thank you for making this video - this is super comforting for someone who bought 2023 890 Adv R a year ago. I just had my 11k km service done, oil filters were clean, so I hope this is really solved now. And knowing that KTM is taking responsibility... that is important. Thanks and kind regards from Poland. Cheers!
I am getting new cams and head right now from KTM on my 2019 790 Adventure. KTM is doing the right thing. Thanks for your videos and I'm glad they made it right with you. I'm sure your videos have helped get you, me and others what we deserve. Thanks again
I'm so glad to hear that Charlie! Both the current situation of the new cams and the full refund announcement. Although the damage is done, I hope KTM will start building reliable bikes. Cheers!
What a great result Charlie, I am happy for you and the others who received a refund. It's probably because of people like you this positive result was possible, THANK YOU.
I bought a 2024 790 for the seat hight and the off-road performance. I am 6’ tall with short legs, 29” inseam. I’m also 70 tears old and need the lighter bike. Came from a 1200GS. The bike has been a blast to ride in the Smokey mountains, taking it to Moab soon
Agree entirely with you on the 5'4"! I sold my 790 and regret it every day. Said I'd never have another KTM because of the way they handled this - but i'll be getting another one in the spring! Had many bikes over my 55 years of riding but never had so much fun as on this one.
I'm in the same boat. My 2019 790 is being repaired by KTM right now and I don't know what to do. It fits my 5'5" frame better than anything else. I just hope the issue is fixed when I get it back.
The damage to KTM as a brand is going to take a long time to recover. They made a calculation to ignore this problem rather than issue a recall and they deserve to live with the consequences. It was a very bad short narrow minded decision. I say this as an owner of 2 ktms 😢
Disastrous PR. Nobody gives KTM any credit for finally being shamed into refunding some customers, what we'll all remember is how dishonest and cynical this company is. Glad you got some justice anyway.
Yeah, only KTM has ever had a engine problem. The fact they are covering this is well beyond amazing. Like Suzuki had DR650's, some of them blow 3rd gear and destroy the entire engine. They never admitted or covered any damage. Kawasaki has had the same thing happen with the KLR, for many years and I dont think they ever fixed the tensioner. They dont admit to anything. They cover nothing. Todays internet blows things up instantly, people go on the war path and they never stop. My 890R has zero of any problems the internet says it does. Its a really fun bike and hauls ass! KTM builds 75 different models, not just 790/890.
@@bradsanders6954valid points but we're talking about KTM not any other manufacturer. Yes the Internet does blow things up which only makes their response up to now seem more idiotic. They have the Internet in Austria too..
@@bradsanders6954 KTMs are famous for their reliability issues and if your company has such image in custormers minds you can't ignore any of your mistakes. I won't even look at KTM when buing a new bike. Sure almost every brand have some sort of smaller or bigger failures like you said but in the end everything comes to making your customers feel safe and ensure them you take care of every failure. Ducati few years ago was known for having beautiful but unreliable bikes. What did they do to fight this? Better quality control and 4 years of warranty. Early units of multistrada v4 received bad batch of engine parts that could cause an engine failure. They were taking your bike from your house (you literally had to do nothing) to replace those parts and you could chose between free accessories voucher that was worth ex. their expensive clothing set or they could give you other bike for the time of waiting for yours to return. Will I ever but KTM? No. Do I think of selling yamaha and buing a new Ducati? A lot.
Absolute legend. I too have chosen a Ktm 890R Adventure to ride the world, a '23. Nothing else has the grin factor or agility off and on road. I'm hoping mine goes ok. Super pleased to hear your's is fixed. All the best to ya!
I’m so happy for you! Really, when I decided to go toe-to-toe with KTM over my failed cams, it was for people like you. I guess they got the message when I walked in and told them I want a new engine. I’m just reallly thrilled for guys like you who got the shaft from KTM in the earlier years. (Get it? Got the shaft 😂) Cheers mate! Keep riding!
As a KTM 890 Adventure owner, thank you for documenting your experience with the camshaft issue. Hopefully you can keep track of it next time you pop the head off. Thanks. Excellent.
Congrats Charlie! Really happy that your new cams are OK and you’ve been refunded that money, great news! Thanks to you and other content creators, we’ve got the message across. KTM have sustained substantial repetitional damage over this and their u-turn was necessary. Good luck on the rest of your amazing adventure, cheers from the UK 🤟
Thanks for this update. It has done a lot to restore my confidence that my newly repaired 2020 R may not go through this again. I got mine back a few weeks ago after a 5 month wait (for parts they say). My first thought was to trade it in for a Japanese bike but discovered that the value of my bike dropped about $3000 due to this issue! Needless to say I'm ticked about that! Some day I will part with it but most likely will not buy another KTM. I'm hoping Yamaha makes a T9.
Que bueno que conseguiste reparar la moto. Y espero que siga funcionando correctamente por muchos años más. Una pena el problema porque es una moto fantástica. Saludos desde Argentina 🇦🇷
Thank you. I would never tell anyone what they should or should not ride. We all pay our money and make our choices based on LOADS of different factors and thats good. According to ISO9000 if I make a product with my name on the box or tank or whatever then I must take responsibility for the quality of that product WHEREVER I choose to have it manufactured. And here is really the crux of the matter. KTM tried NOT to take the responsibility for these horrible camshafts and they are now paying the price in terms of repaying users and also the hit to the reputation of the company. And THAT is stupid.
Great news Charlie! But, KTM isn’t refunding everyone, it’s a goodwill program so some get full refund, some get just parts refund and some get nothing. I own a 790 Duke and was only refunded for parts.
That was PRIOR to the statement, it's still goodwill in name but they said they'll refund for any signs of damage now as long as there is no obvious missed service or user induced damage
Great news! Happy for you! Thank You for sharing this! I like KTM bikes and really want to continue with them. I hate that it has taken soooo much pressure to force our hand to get them to do the right thing. This is a victory for all of us who have pulled together! Enjoy your trip and ride safe!
Good luck. Hope it lasts. Early reports suggested that inadequate oil supply was to blame, but if replacement cams work, that tends to refute that conclusion.
Good video my friend. I'm definitely not a KTM fan, and it has amused me in an odd way to see their miss handling of this issue. Great to see someone with a no nonsense factual video and seemingly, albeit delayed, good outcome. Perhaps KTM have finally grown a corporate conscience 🤷
Good work. Like you, I experience the camshaft wear issue with my 2019 KTM 790R. I was one of the early ones and during Covid and replacement camshafts from KTM were backordered for months. Long story, but I ended up destroying the original motor and am now running a 2020 790 Duke engine I found as salvage on eBay. And like you, I'm a lightweight rider and otherwise love the bike. Africa Twin and T700 simply don't compare.
Hi Charlie, excellent news that you got your deserved refund and even more excellent news for us other LC8c owners that the engine is holding up with the new parts. Keep travelling and ride safe. Cheers
Has hecho un gran trabajo publicando toda la historia de los arboles de leva, está moto ( X90) es una gran moto y KTM con su actitud miope y miserable la está desprestigiando estúpidamente. Me alegro que sigas viajando y testeando la 790, nadie mejor que tú !! Te sigo.
