Tried to set share limit as follows:
settings->configure ktorrent->Downloads->Max share ratio = 1.60 ->apply.

Max share ratio is not applied to any torrent in that way,while max share ratio is applied to torrents when i insert it at the tab status by clicking the ratio box at each torrent seperatelly.
One more interesting thing is that if i set any value of max share ratio at ktorrents preferences and then if i go to to a torrent at the status tab and try to set a value by clicking the ratio limit box the limit is set to 2.23 by it self.

Using ktorrent 2.2.5 complied from source,kde 3.5.7 release 72.6-Opensuse 10.3

Max share ratio in the settings dialog is the default value of this for newly started torrents, old torrents will keep their old values.

One more interesting thing is that if i set any value of max share ratio at ktorrents preferences and then if i go to to a torrent at the status tab and try to set a value by clicking the ratio limit box the limit is set to 2.23 by it self.

When this is disabled and you enable it, we set it to the current share ratio + 1 to avoid that the torrent is stopped when you don't want it.