What’s The Deal With KTM Camshafts?

The internet can be a cruel place sometimes. Keyboard warriors, safe behind the anonymity of their computer screens, can spew words without much thought about the facts or the far reaches of where their words could be seen or heard. What’s worse, seemingly innocent or off-the-cuff remarks can be picked up by a third party and spread like wildfire. That’s how off the cuff comments about migrants eating pets blew up – and it’s also how KTM have found itself in the middle of a rumor mill crisis.

What’s going on here? Are KTM’s engines really that bad? If so, is KTM doing anything about it? The noise has gotten loud enough that KTM have sent out communications to media outlets in an attempt to clear up the situation. KTM then invited media from all over the world, including Motorcycle.com, to visit KTM HQ in Mattighofen, Austria, where Florian Kecht, CSO for the Pierer Mobility Group, spoke on this topic and more (which will be covered in a separate story). While enlightening, we then contacted several dealerships throughout the US to ask what their experience has been. Here’s what I found.

The Problem

Let’s start with the issue causing all the commotion in the first place. Customers with early versions of the 790 Adventure and 790 Duke reported experiencing camshaft failures where the cam lobes and journals would basically wear away. “Early versions” refer to engines made from 2017-2020 for the 2018-2021 model year. Internet warriors were quick to pick up on this and spread the word far and wide that KTM engines can’t be trusted (just read the comments section of any KTM review here on MO and you’ll inevitably find a cam reference).

That’s it. Now KTM’s reputation across its entire product range is being questioned.

Why are the cams failing? Some sources point to insufficient oiling within the cylinder head, while others point to bad metallurgy in this particular batch of cams. Others have also noted that on 790 Adventure models, tiny dirt particles have been able to make it past the air filter and make their way all the way into the head, where they wreak havoc on the cams.

What KTM Says

First, let’s get to the numbers. Of the reported cases of cam failures, KTM says the UK is the country with the most. That number? “Less than 30,” says Gareth Davidson, Street Product Marketing Manager for KTM. To reiterate, that’s less than 30 reported cases out of several thousand 790 Dukes and Adventures built within that three-year period. In North America, we weren’t given a specific number but were told the reported fail rate is less than 0.5%.

This alone should tell you what we already know about internet rumors: they either aren’t true or are blown out of proportion. It’s also worth pointing out that KTM didn’t start production of the 790 Duke and Adventure in China (the only two models in KTM’s family built in the country) until late 2023 – meaning the extremely small minority who did experience cam failures were riding bikes made in Austria.

Nonetheless, for those few who legitimately have a worn cam, that’s understandably very frustrating. So it seems only natural to bring your broken motorcycle to your KTM dealer to get it fixed – on KTM’s dime. And that’s exactly what Florian Kecht wants you to do. When asked about the proper solution if you’re one of the few that fall into this sub-1% category, he reiterated the fact that KTM will make it right and fix your bike.

The Fix

The actual fix is fairly straightforward, according to Robert Pearce, KTM North America’s VP of Operations – and it comes down to a finger follower issue. Here’s what Pearce says the fix entails:

The majority of the affected models will receive an improved cylinder head that enhances oil delivery, accepting a screen mesh filter to better filter out impurities in the oil (2018–2019). Additionally, the width of the finger followers has been increased by 1 mm to reduce the surface contact pressure (2020 and all replacement parts), in combination with a new DLC coating for more safety margin against abnormal wear.

It’s important to note that the new cylinder head is not an 890 head placed on a 790 block, but is its own superseded part specifically for the 790 engine.

What’s Happening At The Dealer Level? 

So far everything sounds well and good, right? The vast majority of 790 Dukes and Adventures don’t have any (reported) camshaft issues, and for those that do, KTM’s got your back. But what’s happening at the dealer level? Is this really an issue? And as the forward facing representatives of KTM when it comes to owners and their bike problems, what’s really happening?

I contacted seven KTM dealers throughout the country to get their take on the situation and the results all align – KTM has had both their backs and the customer’s backs every step of the way. What’s interesting though is how many owners have brought their 790s to the dealer suspecting a cam failure, when in fact, their engines were fine. It happened so much KTM issued a bulletin on July 8, 2024 with a procedure to deduce whether the cams are in need of replacing or not:

Even though complaints have been reported about the camshafts on the 790 Duke/Adventure MY 2018- 2020 models, examinations of the allegedly defective camshafts have shown that a large proportion of these camshafts are in order. In these cases, it is not a question of wear, but usually only of discoloration or running marks that have formed on the running surface of the cams or on the bearing points of the shafts. To avoid further unnecessary repairs and to counteract any inquiries, the following procedure has been defined: If a customer comes to a dealer with the suspicion of damage to the camshaft, the dealer must first check whether the oil level in the engine is correct, and the service history is complete. If the dealer suspects damage to the camshaft, the dealer must carry out a test drive and check whether the following symptoms are present cumulatively:

• noticeably poor starting behavior
• clearly audible, unusual running noises from the engine
• noticeably reduced engine power

Of the seven dealers contacted, two have had verifiable cam failures – Kern County Powersports in Bakersfield, California and Solid Performance in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. The total number of replacements? Less than seven. Only one for Kern County, the rest at Solid Performance. For each of those cases it was a 790 Adventure with the failure, too. And each time KTM covered the repairs. The other dealerships either never encountered a customer complaint or performed the above diagnostic and didn’t find any issue. One even had a customer pay for a teardown only to discover their cams were discolored, but operational.

Hank Salmon, the Service Manager at Solid Performance, stressed how much support KTM have provided throughout this entire saga, noting all the cam failures were fixed at no charge to the customer. Importantly, KTM didn’t care if the customer wasn’t the original owner of the bike. One 790 came in under its third owner, well out of the warranty period, and he too was taken care of.

The Takeaway

It seems simple: the internet has gone overboard with KTM’s camshaft failures. On a global level we’re talking about less than 0.1% of 790s affected. More to the point, KTM has owned up to the fact that, yes, some camshafts on 790 models are defective. If anything, the internet uproar has shed light on this fact, but it seems like the backlash is overblown. And as mentioned throughout this piece, KTM is doing right to its affected customers (and dealers) by covering the fix. Even if they aren’t the original owner.

So, what should you do if you suspect your 790 Duke or Adventure has a problem? Take it to the dealer. Yes, you might be inconvenienced with some down time while your bike is diagnosed, but if there truly is a problem, you’ll be taken care of. And if not, you’re free to ride some more with that peace of mind.

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