KTM woes continue.

[Katy M]

I posted this on another site so thought I’d air it here too.

Called in to a local Yamaha dealer last week. They seem to be doing very well with lots of ‘sold’ stickers on new bikes. We got talking about PX values and my old 1290 and KTM woes generally. Salesman said he could not get a KTM underwritten when it came to PX valuation and moving it on. This he said, was badly affecting what he could offer to take one in if he took it in at all.

I would tend to agree. My KTM is still at the KTM dealer that bought it from BMW when I jumped ship to the 1250GS well over a year ago now.

He also told me a story of a customer whose brand new KTM blew a hose on a Euro trip. A simple fix perhaps but there was no new spare hose and all efforts at common sense to get it repaired (canabalise one from a stock bike) failed. The KTM is still in Norway and owner rejected bike and now rides a Yamaha.

I really miss my 1290 but cannot risk going back until KTM sort themselves out.

 

[mike wright]

I recently sold my 1290 for some of the same reasons as I wasnt confident in the event of needing parts they where readily available. Dont get me wrong the 1290 is an awesome bike but I need a 100% stable network and solid business model for the future to make me buy another one. I traded mine for a GSA which Im very pleased with however I think they are very different bikes and worlds apart. Although my bike sold in 2 weeks and at a premium price plus I got a very good trade in so for a change a dealer and customer both happy with the result

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I posted this on another site so thought I’d air it here too.

Called in to a local Yamaha dealer last week. They seem to be doing very well with lots of ‘sold’ stickers on new bikes. We got talking about PX values and my old 1290 and KTM woes generally. Salesman said he could not get a KTM underwritten when it came to PX valuation and moving it on. This he said, was badly affecting what he could offer to take one in if he took it in at all.

I would tend to agree. My KTM is still at the KTM dealer that bought it from BMW when I jumped ship to the 1250GS well over a year ago now.

He also told me a story of a customer whose brand new KTM blew a hose on a Euro trip. A simple fix perhaps but there was no new spare hose and all efforts at common sense to get it repaired (canabalise one from a stock bike) failed. The KTM is still in Norway and owner rejected bike and now rides a Yamaha.

I really miss my 1290 but cannot risk going back until KTM sort themselves out.

KTM small enduro & MX will still be popular as that’s where their foundations were built on

Parts ???

Maybe a big issue looming as quite a few bits across the range are becoming NLA, especially for bikes older than 10 years of age

 

[markie_wales]

I loved KTMs and had loads over the last 12 years. However my last 1290 SD GT I brought new was a nightmare. I had if 15 months before I just gave up. The warranty ran out after a year and I spent over a grand in the last 3 months of ownership continuing to fix it. Of the ~13,000 miles I did on it, ~1,400 were to and from the dealer fuor repairs.

I’m solvent. Loved KTMs. Thought the 1290 engine was one of the all time great bike engines. Spend lots of money on bikes. Had loads of KTMs but won’t have another KTM after my last experience. How on earth will they get people like me back?

Cheers

Markie

 

[mike wright]

I loved KTMs and had loads over the last 12 years. However my last 1290 SD GT I brought new was a nightmare. I had if 15 months before I just gave up. The warranty ran out after a year and I spent over a grand in the last 3 months of ownership continuing to fix it. Of the ~13,000 miles I did on it, ~1,400 were to and from the dealer fuor repairs.

I’m solvent. Loved KTMs. Thought the 1290 engine was one of the all time great bike engines. Spend lots of money on bikes. Had loads of KTMs but won’t have another KTM after my last experience. How on earth will they get people like me back?

Cheers

Markie

Loved the bike the power was superb and the engine something else but in the first 2 months of ownership

Ready to Race Button failed (on holiday in Wales)
Fuel Gauge Failed
Heated Grips failed

I was lucky to have a warranty but they still showed me the cost if I had paid for them and it was close to 1k inc labour! The expensive Ready to Do Nothing button was replaced with the upgraded one which when I asked noone knew the upgrade so I took it apart. 1 extra dob of silicone was the upgrade!

Keep the MX Enduro bikes , and Main models and they may survive although the finances are so dire it would take a miracle to even make a profit.

 

[jefformston]

Looks like be keeping my 1290, I had the same experience with two dealers both of which would not take a KTM in PX. Luckily for me mine has been reliable and it’s a hoot to ride. If it does go ‘pop’ at sometime in the future I’ve always got the R1150 GS to fall back on, fun in a totally different way.

 

[Barnoe]

The whole KTM thing is very sad, they make some nice bikes and its a shame its come to this.

I was hoping one of the bigger manufacturers would have swallowed them up by now to give current KTM owners some hope.
Its a slippery slope their on and its only going to get worse as potential customers looks elsewhere and KTM bikers switch to different brands.

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

How on earth will they get people like me back?

How on earth will they get people like me back?