It would be interesting to read an oil analysis after a 6-9000 mile oil change interval on a MC where the engine oil lubricates the transmission as well. I've done so on my vehicles and the data is fascinating.
Good news, and well done for keeping cool and polite despite the trouble. Thanks for the info. and for bringing it to our attention. What do you think of the TracTive suspension? How much of the front travel are you using typically? I'm finding the TracTive units to be far to stiff for my type of riding (90kg solo +
@@Adv_Charlie It should have been, but wasn't. I've had to go way softer than what TracTive originally supplied (6.0 N/mm front, and 95 at the rear). I'm now at 4.8 at the front and 85 at the rear. These are massive changes. I've also had to have valves altered internally because there wasn't the range via the clickers. Do you know which springs they supplied you? The rate is marked on the shock spring, so you may be able to see that. Thanks.
In that case I might as well ride it until it dies then. Because I do not have the cash to change my bike, luggage setup and travel documents. Plus I have no idea what i’d get as nothing is like a 790/890
A happy video about ktm at last, just one question Charlie is it detectable if you have the new filter with everything in place on the bike,? I have 2022 890 adventure s.
That i’m aware off. I’d still have to remove the cam cover to see it so it's a lot of work to check. Unless there are numbers on the head and show the new part number in some way but I haven’t looked
Hi Charlie Glad to hear this saga seems to be behind you👍👍 I'm a bit late to the party here... but what year is your bike? And what year parts you got as a replacement? I might seem mad to some here, but I'm researching this issue since I'm thinking about getting one...😅
Great that you got a refund, personally I ended up not purchasing a 790 and rather going for a different bike alltogether because of this issue. Which sucks because it seems like a really fun bike
Nice one Charlie. Well done for publicising the issue in a mature and professional way. Really glad KTM UK made this U turn. Maybe I will go and buy back my 790 I sold earlier in the year 😅
Good to hear you got the money back. I had mine done at 50K miles and although well out of warranty they did make an "exception" and covered it. Hopefully, they will last. Did you come through Canada?
I guess they change the right side spark plug sleeve to plastic since the camshaft balancer shaft moves a bit in the 2019 model. My 2019 790 metal sleeve has a pretty significant groove made by that shaft (1/2 mm), therefore all that grinded metal ended up in the lubrification system. Maybe with the plastic they changed something to avoid that.
In the later models the balancer shaft is bolted in place. You can see a spot on the cam cover cap where the bolt should be, it's a flatish bit but it's not drilled. I drilled it out on my 2018 and bought the later balancer shaft plus low height Allen cap bolt. They must've known it was a thing but for some reason decided it wasn't a thing, but then realised actually yeah it's a thing and we better bolt it.
Only the later model 790s are made in china but I hear they are good because the updates were made in the assembly and they must have the thimble filter screen in the top of the cylinder head under the camshaft bridge that is easily serviceable when doing valve adjustment intervals, and I have thoroughly investigated this design and no matter what anyone tells you about the filter screen about getting stopped up that is debunked because of the elongated design of the thimble screen filter it will take a lot more debris to stop it up than the oiling jets for the camshaft, and the thimble filter screen can be checked and cleaned out in a matter of minutes by proper tools and only removing one part on the cylinder head coming up on one of my videos- hint oil pressure sensor. Awesome videos Charlie and keep them coming!
not easy to check that filter, the stealership wanted another 200EUR in labor to check that because it requires the camshafts to be removed, along with the carrier. bad design.
The base model 790 really seems to be the perfect bike for me. At 59 years old I totally have the means to purchase this bike, but the issues discussed in this video will hold me back. I suppose when I pick up a new Honda transalp I'm still gonna wonder in the back of my mind how much better this bike would have been.
So was the parts you replaced comprise of the complete head and was that the fix done by ktm going forward do you know? I have a 24 790 and love the bike. Thanks for this video charlie
Great news! Although, of course, it's the only fair and reasonable response in a case like yours. Out of interest, does your new head have the small thimble filter just above the oil pressure sender, which was added as part of the solution? It wasn't clear from your footage. If so, note that it is a service item and is supposed to be cleaned when you change the oil. It'd be interesting to see if it had actually trapped any debris when you do cone to clean it. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your trip!
@@Adv_Charlie Yes, I can't see many owners bothering to do it. Out of curiousity, I just checked the price of the tiny plastic and gauze filter, and it's £12!
I suspect it did help that you have a TH-cam channel. I have had lots of qc issues on my 890R and my ktm dealer was unhelpful to say the least, to the point that quite simply I got rid of the bike, took a huge loss and scaled down to a tenere so that I just won’t have to deal with ktm again….
@@Adv_Charlie Last year I contacted KTM Austria, then KTM Italy and I got nowhere..I guess they are now trying to limit damage to the brand..anyway, glad you can continue your travels... I agree that 790/890s are hard to replace
@@Calbertone Yeah when I first contacted them they refused it as shown in my first video then after KTM put out a statement offering refundeds so I contacted them again.
Yea mate might pay to do a oil pump pressure test , just make sure you use a recently calibrated gauge. the KTM manual states that it should have 26psi at idle and 50psi at 7000 rpm. Turning out that lots of bikes are reading low & more likely the problem for the cams. KTM can’t depute it as it’s their specifications in their workshop manual.
@@Adv_Charlie Thanks for the quick reply Charlie, let’s hope the oil screen in the head is the cure for the premature cam wear. I have the 2023 890r Duke. I wonder if it’s got the oil screen in the head. I would think it would but there have been later models too that have had the premature cam wear. Maybe ktm didn’t supply all the later models with the updated head with the oil screen? And just wanted to use up there old stock and that’s the reason we’re seeing failure in the later models as well.
That's actually great news, was already wondering if fixing it would be a temp fix or real fix. Unfortunaly there's a lot of these bikes out for sale, relatively low mileage but not already fixed, all out of waranty of course or short waranty from the selling dealer. If you endup buying one and it breaks you're quite fucked. I really wanted a Duke 890R, specifically the 890R because the 990 is not an R version and I don't like the looks of it. Really in doubt if I should buy one, this problem is a bit too big to ignore. Did you have to replace just the camshafts or is the complete head replaced ?
It is beyond me. How they thought they could get away with it. It's disgusting. Even though they reimbursed you, it shouldn't happen. The fault itself is embarrassing enough. Refusal to fix it under warranty is lowest of the low. My next bike will be Japanese.
I had exactly this failure on a Mazda CX-5 diesel. It can happen to Japanese made engines too. Probably not as frequently, but it's not a guarantee that if you buy Japanese you won't have any issues. Oddly enough, my most reliable bike I've ever owned was a KTM, had issues with two Suzukis and Yamaha.
@@whza75 Nothing is perfect. Mazda isn't an example of reliability either. The real problem here is the attitude of the manufacturer. Your experience may be different. I experienced far les problems, owning various Suzuki bikes for eight years, than owning one KTM for two years.
