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Discussion starter · #23 ·
I think it’s just a case of if you’re one of the unlucky ones, I guess. I’m my o worst enemy when it comes to things like this, I had a BMW S1000rr and there’s all sorts apparently wrong with them. I started reading the horror stories and watching the YouTube videos and that was enough to convince me to sell it. The bike was perfectly fine but I bought into the negative hype. Same with my 790. It’s perfectly fine, great little machine that’s loads of fun but them cheese camshaft videos can get into your head.
 
I think it’s just a case of if you’re one of the unlucky ones, I guess. I’m my o worst enemy when it comes to things like this, I had a BMW S1000rr and there’s all sorts apparently wrong with them. I started reading the horror stories and watching the YouTube videos and that was enough to convince me to sell it. The bike was perfectly fine but I bought into the negative hype. Same with my 790. It’s perfectly fine, great little machine that’s loads of fun but them cheese camshaft videos can get into your head.
S1000XRs also apparentlynhad cheese camshafts, mine just got resold with over 47k miles on the clock singing beautifully as ever...
 
Discussion starter · #25 ·
Exactly. Every car and bike made have horror stories about some defective part. It’s easy to let the doubt set in and it can easily ruin ownership. I’m just gunna do regular oil changes, follow the service plan and enjoy the bike. If something happens then I’ll deal with it then.
 
Exactly. Every car and bike made have horror stories about some defective part. It’s easy to let the doubt set in and it can easily ruin ownership. I’m just gunna do regular oil changes, follow the service plan and enjoy the bike. If something happens then I’ll deal with it then.
Yea my plan exactly... I got 3rd party warranty on my 1290 just in case, never had an issue with it but didn't have it long enough to find out, only had 19k miles on the clock... my 790 adv R has now 14k miles on the clock but had it's annual and 9k mile service done in july and it's FSH prior to that, so doesn't need dealer touching until 18k, next july, when that comes i'll have a quick peak under the valve covers, if it's bad, I'll take it straight in and get a new head for free, if it's all good, then do valve service myself and life the rest of the bike's life with 100% peace of mind
 
Exactly. Every car and bike made have horror stories about some defective part. It’s easy to let the doubt set in and it can easily ruin ownership. I’m just gunna do regular oil changes, follow the service plan and enjoy the bike. If something happens then I’ll deal with it then.
When I change oil i always drain into a clean container and then drag a magnet around the oil and inspect the filter thoroughly will give you some indication if something is going tits up ..like you say you can read all the experts views online that don't actually own a ktm telling you its going to go pop there is an element of luck involved with all mechanical stuff I work on cars and there is some awful junk out there and am often amazed that people keep buying it...ride your bike change the oil
 
Discussion starter · #28 ·
You’re right, it’s some element of luck. I had a BMW S1000rr, my dream bike, bought it and joined the owners forum, like you do. Straight away bombarded with the usual, wait till this goes wrong, that goes wrong, they are known for this fault, that fault etc etc. Really takes the shine of owning one. I have no doubt that there’s an issue with the KTM, there seems to be an issue with every bike and car these days but not every 790/890 are in pieces in some dealership or owners garage. I will do whatever I can to maintain my little scalpel, hope it is ok and enjoy the ride.
 
Has there been any of the CF Moto or Kove 800's bikes with initial signs of this issue yet?
Here's a thought: are the heads made in China?
Who would benefit from a devalued KTM that could be purchased at a Knock Down Price off the Receivers?
I'll leave you with a little thought.
A few years back, a British Company called London Taxis International was persuaded to 'off-shore' component production to China. Among the components off-shored was the steering system. The steering systems failed, and the vehicles were recalled, but suddenly the Chinese supplier was unable to help.
LTI went bust and was subsequently taken over by a Chinese company. Miraculously, a revised steering system was soon produced!

I'm not making this up: this is what it says in Wiki

In October 2012, following a suspension of sales due to the discovery of a serious flaw with vehicle steering components and having failed in an attempt to obtain new financing, the company was placed in voluntary administration.[8][9] The quite recently specified faulty steering components had been sourced from Geely supplier, Gang Yang in China.[10][11]
In February 2013, certain assets of The London Taxi Company were purchased from administrator PricewaterhouseCoopers by Geely.[12][13] It continued to trade as The London Taxi Company until rebranded as the London EV Company in September 2017 developing electric commercial vehicles at a new plant near Coventry, the first into production being an electric taxicab - the LEVC TX.
 
Here's a thought: are the heads made in China?
Who would benefit from a devalued KTM that could be purchased at a Knock Down Price off the Receivers?
I'll leave you with a little thought.
A few years back, a British Company called London Taxis International was persuaded to 'off-shore' component production to China. Among the components off-shored was the steering system. The steering systems failed, and the vehicles were recalled, but suddenly the Chinese supplier was unable to help.
LTI went bust and was subsequently taken over by a Chinese company. Miraculously, a revised steering system was soon produced!

I'm not making this up: this is what it says in Wiki

In October 2012, following a suspension of sales due to the discovery of a serious flaw with vehicle steering components and having failed in an attempt to obtain new financing, the company was placed in voluntary administration.[8][9] The quite recently specified faulty steering components had been sourced from Geely supplier, Gang Yang in China.[10][11]
In February 2013, certain assets of The London Taxi Company were purchased from administrator PricewaterhouseCoopers by Geely.[12][13] It continued to trade as The London Taxi Company until rebranded as the London EV Company in September 2017 developing electric commercial vehicles at a new plant near Coventry, the first into production being an electric taxicab - the LEVC TX.
Whilst i think that's far fetched in this case, it is weird that the issue wasn't realised sooner, but it does appear fixed with the later 890 and hopefully 990s. However with the 790 still being in production surely they know the exact issue if they did any testing and revised components accordingly. It's weird that the issue is low oil pressure too because surely the oil pressure sensor should be calibrated to throw an error if it's even a little below the operating range (which is quite wide to begin with) yet it doesn't seem to come on even well below the operating range and also KTM keep bragging about their 3 pump forced lubrication system so funny that's the weakest area....
 
Here's a thought: are the heads made in China?
Who would benefit from a devalued KTM that could be purchased at a Knock Down Price off the Receivers?
I'll leave you with a little thought.
The story I've read (on the FB cams thread) is that after licensing the engine design to CF Moto, CF Moto made revisions to the head and then offered those to KTM, who declined to use them.

I'm not sure what those revisions were though other than a change to the cam area breather system.

From what I've gathered (from youtube and FB) is that the issue is not one thing, so is likely not a cam coatings issue.
I don't think it is oil pressure but could certainly be oil flow at the cam jets. The path the oil takes to the jets isn't optimal so it doesn't take much going wrong (and in machining tolerances or left over swarf) to cause low flow and thus a cam wear issue.
This should mean that a head & cam swap sorts the issue, but from the most recently video it seems that might not be the case.. so what is really happening here...:unsure:

However, if the CF Moto & Kove 800's aren't suffering then that could help "us" determine what the problem actually is, or mean that we should just buy those 800's in the future.
 
If memory serves the whole 690 cam issue was put down to not using the right grade motorex oil that had been formulated for that engine, blah blah blah.

Same/similar issue on these bikes??
That was absolute shit. KTM went through about 16 different attempts to fix the issue before completely re designing the cylinder head for the 17 model year.
on Husky you had to use Belray oil.
Mine failed because the pin holding the roller worked its way out, once unsupported at one end the arm snapped allowing the roller to work its way into the cam chain tunnel and smashed the crank.
cant see oil causing that.
 
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