Only you know the answer to that question

 

[Mr Derek]

I too sold my SD GT due to electrical gremlins. I bought the bike from Moto Corsa in Dorset with a lifetime warranty. Sadly it was the lifetime of the business, which folded a year after I bought the bike. I still have my 790 Duke, which has been faultless, other than low speed fuelling. I would really like a road only adventure style bike with the power and attitude of the 790 but with Honda reliability and a properly comfortable seat. I'm just not prepared to risk another KTM though. I don't think there is anything they could do to persuade me to buy one.

 

[steve hughes]

To balance things in ktms favour. I had my 390 Duke 22 model year for two years and other than the screen misting a little ( 10%) it was faultless. This was an Indian Bajaj built bike

 

[Redboots]

To balance things in ktms favour. I had my 390 Duke 22 model year for two years and other than the screen misting a little ( 10%) it was faultless. This was an Indian Bajaj built bike

So far my '23 790 has also been faultless
Only 12k kms since I bought it in June '24 with 300 on the odo.

 

[Belco100]

Everything will sell at the right price. Trouble is at the moment is that no one has trust in KTM, and also that they sold bikes off cheap for the last 6 months i.e. you could buy a brand new 1290 Super Adventure S for £12.5k. Second hand prices are rock bottom, but if you try and sell at realistic prices for the current situation you will probably be OK. I've been looking at moving my fully loaded 2022 SAS of and though it would be worth around £11k, but realistically the "right price" will be nearer £8k . It is entirely possible that when KTM get their act together and the new models start hitting the headlines at full price of around £20k, then next year they might be worth more than this year?

I guess I have been lucky, and neither of my KTMs have had any issues. I fully expect to test a SAS Evo next year when they are available.

 

[Berin]

I’ve had my 1290 SAR for 4 years, done multiple foreign jaunts on it and use it on a weekly basis for doing most things where I can get away without using a car. So far apart from an odd brake issue, it’s been fine.

This morning I read in MCN about the myriad of new electronic gubbins that will be on the refreshed version of the V4 Multi, which ordinarily would be a good alternative to the SAR.

However, since I know how to change gear with a clutch, am able to discern that there’s an object in front of me without the bike telling me, am able to get a foot down and planted by sliding my arse of the seat, don’t need the bike to brake for me, can determine if other vehicles are nearby by looking, don’t need 27 different “riding modes”, and couldn’t care less about “connectivity” I may as well keep my KTM.

 

[drdaveboy]

My old 1190adv and my recent 1290.sdr are 2 of the best bikes I've owned in over 70 bikes , no issues with either except a reluctance to go slow

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[Katy M]

This wasn’t a post about KTM reliability! It was about the future of the company and problems with parts/service that is affecting both dealers and customers! I bought my 1250 and within weeks was looking to get rid of it - it was awful but, thankfully all down to sh**e tyres. At the time you could get a pre-reg 1290 for £13K. Were there any left I may have gone for one but could not take the risk of KTM failing. I loved all 5 of my KTM’s and would love to see them back at 100%

 

[Redboots]

This wasn’t a post about KTM reliability! It was about the future of the company and problems with parts/service that is affecting both dealers and customers! I bought my 1250 and within weeks was looking to get rid of it - it was awful but, thankfully all down to sh**e tyres. At the time you could get a pre-reg 1290 for £13K. Were there any left I may have gone for one but could not take the risk of KTM failing. I loved all 5 of my KTM’s and would love to see them back at 100%

It sounds like you have been "influenced"

 

[richh]

I loved my KTM’s.

But they never had a great image in regards business practices and reliability in a warranty sort of situation.

They’d have to be very very cheap for me to consider again.

Probably on par with a Chinese bike now in regards value.


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[Katy M]

Probably on par with a Chinese bike now in regards value.

Ouch!! Not that bad, surely.

 

[Eastmidsbiker]

I predict KTM will survive but their business model may change. This was a really interesting provocative article from Bajaj who now own a hefty chunk of KTM. https://www.visordown.com/news/ktms...encouraging-brand-abandon-european-production

They manufactured for volume in Mattighofen Austria and took their eye off the ball, creating a huge surplus of stock.

Triumph are still in Hinckley, and have moved some production back there, and its probably a good exampler of a successful 'lifestyle' brand.

My 390 was made in India, do I care ? Not really, but I do care about the underlying quality of components and the quality control in putting them together. I'm pretty sure it was designed in Austria.

 

[Paul S]

Had 6 KTM's and 2 Husqvarna's over the years and liked them all. Only changed my last 1290 SAR because I fancied a Desert X and got a very good deal part exing the 1290 against a nearly new Desert X Rally.

Would I buy another KTM - yes I certainly would though as always with KTM only when there is a large discount involve

Will certainly test ride the new 1390's when they are released as have always loved their big V twins though strangely enough have never gelled with the 790/890 parallel twins which I thought were lacking character.

Whether they are made in Austria or India matters little to me same as my Thai Triumph Scrambler - it is the quality control that matters.