@@pajownik the bike was still under warranty so yes. But my ktm out of warranty was covered without any problems. Expecting a large company to not act like a large company is kinda ridiculous
After seeing how poorly they were prepared to treat their customers, I won't be buying from ktm again anytime soon. They have been using paying customers as unofficial beta testers for years now.
I don’t really agree with the lack of oil idea. If the cams weren’t getting oil they’d wear out long before the mileage where people are having issues.
Whether the engines are made in Austria or China, the camshafts (and other components) will almost definitely come from the same supplier to maintain the economies of scale.
If only the t7 came with those low slung tanks. I was looking into the KTM 790 adventure but I'd rather sacrifice a bit of performance for long term reliability at this point
There’s the engineering side, and the KTM brand value side. KTM could have saved their customers a lot of grief had they done the right thing from the outset, and had they done so they would have saved themselves a lot of grief too.
I believe the 790/890 bikes are manufactured in China. Somehow a batch of cams 4 or 5 years ago weren't properly heat treated or not heat treated at all. That is what happens when you rely on cheap labor and poor management to build your stuff. I have a 2019 790 R with about 17K miles on it. I did a valve clearance check, although an incomplete one, that showed the clearances were satisfactory with the exception on one inlet valve. A visual inspection of the valves on the interior of the engine also looked satisfactory. This winter I will drop the engine out of the bike to pull the cam cover off for a more thorough inspection. Without dropping the engine it is practically impossible to correctly inspect them. KTM sent me an email promising to make things right so my engine status is still unknown.
I have not seen all the "series" or anything about this situation, but it definitely looks like an oil feeding problem. The wrong hardening or material would've consumed it equal on all the cams, but much slower and without the friction overheated metal color.
That's great news! Good on KTM for coming around and addressing the issue. I'm sure many people, like myself, will now consider KTM when looking for a new bike.
Hi Charlie can I ask you please what was done apart from replacing the worn cams, ie if that was all that was done then in my personal opinion it has been a material composition error combined with incorrect heat treatment, resulting in a soft surface on the original cams. Would be interested to know if oil supply was modified etc etc. thks
When your bike was repaired did it have a new oil pump fitted, did you by any chance get to inspect the new parts to see if there were any changes to them.
@@Adv_Charlie With that level of wear a new oil pump should have been fitted really, but this would mean a complete tear down costing lots more time and money for the dealer. I also think it could be down to post-machining dross which could easily block one or more of those tiny jets, notice how one side of the cams were worn and the others were in much better condition. I would definitely make it part the jets for blockages at the first oil service just to be sure.
Have you watched Matt’s video that I linked? Also, this wear was over 16,000 miles would have been fine dust which the oil filter would have caught. I’ve done 19,345 miles since the cam change and the other day had another value clearance check where again I looked at the new cams they are all fine. My bike now has almost 38,000 miles on it.
@@Adv_Charlie I have seen the video in question, but I'm not wholey convinced it was down to the alignment of the counterbores alone, but a culmination of other factors, like poor cleanliness after boring etc, if the debris is able to pass through the oil channels via the bridged slots/passages, but be large enough to block the tiny jets, but why only on one side as seen in several video's???.
Is it just me or the new cams do not look good at all? at 2:40 That stripe in the middle is duller and grayer and I think I spot a shiny ridge to either side. They should look consistent across the width. But maybe is just some trick of the light (but I don't think so)
@@Adv_Charlie All I can say is that all the cams I have ever seen are shiny across, with no difference between where they rub and where they don't, specially with only a little more then 10.000 miles on them. Sorry, I don't want to be a pita but I have seen a lot of engines and those cams do not look healthy to me.
In my case, I believe it was an oil feed issue. You can check out The Dirty Garage Guy’s video for more details. But that's my head I can’t say that this is the cause of all the failed bikes out there
Sorry to answer your question the main part was the new head which had a superseded part number, you should be able to find it when looking at a up-to-date parts fiche.
I also think that one of the problems they face are the dealers. KTM dealers grew up with small off road 2 strokes and now they find these huge and very powerful 4 strokes HELP!! Many of them do not know what they are doing. I personally know a KTM qualified tech who recently worked on a new bike which overheated and when the bike was stripped they discovered that the water pump was not there so the factory had not fitted a pump. TOTAL quality eh???
I’m an ex KTM Service Manager. I left due to the numerous electrical and Camshaft issues, customers getting very frustrated with Warranty issues. I would never ever own one 😢😢
I do feel for you guys as you are the face of it and get all the stick plus your hands are tied when KTM doesn't back you I’m not sure I would get another but the cost of changing my bike now would be all most the save as getting a new engine.
had my cams checked (600EUR in labor!!!) and they looked fine. KTM 890 Adv 2022. because of the way KTM handled this issue and the fact that they are severaly overpriced for the quality (had loads of other issues) I will not be buying another one. I really wanted a 390 Adv for city riding (or a Husky 400) but I am not getting one because of the crappy customer "service".
Brother has had 3 ktms and something wrong with them all. He had two 690s and a 1290. Think he is done with that brand now, I'll never buy one, absolutely atrocious from ktm on their warranty and customer service. Their company is going down, with load of lay offs.
I wouldn't ever touch a four stroke KTM. They've been denying warranty on manufacturing errors for decades. I've witnessed a friend's week old four-stroke single lunch it's head and they refused the warranty saying it had been raced (it hadn't been raced). People say that it's a social media thing, and most are fine. I've been on the V-Strom forums for years and all they ever talk about is who has the most miles with no problems. (You need 450,000 miles to be taken seriously in these discussions). There was a stator recall and Suzuki fixed everyone's bikes and I got a free oil and filter change with mine, unlike the penny pinching KTM. I'm at 30,000 miles on my Strom, and other than oil and filter all I've done is check the valve clearance (still in the middle at 25,000 miles), and change the brake and coolant fluids. I'm booked in for a chain and sprockets, but I think there's another 15,000 miles left on them, it's really just precautionary maintenance. Oh, and I replaced a seat mounting rubber.
After watching Motobob, I bought duke 790 brand new last year unaware of all camshaft issues with engine. He never said anything and i was happy to get it with promotion. Since now I'm aware i don't trust his reviews, not even a bit.
Surely the blame lies with you. You watched one TH-camr review a motorcycle he had ridden and liked. He was talking about his experience not giving a huge amount of background history on the company. If you had researched properly you would not be in your position now. Don’t blame others for your shortcomings.
Good, informative video, but unless I have overlooked or missed something. it lacks one vital piece of information. Information that, as things accumulate, helps everyone or anyone who aren't deterred from buying a KTM. Whoever gets issues should always include at the very least year model of the bike in question. I had a 2023 890 Adventure, and did in excess of 15.500 miles with it. Cam and engine looked all fine when inspected. No sign of any wear. Not trying to diminish the fact of poor quality from KTM. But even a board member of Pierer Mobility Group have come forth and admitted they pushed it too far. Especially during Corona. Which is why it is important to learn which year models have been plagued with this. In my honest opinion KTM should do the only sensible thing, and refund every such case. Well at least as long as service history is within warranty spec. I am not at all scared from buying KTMs again. But the company has a way to go to vs customer care (mildly put). And they need to start treating customers and dealers alike (know some stories) in a way that gives confidence in their products. Since their sales figures took a dive, maybe they will actually. I think they have to. Time will show. Best of luck with your motorcycle and happy riding :)
as a KTM owner, I Don't know why there is all these hate comments about KTM, it's a European brand, BMWs, KTMs, ducatis and others all fail in terms reliability when facing the japanese big four, but I brought one knowing that full well, KTMs are light, agile, full of tech and are fun to ride, I dare say the most fun, my 890 duke feels as light and small as a 125cc bike, but with nearly 10x the horsepower, that's why people buy these machines, if you want reliability above anything else, go japanese, if you want the most advanced, most fun machine out there get something like a KTM, Ducati or a BMW.
