KTM build quality
Discussion
The picture above shows the rear sprocket nuts off my son's 2019 KTM 390.
The bike is garaged and has never been used in the rain , done just 2200 miles.
I find it hard to believe that they are that badly rusted and corroded in such a short time and the chain adjusters are not much better.
Are all recent KTMs this bad?
I have a 2016 MT09 that shows no signs of rust or corrosion and they were not exactly built out of top quality materials.
Is it just bikes that are built in India that are this bad?
In my (limited) experience with KTMs, the build quality and reliability isn't fantastic.
Looking at those nuts that is pretty classic road salt and water corrosion: if he isn't riding in any sort of wet weather then he must be washing it with warm salt water!
Edit to add:
https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/ktm/39...
might be worth a flick through the reviews there which tell the tale of poor reliability, build quality, rust, and ease of water damage to bits and bobs.
Looking at those nuts that is pretty classic road salt and water corrosion: if he isn't riding in any sort of wet weather then he must be washing it with warm salt water!
Edit to add:
https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/ktm/39...
might be worth a flick through the reviews there which tell the tale of poor reliability, build quality, rust, and ease of water damage to bits and bobs.
Edited by DirtyHarley on Tuesday 13th July 20:03
Looks like they've done a few hard winters on a courier bike.
Must be made out of some very low grade steel with no finish on them at all.
Even the big expensive KTMs looked like they were made from biscuit trays the last time I had a good look at one at the NEC and they were bikes sold for north of £15k.
Must be made out of some very low grade steel with no finish on them at all.
Even the big expensive KTMs looked like they were made from biscuit trays the last time I had a good look at one at the NEC and they were bikes sold for north of £15k.
Edited by ChocolateFrog on Tuesday 13th July 20:00
KTMsm said:
The 390 is a cheap bike
If it was looked after with ACF etc it wouldn't have happened and it's only cosmetic - they aren't the most reliable bike so they the least of your worries
It might be a cheap bike but so is my MT09, and that shows no sign of corrosion.If it was looked after with ACF etc it wouldn't have happened and it's only cosmetic - they aren't the most reliable bike so they the least of your worries
As for being unreliable so far in two years it has been very reliable, admittedly it has only done 2200 miles far.
I have never used ACF or anything similar on any bike and the only time I have seen corrosion like that was on my 2007 Fazer 1000 where the exhaust studs and nuts looked similar to those sprocket nuts.
Think those bolts are zinc-plated rather than being real steel. I edited my original with this link that might be of interest:
https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/ktm/39...
https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/ktm/39...
Don’t think they are any more unreliable than anything else. Certain models have certain problems much the same as anything else but they’re generally cheap and easy fixes. Had a call from the bloke that bought my 2009 990 SMT off of me in 2013. Still going strong at 65000 miles and all it’s needed is a reg/rec and battery in the last 30k. I’m on my 8th KTM. ( 2x 990 SMT’s,2x 950SM, 690 SMCR, 990SMR, 1290 SDR Gen 2, 1290 SDRgen1 currently) Can’t say any of them have been unreliable.
Edited by scorcher on Tuesday 13th July 20:40
crusty said:
Yep, that is why nobody buys KTMs
I currently own 8 If I recall correctly the 390 was around 3 grand new and less than half the price of a 690
You simply cannot get rust without water, if you wash a bike and put it away wet that will happen, or if you store one in a damp garage
Some 390s have had significant engine issues at quite low mileage, they are very much a budget bike as is the 125, they don't really bear any relationship to the rest of the lineup
Jazoli said:
Fairy liquid would not do that, or ruin your car or anything else its claimed you shouldn't do with it.
I'm trying that on my BM atm but was too scared to risk it on the Suzuki which would've made the KTM seem quite reasonable despite being smothered in ACF50. There was quite a good video on Bennetts Social where they talked to a detergents scientist who attempted to explain why the salts in washing up liquid do not act the same way as salts on the road.Killboy said:
The 390 are assembled by Bajaj Auto. World of difference to them and the "bigger" KTMs.
Nothing to do with who puts them together, it's what they use that matters!Cheap fixings will rust more easily than decent hardware, as someone already mentioned they were down to something stupid like £3300 brand new.
Krikkit said:
Killboy said:
Yes. Bajaj builds the cheap ones. 
I know, but if you gave them quality components it'd be no different to one assembled by Unicorns in Austria... Trumpets built in Thailand using decent kit are good, nothing to do with the assembler if it's done right.Identical bikes built in both Japan and India and compare them down to tolerances.
My money would be on being able to spot the difference.
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