KTM's infamous camshaft issue: One rider's first-person account

Puzzled, I turned to face my husband, who was just walking in the door after borrowing my 2019 KTM 790 Adventure-R for a commute to the office. "Like it always does?" I offered.

He insisted otherwise. Said it sounded like the top end was rattling. Valve noise maybe.

I had just ridden the pants off of the bike the weekend prior on a girls' trip out to Narrowsburg, New York, for Babes Ride Out with a side quest to the East Coast Enduro Ridge Riders' Pine Glen Sprint Enduro on Sunday (in the pouring rain). Jeff met me there with my KTM 300 XC-W so that I could race — I finished third — and then I ate a walking taco and climbed back onto my 790 for the ride home. At least the skies cleared and the sun shone for that five-hour post-race venture. It was a bucket-list weekend that I dreamed up in a manic bout of two-wheeled confidence, and I was ecstatic I had pulled it off.

I hadn't noticed any unusual noise that weekend, but I was choosing lower gears so that the power remained accessible to me in the twisties, where typically the 790 has everything right there and more.

My husband insisted. Brought me back outside and started up the bike. For sure there was a rattle, like stutters on a snare drum.

The next afternoon, I geared up and took the short ride to my local dealer, Solid Performance in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. I just wanted Hank, the service manager, to listen to the bike and reassure me that we were being hyper-sensitive, that there was nothing to worry about. I, too, had been down the internet rabbit hole, the cyber cyclone of cam concerns, and wanted desperately to avoid becoming one of the 9,500 folks in Facebook's "KTM Failed Camshafts — 790/890 & 901" Group. I just wanted my doctor to remind me not to WebMD my symptoms.

For those of you who are not in the know, KTM riders have been experiencing camshaft failures, largely on the 790 Duke and the 790 Adventure in model years 2018, 2019, and 2020. Riders would report poor starting behavior, unusual running noises from the engine, and noticeably reduced engine power. Inspection of the camshaft would reveal unusually fast wear on the metal of the lobes, causing cylinder misfires. For years, KTM avoided a systematic undertaking to address the issue, often refusing to honor warranty repairs, but the community continued to raise concerns through KTM authorized dealers and online forums.

Finally, in July KTM posted an apology of sorts on the Facebook group. It also issued a technical bulletin to all of its KTM authorized dealers outlining steps to inspect, clean, and diagnose camshafts with potential issues, as well as a goodwill warranty repair or replacement should camshaft damage be found.

My Adventure R goes to the doctor

When I presented my buzzy orange rattlesnake at Solid Performance, it was a mere week before KTM issued that technical bulletin. But even without approved solutions from KTM, Hank walked outside with me so that he could listen to my engine. On the way, he outlined some less dire possibilities. Perhaps the cams just needed a cleaning, or maybe the valve clearances were off. He repeated what I knew, that the internet will forever amass searched symptoms and present the most grisly diagnosis. His own experience in opening up these bikes confirmed that most were not true failed camshafts.

Then I started up the bike, searching immediately for Hank's initial reaction as I revved the engine. It was resigned acknowledgement. "Yep, that's loud," he said. Bummer.

Further inspection confirmed one of my cam lobes was indeed worn down to the quick (two millimeters of wear!). I was disappointed, but glad to have engaged with my dealer on this, because even though KTM had not yet outlined its wholesale response, Hank still sent all of my documentation to KTM and received approval for a full warranty replacement, even prior to their forthcoming goodwill ruling.

Mechanical failures and their subsequent repairs are inevitably a part of owning any vehicle. And while it seemingly took KTM an eternity to respond adequately to a growing issue, there were KTM authorized dealers doing the work of lifting up customer concerns, presenting cases and documentation to KTM, and then doing the actual repairs.

If anything, this experience has reminded me that purchasing a bike is more than just choosing the model. Because the choice of model is also a choice of manufacturer. And the choice of manufacturer is also the choice of a dealer network — of customer-focused entities and skilled technicians, or not.

I love my 790 Adventure R, I love the qualities of KTMs as a whole, and I love that there is a dealer nearby that I know and trust, one that ensures their employees are technically competent, up-to-date, and client-serving, one that rescues me from the Internet echo chamber — without dismissing my symptoms — and presents real solutions. All of that made an issue that has frustrated and affected thousands of owners a lot less difficult for me.