@@SuzukiRiderlv426 all bikes are fun but the Japanese prioritize reliability over everything. take the 890 duke Japanese competitors for example (z900 and mt-09) the duke is made using a very small lightweight chrome-moly frame which is more expensive but durable the z900 is made using a thicker steel frame but weighs a ton more (212KG wet vs ~174KG wet) the z900 is inline 4, the mt-09 is inline triple and the 890 duke/R is parallel twin, yet the R version makes the same more horsepower than the MT-09 (121 vs 117) and nearly the same horsepower as an inline 4 z900 with half the cylinder count and less displacement, the main reason is the higher compression ratio(13.5:1) compared to (11.5:1, 11.8:1) for the japanese bikes, this translates to higher stress on the engine, they squeeze more horsepower from it. the end result is that the 890 weighs a lot less, have the same horsepower if not more and more agile around the corners.
I have been riding sixty five years. I was a Yamaha, Ducati and Bridgestone dealer. Iv'e owned BMW,Ducati and Triump and all the Japanese brands. If you want to sleep well and ride carefree, For goodness sake buy Japanese.
You make a very good argument. But, I don't think it's so much the reliability issues as the very poor handling of it by the company and the initial refusal to accept there was any problem.
problem for KTM is that even if they start now to do their customers right, nobody will believe they are doing it because of ethics and morals and it's all because of the public pressure on them. In other works, their reputation is tarnished and will remain as such, at least for the foreseeable future.
It's great to hear that KTM is stepping up. I just read an article in which KTM admitted to rushing production, lowering standards during COVID-19, and having poor quality control. But the camshafts with the new part code should be OK. Good luck with the rest of your trip!
Fantastic news mate. Glad you are sorted. I am a unapologetic fanboy, I drink the orange cool aid with pride and without shame from dirtbike days to now. Love the brand. Had 2 790r's and on my 2nd 890r. Not nearly the milage you are putting on the clock, I don't keep my bikes long but all over 20000km when traded back. I have a fantastic reputable and well known dealer that I get my bikes from here and there has never been any issues on trades for a new bike, besides him scolding me on not treating them to well. Touch wood I have not experienced this cam issue at all. I have full confidence though that if I do, or if other issues manifest themselves, I will have their full support. There has been much speculation as to the actual cause of this issue online. While KTM have reconsidered your issues and come to the party so to speak, clarity from the brand on the actual cause would do wonders for confidence. Sometimes you have to just take the knocks and look at the longa game not the short term view. Anyway, this is positive news. Thanks for the update.
Those don't look good. There's visible abrasion, that should only happen on very high mileage (think hundreds of thousands km). Feeling anything with your finger is when the cam is already completely destroyed.
thank you for making this video - this is super comforting for someone who bought 2023 890 Adv R a year ago. I just had my 11k km service done, oil filters were clean, so I hope this is really solved now. And knowing that KTM is taking responsibility... that is important. Thanks and kind regards from Poland. Cheers!
I am getting new cams and head right now from KTM on my 2019 790 Adventure. KTM is doing the right thing. Thanks for your videos and I'm glad they made it right with you. I'm sure your videos have helped get you, me and others what we deserve. Thanks again
Maybe it did help. I’m glad KTM is finally doing the right thing
This is such great news for 790, 890, 901 owners. This sets a precedent for all others following. Cheers
I'm so glad to hear that Charlie! Both the current situation of the new cams and the full refund announcement. Although the damage is done, I hope KTM will start building reliable bikes. Cheers!
What a great result Charlie, I am happy for you and the others who received a refund. It's probably because of people like you this positive result was possible, THANK YOU.
I bought a 2024 790 for the seat hight and the off-road performance. I am 6’ tall with short legs, 29” inseam. I’m also 70 tears old and need the lighter bike. Came from a 1200GS. The bike has been a blast to ride in the Smokey mountains, taking it to Moab soon
Moab is stunning rode the shaders trail yesterday
@@Adv_CharlieWatch Chris Birch riding cliff trail!!!
Agree entirely with you on the 5'4"! I sold my 790 and regret it every day. Said I'd never have another KTM because of the way they handled this - but i'll be getting another one in the spring! Had many bikes over my 55 years of riding but never had so much fun as on this one.
I'm in the same boat. My 2019 790 is being repaired by KTM right now and I don't know what to do. It fits my 5'5" frame better than anything else. I just hope the issue is fixed when I get it back.
The damage to KTM as a brand is going to take a long time to recover. They made a calculation to ignore this problem rather than issue a recall and they deserve to live with the consequences. It was a very bad short narrow minded decision. I say this as an owner of 2 ktms 😢
Disastrous PR. Nobody gives KTM any credit for finally being shamed into refunding some customers, what we'll all remember is how dishonest and cynical this company is. Glad you got some justice anyway.
Yeah, only KTM has ever had a engine problem. The fact they are covering this is well beyond amazing.
Like Suzuki had DR650's, some of them blow 3rd gear and destroy the entire engine.
They never admitted or covered any damage. Kawasaki has had the same thing happen with the KLR, for many years and I dont think they ever fixed the tensioner. They dont admit to anything. They cover nothing.
Todays internet blows things up instantly, people go on the war path and they never stop.
My 890R has zero of any problems the internet says it does. Its a really fun bike and hauls ass!
KTM builds 75 different models, not just 790/890.
@@bradsanders6954valid points but we're talking about KTM not any other manufacturer. Yes the Internet does blow things up which only makes their response up to now seem more idiotic. They have the Internet in Austria too..
@@bradsanders6954 KTMs are famous for their reliability issues and if your company has such image in custormers minds you can't ignore any of your mistakes. I won't even look at KTM when buing a new bike. Sure almost every brand have some sort of smaller or bigger failures like you said but in the end everything comes to making your customers feel safe and ensure them you take care of every failure.
Ducati few years ago was known for having beautiful but unreliable bikes. What did they do to fight this? Better quality control and 4 years of warranty. Early units of multistrada v4 received bad batch of engine parts that could cause an engine failure. They were taking your bike from your house (you literally had to do nothing) to replace those parts and you could chose between free accessories voucher that was worth ex. their expensive clothing set or they could give you other bike for the time of waiting for yours to return.
Will I ever but KTM? No. Do I think of selling yamaha and buing a new Ducati? A lot.
Indeed. Look at what happened to their stock price recently.
