a pic of the DTS-129 on my KTM-530 but not having much luck.... Here is a link to it on FB... https://www.facebook.com/Hellbound....291848371454/1891526224214667/?type=3&theater

Ben 500RR-S · Nov 16, 2017

Here is a pic of the 2018 bike the dealer has on the floor, with no plate mount.

If the tunnel will not move, I should be alright as I've been riding with the plate on and banging everything in the forest I can/jumping and have not lost or damaged the plate or its mount, yet.

Hellbound · Nov 16, 2017

Tunnel is stationary.

Ben 500RR-S · Nov 16, 2017

Hellbound said:
Tunnel is stationary.

Great! One less thing I need to worry about. Thanks.

-unsound · Nov 16, 2017

Like everybody else said the install itself is pretty easy. Just remove the swingarm and put the track on, same for the front. To run the brake up to the handle bars I take the tank off etc. The first time will take a bit extra to get everything set up and figured out eg the strut height and brake line route.

I have a 500 EXC. I take my plate off just to give better access to the bag and jerry can on the tunnel. With barkbusters my hands dont get too cold, only when we are stopped for lunch etc. I would also recommend stiffer fork springs to balance the bike and an engine cover for deep snow, and also a temp gauge. Still thinking about adding a thermbob since the engine temps are still a bit low for my liking. I also made some prefilter vent covers for the air box to prevent it plugging up with snow, and just run prefilter material in place of the foam air filter.

Ben 500RR-S · Nov 16, 2017

-unsound said:
Like everybody else said the install itself is pretty easy. Just remove the swingarm and put the track on, same for the front. To run the brake up to the handle bars I take the tank off etc. The first time will take a bit extra to get everything set up and figured out eg the strut height and brake line route.

I have a 500 EXC. I take my plate off just to give better access to the bag and jerry can on the tunnel. With barkbusters my hands dont get too cold, only when we are stopped for lunch etc. I would also recommend stiffer fork springs to balance the bike and an engine cover for deep snow, and also a temp gauge. Still thinking about adding a thermbob since the engine temps are still a bit low for my liking. I also made some prefilter vent covers for the air box to prevent it plugging up with snow, and just run prefilter material in place of the foam air filter.

Thanks. It sounds like it is all bolt and go, save for routing the brake line but removing the tank should be no biggie.

When riding the dirt, I have my forks all the way soft and would actually like them softer as I'm only like 170lbs or so wet so I can imagine that just adjusting them all the way hard will do the trick for me.

My bike has a TrailTech Voyager so it comes with the temp gauge-bonus.

Vincenthdfan · Nov 16, 2017

-unsound said:
I have a 500 EXC. I take my plate off just to give better access to the bag and jerry can on the tunnel. With barkbusters my hands dont get too cold, only when we are stopped for lunch etc. I would also recommend stiffer fork springs to balance the bike and an engine cover for deep snow, and also a temp gauge. Still thinking about adding a thermbob since the engine temps are still a bit low for my liking. I also made some prefilter vent covers for the air box to prevent it plugging up with snow, and just run prefilter material in place of the foam air filter.

Curious, I too have a 500 EXC (2015). It has a factory thermostat as I would imagine yours does as well..are you finding it doesn't keep temps up as well as the Thermobob? I've heard our t-stats have a bleed/weep hole built in so this may be the reason?

Im curious about your air filter setup...might you have any pics available? How you pre-filtered the outside and inside mainly?

Pics are worth a thousand words I guess, lol.

Ben 500RR-S · Nov 16, 2017

As I am about as ignorant as one can get with snowbikes-but am learning fast. What is the concern with the airbox? Does snow get into the box and affect the air filter?

-unsound · Nov 16, 2017

Vincenthdfan said:
Curious, I too have a 500 EXC (2015). It has a factory thermostat as I would imagine yours does as well..are you finding it doesn't keep temps up as well as the Thermobob? I've heard our t-stats have a bleed/weep hole built in so this may be the reason?

Im curious about your air filter setup...might you have any pics available? How you pre-filtered the outside and inside mainly?

Pics are worth a thousand words I guess, lol.

Ill try and remember to post some pics of the air filter when I convert the bike back over next week.

With the stock thermostat I could still watch the coolant temp dive everytime I hit deep powder, sometimes down to 25C. I think the stock thermostat is set at 70C and bleeds too much around to be effective in the snow. I will have the PST engine blanket this year which is looks much better than my homemade solution last year so maybe that will help before i try the thermobob

-unsound · Nov 16, 2017

Vincenthdfan said:
Curious, I too have a 500 EXC (2015). It has a factory thermostat as I would imagine yours does as well..are you finding it doesn't keep temps up as well as the Thermobob? I've heard our t-stats have a bleed/weep hole built in so this may be the reason?

Im curious about your air filter setup...might you have any pics available? How you pre-filtered the outside and inside mainly?

Pics are worth a thousand words I guess, lol.

Here are some pics of what I use for the air intake. Just a stock ktm filter frame with prefilter epoxied to it and weather stripping on the back. And some prefilter held on with velcro over the air box openings, no issues last year.

Camso DTS 129 install-what is involved/degree of difficulty?

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