Absolute legend. I too have chosen a Ktm 890R Adventure to ride the world, a '23. Nothing else has the grin factor or
agility off and on road. I'm hoping mine goes ok. Super pleased to hear your's is fixed. All the best to ya!
All the best for your trip.
Thanks for the update. I have a 24 Norden, and a friend has a 24 790. We love the bikes and have our toes and fingers crossed.
I’m so happy for you! Really, when I decided to go toe-to-toe with KTM over my failed cams, it was for people like you. I guess they got the message when I walked in and told them I want a new engine. I’m just reallly thrilled for guys like you who got the shaft from KTM in the earlier years. (Get it? Got the shaft 😂)
Cheers mate! Keep riding!
As a KTM 890 Adventure owner, thank you for documenting your experience with the camshaft issue. Hopefully you can keep track of it next time you pop the head off. Thanks. Excellent.
Congrats Charlie! Really happy that your new cams are OK and you’ve been refunded that money, great news! Thanks to you and other content creators, we’ve got the message across. KTM have sustained substantial repetitional damage over this and their u-turn was necessary. Good luck on the rest of your amazing adventure, cheers from the UK 🤟
Thanks for this update. It has done a lot to restore my confidence that my newly repaired 2020 R may not go through this again. I got mine back a few weeks ago after a 5 month wait (for parts they say). My first thought was to trade it in for a Japanese bike but discovered that the value of my bike dropped about $3000 due to this issue! Needless to say I'm ticked about that! Some day I will part with it but most likely will not buy another KTM. I'm hoping Yamaha makes a T9.
Que bueno que conseguiste reparar la moto. Y espero que siga funcionando correctamente por muchos años más.
Una pena el problema porque es una moto fantástica.
Saludos desde Argentina 🇦🇷
Thank you. I would never tell anyone what they should or should not ride. We all pay our money and make our choices based on LOADS of different factors and thats good. According to ISO9000 if I make a product with my name on the box or tank or whatever then I must take responsibility for the quality of that product WHEREVER I choose to have it manufactured.
And here is really the crux of the matter. KTM tried NOT to take the responsibility for these horrible camshafts and they are now paying the price in terms of repaying users and also the hit to the reputation of the company.
And THAT is stupid.
Great news Charlie! But, KTM isn’t refunding everyone, it’s a goodwill program so some get full refund, some get just parts refund and some get nothing. I own a 790 Duke and was only refunded for parts.
That was PRIOR to the statement, it's still goodwill in name but they said they'll refund for any signs of damage now as long as there is no obvious missed service or user induced damage
Glad to hear that KTM finally appear to be doing the right thing.
Great news! Happy for you! Thank You for sharing this! I like KTM bikes and really want to continue with them. I hate that it has taken soooo much pressure to force our hand to get them to do the right thing. This is a victory for all of us who have pulled together! Enjoy your trip and ride safe!
Good luck. Hope it lasts. Early reports suggested that inadequate oil supply was to blame, but if replacement cams work, that tends to refute that conclusion.
They are replacing the head also. Some believe it's the head restricting the oil flow.
Good video my friend.
I'm definitely not a KTM fan, and it has amused me in an odd way to see their miss handling of this issue.
Great to see someone with a no nonsense factual video and seemingly, albeit delayed, good outcome.
Perhaps KTM have finally grown a corporate conscience 🤷
I have a 2020 790. This is really good news. Thank you , and sorry for the bs you had to endure.
thanks for the update, interested as I am also a shortie and come to the same conclusion as yourself, good luck with the rest of your trip.
Awesome you are giving some hope lol
Have you upgraded the cam chain tensioner with the dirt tricks one?
No, I’ve heard very mixed reviews about them on this bike and I don't think it's worth it
Love what you said at the end because that's the reason we stick to ktm even tho we know yamaha honda is more reliable
Good work. Like you, I experience the camshaft wear issue with my 2019 KTM 790R. I was one of the early ones and during Covid and replacement camshafts from KTM were backordered for months. Long story, but I ended up destroying the original motor and am now running a 2020 790 Duke engine I found as salvage on eBay. And like you, I'm a lightweight rider and otherwise love the bike. Africa Twin and T700 simply don't compare.
One word: wow.
Hi Charlie. good to hear that KTM have finally seen sense and you are able to recoup your losses. loving your channel.
Hi Charlie, excellent news that you got your deserved refund and even more excellent news for us other LC8c owners that the engine is holding up with the new parts. Keep travelling and ride safe. Cheers
Has hecho un gran trabajo publicando toda la historia de los arboles de leva, está moto ( X90) es una gran moto y KTM con su actitud miope y miserable la está desprestigiando estúpidamente. Me alegro que sigas viajando y testeando la 790, nadie mejor que tú !! Te sigo.
It would be interesting to read an oil analysis after a 6-9000 mile oil change interval on a MC where the engine oil lubricates the transmission as well.
I've done so on my vehicles and the data is fascinating.
Good news, and well done for keeping cool and polite despite the trouble. Thanks for the info. and for bringing it to our attention.
What do you think of the TracTive suspension? How much of the front travel are you using typically? I'm finding the TracTive units to be far to stiff for my type of riding (90kg solo +
I love it! I think I have around 30mm left at the bottom of the forks. Has your’s been sprung for your weight and riding?
@@Adv_Charlie It should have been, but wasn't. I've had to go way softer than what TracTive originally supplied (6.0 N/mm front, and 95 at the rear). I'm now at 4.8 at the front and 85 at the rear. These are massive changes. I've also had to have valves altered internally because there wasn't the range via the clickers. Do you know which springs they supplied you? The rate is marked on the shock spring, so you may be able to see that. Thanks.
What about the cam filings that went through the engine? There must be other damage.
It was a slow process not a quick failer so most of it was like metal dust. The oil filters are coming out with no abnormal bits
Metal "dust" will ruin your crankbearings in time . Given the amount of metal that came of your camshaft, that engine is shot
Sorry.
In that case I might as well ride it until it dies then. Because I do not have the cash to change my bike, luggage setup and travel documents. Plus I have no idea what i’d get as nothing is like a 790/890
@@Adv_Charlie BMW 850 series, or wait until they fix the problems on the 1300 series.
I wouldn't worry too much, the filter will have caught most of it, there may be some sat in the sump and the pump may need changing.
A happy video about ktm at last, just one question Charlie is it detectable if you have the new filter with everything in place on the bike,? I have 2022 890 adventure s.
That i’m aware off. I’d still have to remove the cam cover to see it so it's a lot of work to check. Unless there are numbers on the head and show the new part number in some way but I haven’t looked
Is good to see that KTM takes responsability on issues like this..
Well finally they have started
THEY DON'T! IT WAS MEDIA PRESSURE. They are still a nasty company.
Hi Charlie
Glad to hear this saga seems to be behind you👍👍
I'm a bit late to the party here... but what year is your bike?
And what year parts you got as a replacement?
I might seem mad to some here, but I'm researching this issue since I'm thinking about getting one...😅
2019 bike parts replaced in 2024 it’s all in the other videos
@Adv_Charlie Thanks man 👍
Glad to hear you got what was due.
Great that you got a refund, personally I ended up not purchasing a 790 and rather going for a different bike alltogether because of this issue. Which sucks because it seems like a really fun bike
They are a lot of fun but that is totally understandable if I was looking to buy I would not get one.
Nice one Charlie. Well done for publicising the issue in a mature and professional way. Really glad KTM UK made this U turn. Maybe I will go and buy back my 790 I sold earlier in the year 😅
Bet you wont! Lol
Good to hear you got the money back. I had mine done at 50K miles and although well out of warranty they did make an "exception" and covered it. Hopefully, they will last. Did you come through Canada?
Yes but not your side. Entered south of Calgary then went north and back down
How can they refuse warranty? Can't you sue their service?
I guess they change the right side spark plug sleeve to plastic since the camshaft balancer shaft moves a bit in the 2019 model. My 2019 790 metal sleeve has a pretty significant groove made by that shaft (1/2 mm), therefore all that grinded metal ended up in the lubrification system. Maybe with the plastic they changed something to avoid that.
Same as mine, it had a big groove.
In the later models the balancer shaft is bolted in place. You can see a spot on the cam cover cap where the bolt should be, it's a flatish bit but it's not drilled. I drilled it out on my 2018 and bought the later balancer shaft plus low height Allen cap bolt. They must've known it was a thing but for some reason decided it wasn't a thing, but then realised actually yeah it's a thing and we better bolt it.
Only the later model 790s are made in china but I hear they are good because the updates were made in the assembly and they must have the thimble filter screen in the top of the cylinder head under the camshaft bridge that is easily serviceable when doing valve adjustment intervals, and I have thoroughly investigated this design and no matter what anyone tells you about the filter screen about getting stopped up that is debunked because of the elongated design of the thimble screen filter it will take a lot more debris to stop it up than the oiling jets for the camshaft, and the thimble filter screen can be checked and cleaned out in a matter of minutes by proper tools and only removing one part on the cylinder head coming up on one of my videos- hint oil pressure sensor. Awesome videos Charlie and keep them coming!
Good to know
so the screens have metal in them . That actually means something is fu-k in your engine
not easy to check that filter, the stealership wanted another 200EUR in labor to check that because it requires the camshafts to be removed, along with the carrier. bad design.
I used to be a KTM owner and had the same issue. Never again.
The base model 790 really seems to be the perfect bike for me. At 59 years old I totally have the means to purchase this bike, but the issues discussed in this video will hold me back. I suppose when I pick up a new Honda transalp I'm still gonna wonder in the back of my mind how much better this bike would have been.
I’d wait to see if the 23-24 bikes have any issues if not then go for it the bike is amazing when it works
Good news, safe trip 👍
So was the parts you replaced comprise of the complete head and was that the fix done by ktm going forward do you know? I have a 24 790 and love the bike. Thanks for this video charlie
I had my Local KTM dealer do all the work.
Great news! Although, of course, it's the only fair and reasonable response in a case like yours. Out of interest, does your new head have the small thimble filter just above the oil pressure sender, which was added as part of the solution? It wasn't clear from your footage. If so, note that it is a service item and is supposed to be cleaned when you change the oil. It'd be interesting to see if it had actually trapped any debris when you do cone to clean it. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your trip!
I can’t see how that needs checking every oil change as you have to remove the cam cap to access it
@@Adv_Charlie Yes, I can't see many owners bothering to do it. Out of curiousity, I just checked the price of the tiny plastic and gauze filter, and it's £12!
What a relief . 😅 so happy they’ve agreed to refund you as well.
I suspect it did help that you have a TH-cam channel. I have had lots of qc issues on my 890R and my ktm dealer was unhelpful to say the least, to the point that quite simply I got rid of the bike, took a huge loss and scaled down to a tenere so that I just won’t have to deal with ktm again….
I contacted KTM UK directly and complained. I’m not sure if my tiny channel and added any bonus to it
@@Adv_Charlie Last year I contacted KTM Austria, then KTM Italy and I got nowhere..I guess they are now trying to limit damage to the brand..anyway, glad you can continue your travels... I agree that 790/890s are hard to replace
@@Calbertone Yeah when I first contacted them they refused it as shown in my first video then after KTM put out a statement offering refundeds so I contacted them again.
Yea mate might pay to do a oil pump pressure test , just make sure you use a recently calibrated gauge.
the KTM manual states that it should have 26psi at idle and 50psi at 7000 rpm.
Turning out that lots of bikes are reading low & more likely the problem for the cams.
KTM can’t depute it as it’s their specifications in their workshop manual.
Charlie, do you know when they replaced your cams? Did they install the oil screen strainer in the head?
I got a completely new head as well as cams so I believe I got the head with the new part number that has the oil
Screen.
@@Adv_Charlie Thanks for the quick reply Charlie, let’s hope the oil screen in the head is the cure for the premature cam wear. I have the 2023 890r Duke. I wonder if it’s got the oil screen in the head. I would think it would but there have been later models too that have had the premature cam wear. Maybe ktm didn’t supply all the later models with the updated head with the oil screen? And just wanted to use up there old stock and that’s the reason we’re seeing failure in the later models as well.
That's actually great news, was already wondering if fixing it would be a temp fix or real fix.
Unfortunaly there's a lot of these bikes out for sale, relatively low mileage but not already fixed, all out of waranty of course or short waranty from the selling dealer.
If you endup buying one and it breaks you're quite fucked.
I really wanted a Duke 890R, specifically the 890R because the 990 is not an R version and I don't like the looks of it.
Really in doubt if I should buy one, this problem is a bit too big to ignore.
Did you have to replace just the camshafts or is the complete head replaced ?
The head was also replaced.
@@Adv_Charlie Not funny if you have to pay for this outside of warranty...
I suspect dealers are gonna be more carefull adding waranty to these bikes.
Would be nice to know whether its the HEAD design or the Cams that were the issue.
If you watch the linked videos you’ll find out.
That's why I mentioned them and linked them.
It is beyond me. How they thought they could get away with it. It's disgusting. Even though they reimbursed you, it shouldn't happen. The fault itself is embarrassing enough. Refusal to fix it under warranty is lowest of the low. My next bike will be Japanese.
I had exactly this failure on a Mazda CX-5 diesel. It can happen to Japanese made engines too. Probably not as frequently, but it's not a guarantee that if you buy Japanese you won't have any issues. Oddly enough, my most reliable bike I've ever owned was a KTM, had issues with two Suzukis and Yamaha.
@@whza75 Nothing is perfect. Mazda isn't an example of reliability either. The real problem here is the attitude of the manufacturer. Your experience may be different. I experienced far les problems, owning various Suzuki bikes for eight years, than owning one KTM for two years.
Every brand has had issues. My buddies new triumph recently ate the cams.
@@shortbusdog I bet, that Triumpn has honoured the warranty?
@@pajownik the bike was still under warranty so yes. But my ktm out of warranty was covered without any problems. Expecting a large company to not act like a large company is kinda ridiculous
After seeing how poorly they were prepared to treat their customers, I won't be buying from ktm again anytime soon. They have been using paying customers as unofficial beta testers for years now.
The dirty garage did an excellent autopsy, if they haven’t fixed the oil galleries the same thing is going to happen unfortunately
I don’t really agree with the lack of oil idea. If the cams weren’t getting oil they’d wear out long before the mileage where people are having issues.
@@shortbusdogSome did depends how hard you ride, fixing oil galleries is part of fix.
Whether the engines are made in Austria or China, the camshafts (and other components) will almost definitely come from the same supplier to maintain the economies of scale.
If only the t7 came with those low slung tanks. I was looking into the KTM 790 adventure but I'd rather sacrifice a bit of performance for long term reliability at this point
A good result. Yes, the KTM values across the board have dropped thanks to this.
Charlie, the whole head was replaced? Also, it seems that the Nordens have the plastic spark plug tube
Yes, my whole head was replaced
Ah interesting I didn't think plastic was an issue just surprised me that they changed the material
@@Adv_Charlie so happy for you! Keep killing the miles and enjoy the smiles
Great to hear that KTM have reimbursed all your costs for the repairs, better late than never 🤷🏻
There’s the engineering side, and the KTM brand value side. KTM could have saved their customers a lot of grief had they done the right thing from the outset, and had they done so they would have saved themselves a lot of grief too.
But guys!!!…..its still a ktm 🤭😉
Good to hear Charlie, Thanks for the up date and glad that KTM has come around to good customer care.
I believe the 790/890 bikes are manufactured in China. Somehow a batch of cams 4 or 5 years ago weren't properly heat treated or not heat treated at all. That is what happens when you rely on cheap labor and poor management to build your stuff. I have a 2019 790 R with about 17K miles on it. I did a valve clearance check, although an incomplete one, that showed the clearances were satisfactory with the exception on one inlet valve. A visual inspection of the valves on the interior of the engine also looked satisfactory. This winter I will drop the engine out of the bike to pull the cam cover off for a more thorough inspection. Without dropping the engine it is practically impossible to correctly inspect them. KTM sent me an email promising to make things right so my engine status is still unknown.
My email form KTM UK says my bike was made in Austria. And in Matt’s video, he found the problem to be an oil feed issue
I have not seen all the "series" or anything about this situation, but it definitely looks like an oil feeding problem.
The wrong hardening or material would've consumed it equal on all the cams, but much slower and without the friction overheated metal color.
Good to hear
where are your feeler gauges ? why not Measure and see if you need to change the Shims ?
I did but off camera. They were ok
That's great news! Good on KTM for coming around and addressing the issue. I'm sure many people, like myself, will now consider KTM when looking for a new bike.
Well hang on they need to make sure to look after everybody with this issue. Really this should have been a recall
Hi Charlie can I ask you please what was done apart from replacing the worn cams, ie if that was all that was done then in my personal opinion it has been a material composition error combined with incorrect heat treatment, resulting in a soft surface on the original cams. Would be interested to know if oil supply was modified etc etc. thks
Have you watched the other two videos I linked?
They should answer your questions better than I can in the comments.
When your bike was repaired did it have a new oil pump fitted, did you by any chance get to inspect the new parts to see if there were any changes to them.
I dropped my bike off and didn't see it for 3 months. I didn't see the oil pump on the parts list but bear in mind with wasn’t a sudden failure.
@@Adv_Charlie With that level of wear a new oil pump should have been fitted really, but this would mean a complete tear down costing lots more time and money for the dealer.
I also think it could be down to post-machining dross which could easily block one or more of those tiny jets, notice how one side of the cams were worn and the others were in much better condition. I would definitely make it part the jets for blockages at the first oil service just to be sure.
Have you watched Matt’s video that I linked?
Also, this wear was over 16,000 miles would have been fine dust which the oil filter would have caught.
I’ve done 19,345 miles since the cam change and the other day had another value clearance check where again I looked at the new cams they are all fine. My bike now has almost 38,000 miles on it.
@@Adv_Charlie I have seen the video in question, but I'm not wholey convinced it was down to the alignment of the counterbores alone, but a culmination of other factors, like poor cleanliness after boring etc, if the debris is able to pass through the oil channels via the bridged slots/passages, but be large enough to block the tiny jets, but why only on one side as seen in several video's???.
Keep
The
Money
Is it just me or the new cams do not look good at all? at 2:40 That stripe in the middle is duller and grayer and I think I spot a shiny ridge to either side. They should look consistent across the width. But maybe is just some trick of the light (but I don't think so)
I do say there is a stripe but they are perfectly smooth. there was no lip or edge to any of the marks.
@@Adv_Charlie All I can say is that all the cams I have ever seen are shiny across, with no difference between where they rub and where they don't, specially with only a little more then 10.000 miles on them. Sorry, I don't want to be a pita but I have seen a lot of engines and those cams do not look healthy to me.
Ok I’ll keep an eye on them
This is good news, i have 2 KTMs and was going to sell and move away from them, now they have taken responsibility i will stay with them
Dont be a fool
hey buddy.... any idea what's the main affecting part number which was replaced due to the failure?
In my case, I believe it was an oil feed issue. You can check out The Dirty Garage Guy’s video for more details.
But that's my head I can’t say that this is the cause of all the failed bikes out there
Sorry to answer your question the main part was the new head which had a superseded part number, you should be able to find it when looking at a up-to-date parts fiche.
@@Adv_Charlie thanks buddy
Enjoy your road trip now!
Try to clean your engine , before you opened it, from all the sand and the dust, especially if you working outside.
Thank you
So no problems even if misaligned oil passages and obstructing oil spray nozzles are still there? 🤨
I have a new head. That's why and how The dirty garage guy had my old one
I also think that one of the problems they face are the dealers. KTM dealers grew up with small off road 2 strokes and now they find these huge and very powerful 4 strokes HELP!! Many of them do not know what they are doing. I personally know a KTM qualified tech who recently worked on a new bike which overheated and when the bike was stripped they discovered that the water pump was not there so the factory had not fitted a pump. TOTAL quality eh???
Ohh shit! LOL
I’m an ex KTM Service Manager. I left due to the numerous electrical and Camshaft issues, customers getting very frustrated with Warranty issues. I would never ever own one 😢😢
I do feel for you guys as you are the face of it and get all the stick plus your hands are tied when KTM doesn't back you
I’m not sure I would get another but the cost of changing my bike now would be all most the save as getting a new engine.
had my cams checked (600EUR in labor!!!) and they looked fine. KTM 890 Adv 2022.
because of the way KTM handled this issue and the fact that they are severaly overpriced for the quality (had loads of other issues) I will not be buying another one.
I really wanted a 390 Adv for city riding (or a Husky 400) but I am not getting one because of the crappy customer "service".
just out of curiousity ,is that the balance shaft on the camshaft, in between the 2 sparkplug holes?
No idea.
Can anyone else answer this question?
Correct!
Brother has had 3 ktms and something wrong with them all. He had two 690s and a 1290. Think he is done with that brand now, I'll never buy one, absolutely atrocious from ktm on their warranty and customer service. Their company is going down, with load of lay offs.
The last thing I want to think about when riding a $15000 dirt bike is whether or not my cams are wearing out as i ride.
Tell me about it!
I wouldn't ever touch a four stroke KTM. They've been denying warranty on manufacturing errors for decades. I've witnessed a friend's week old four-stroke single lunch it's head and they refused the warranty saying it had been raced (it hadn't been raced).
People say that it's a social media thing, and most are fine. I've been on the V-Strom forums for years and all they ever talk about is who has the most miles with no problems. (You need 450,000 miles to be taken seriously in these discussions). There was a stator recall and Suzuki fixed everyone's bikes and I got a free oil and filter change with mine, unlike the penny pinching KTM.
I'm at 30,000 miles on my Strom, and other than oil and filter all I've done is check the valve clearance (still in the middle at 25,000 miles), and change the brake and coolant fluids. I'm booked in for a chain and sprockets, but I think there's another 15,000 miles left on them, it's really just precautionary maintenance. Oh, and I replaced a seat mounting rubber.
If I am not wrong , the instrument cluster indicates something like ready to race. No ?
Buy a Ktm from the glory days. 2016 500 exc here with 26k and no issues.
@@jeanpaulcomeau8131 they meant racing to get new parts and paying off the credit loans required for maintenance.
How'd the head filter look?
I did’t look
After watching Motobob, I bought duke 790 brand new last year unaware of all camshaft issues with engine. He never said anything and i was happy to get it with promotion. Since now I'm aware i don't trust his reviews, not even a bit.
Surely the blame lies with you. You watched one TH-camr review a motorcycle he had ridden and liked. He was talking about his experience not giving a huge amount of background history on the company. If you had researched properly you would not be in your position now. Don’t blame others for your shortcomings.
I do not understand why you bought the bike initially. They are well known for having serious quality and after sales problems.
They as in KTM or they as in the 790s?
I brought my bike in March 2020 when these issues were not known about.
Do not touch cam lobes with your fingers.Salt from that will cause premature wear
Are you sure about that!
What are the symptoms of this,I have a 790duke
I’m unsure as I don't notice any
@@Adv_Charlie I researched it,trouble starting and loss of hp,noisey,seems to be mostly adv bikes is what they are saying
Good, informative video, but unless I have overlooked or missed something. it lacks one vital piece of information. Information that, as things accumulate, helps everyone or anyone who aren't deterred from buying a KTM. Whoever gets issues should always include at the very least year model of the bike in question.
I had a 2023 890 Adventure, and did in excess of 15.500 miles with it. Cam and engine looked all fine when inspected. No sign of any wear. Not trying to diminish the fact of poor quality from KTM. But even a board member of Pierer Mobility Group have come forth and admitted they pushed it too far. Especially during Corona. Which is why it is important to learn which year models have been plagued with this.
In my honest opinion KTM should do the only sensible thing, and refund every such case. Well at least as long as service history is within warranty spec. I am not at all scared from buying KTMs again. But the company has a way to go to vs customer care (mildly put). And they need to start treating customers and dealers alike (know some stories) in a way that gives confidence in their products. Since their sales figures took a dive, maybe they will actually. I think they have to. Time will show.
Best of luck with your motorcycle and happy riding :)
So if you want full details of the bike why not watch the first video that’s linked?
its longer because I give all the details.
Super relief! Will go get a KTM on my next purchase.
Good luck!
So how do they fix it?
Replaced the parts in my case
good news but I'd ask them to give me that metal part back :)
It was damaged and now it's been replaced why would I want the old one back?
@@Adv_Charlie I meant that tube which they put plastic one now. The old camshaft you could hang on the wall ;)
I think the problem will go away if you get rid of the bike, try that and update us how that will go!!
I think my trip will be a lot harder if I had to walk!
Better walking than walking AND pushing your bike!!!
as a KTM owner, I Don't know why there is all these hate comments about KTM, it's a European brand, BMWs, KTMs, ducatis and others all fail in terms reliability when facing the japanese big four, but I brought one knowing that full well, KTMs are light, agile, full of tech and are fun to ride, I dare say the most fun, my 890 duke feels as light and small as a 125cc bike, but with nearly 10x the horsepower, that's why people buy these machines, if you want reliability above anything else, go japanese, if you want the most advanced, most fun machine out there get something like a KTM, Ducati or a BMW.
Are you saying japanese bikes are not fun?
@@SuzukiRiderlv426My 06 GSXR 1000 ruined me. Nothing is as fun and enjoyable
@@SuzukiRiderlv426 all bikes are fun but the Japanese prioritize reliability over everything.
take the 890 duke Japanese competitors for example (z900 and mt-09)
the duke is made using a very small lightweight chrome-moly frame which is more expensive but durable
the z900 is made using a thicker steel frame but weighs a ton more (212KG wet vs ~174KG wet)
the z900 is inline 4, the mt-09 is inline triple and the 890 duke/R is parallel twin, yet the R version makes the same more horsepower than the MT-09 (121 vs 117) and nearly the same horsepower as an inline 4 z900 with half the cylinder count and less displacement, the main reason is the higher compression ratio(13.5:1) compared to (11.5:1, 11.8:1) for the japanese bikes, this translates to higher stress on the engine, they squeeze more horsepower from it.
the end result is that the 890 weighs a lot less, have the same horsepower if not more and more agile around the corners.
I have been riding sixty five years. I was a Yamaha, Ducati and Bridgestone dealer. Iv'e owned BMW,Ducati and Triump and all the Japanese brands. If you want to sleep well and ride carefree, For goodness sake buy Japanese.
You make a very good argument. But, I don't think it's so much the reliability issues as the very poor handling of it by the company and the initial refusal to accept there was any problem.
problem for KTM is that even if they start now to do their customers right, nobody will believe they are doing it because of ethics and morals and it's all because of the public pressure on them. In other works, their reputation is tarnished and will remain as such, at least for the foreseeable future.
yes, I agree. they have a lot of work to do before we can trust them
It's great to hear that KTM is stepping up. I just read an article in which KTM admitted to rushing production, lowering standards during COVID-19, and having poor quality control. But the camshafts with the new part code should be OK. Good luck with the rest of your trip!
Fantastic news mate. Glad you are sorted.
I am a unapologetic fanboy, I drink the orange cool aid with pride and without shame from dirtbike days to now. Love the brand.
Had 2 790r's and on my 2nd 890r. Not nearly the milage you are putting on the clock, I don't keep my bikes long but all over 20000km when traded back. I have a fantastic reputable and well known dealer that I get my bikes from here and there has never been any issues on trades for a new bike, besides him scolding me on not treating them to well.
Touch wood I have not experienced this cam issue at all. I have full confidence though that if I do, or if other issues manifest themselves, I will have their full support.
There has been much speculation as to the actual cause of this issue online. While KTM have reconsidered your issues and come to the party so to speak, clarity from the brand on the actual cause would do wonders for confidence. Sometimes you have to just take the knocks and look at the longa game not the short term view. Anyway, this is positive news. Thanks for the update.
Those don't look good. There's visible abrasion, that should only happen on very high mileage (think hundreds of thousands km). Feeling anything with your finger is when the cam is already completely destroyed.