Is "KTM Quality" a lie? | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Is "KTM Quality" a lie?

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regder said:
Coming from Japanese bikes that sort of perspective is appalling. I have owned two Yamaha's made in a similar time, both with way more mileage. The two have had a combined one oil leak, which was fixed by resetting the shifter shaft cover. Almost no other mechanical problems that I could think of either.
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Sure, but the KTM has character!
 
I just passed 10,000 km on my 2013 690 Duke with no issues. It started first crank after sitting in the garage all winter (with battery removed). So far, so good.
 
fastar1 said:
Sure, but the KTM has character!
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What character?? LOL ... that's what I say when my riding friends crack jokes about my Italian lady. They kind of infected me by now .... because I am the first one expecting she will not fire next day, if she spends a night outside in the rain.
 
gerrbear8 said:
is ktm really that bad? im thinking about the rc 390.

by the way anyone got this bike already? how is it?
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It's a new bike. It takes years to establish reliability or problems with any model, and not all models from a company have issues. Any new model of bike or car will inherently have design issues that need to be fixed.

Search Indian forums for RC390/Duke 390 issues, and demo the bike. KTM offers two year warranties in Canada, not one year like most.

I rode one, the seat is very hard and thin for daily use, the engine throws off a lot of heat of the legs. It's too softly sprung for me. It's a nice looking bike, handles like the other small bikes but has more low-end and mid-range grunt. Sounds like a big lawnmower. Finish quality is up there with the other 300s, all of which are made in Asia. Clare's has a couple in stock.
The only real issue I could find was stalling in hot weather, but dealer's addressed it. Doesn't work for tall people, but if it fits you, it's a nice bike.

This is from India, not sure if these upgrades affect 2015 models already here:

http://www.indiancarsbikes.in/motor...uality-issues-updates-test-mule-spied-110601/

They talk about a slipper clutch for 2016.
 
I had a 625 SMC LC4. Not a bad bike at all. Make sure you research LC4 rocker roller bearing replacement. Max every 20K those bearing need to be changed. $50 job in parts, but if they seize the camshaft gets eaten. If you are leaking oil from the upper head look up lc4 rocker cover sealing on ADV rider. Those bikes are reliable if you consider their output for a thumper. People get 60K miles+ on those engines.
 
Yeah, not exactly uncommon to see an mx bike snap in half. Repeated bad landings can do that to you, especially if the rider is a bit heavy. I don't see that as a commentary on Ktm quality. You tube has plenty of video of bikes breaking, from all manufacturers.
 
I think people sometimes assume that technologically advanced or high performing bikes are quality built and are reliable. That the same engineering that goes into creating innovative components automatically means these same components are durable, built to last and manufactured to a high standard. Not necessarily true, high tech and reliable are not at all the same thing.
 
The 390 Duke I checked out at the local dealer was the shoddiest piece of brand new crap I've ever seen. What a mess.
 
cdav said:
The 390 Duke I checked out at the local dealer was the shoddiest piece of brand new crap I've ever seen. What a mess.
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in MX world about 50% of KTM users consider it is a pretty disposable machine, can not compare to the jap bikes
but it looks nice
 
ross said:
in MX world about 50% of KTM users consider it is a pretty disposable machine, can not compare to the jap bikes
but it looks nice
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And it's completely the opposite in the enduro/hare scrambles world. Lol
 
How are their older 2 strokes? Found a 2000 EXC 200. I've been considering getting something like a dirtbike to play around on in the winter. What's a good price for that model? Is it rare for them to be street legal (the one I found is advertised as such)?
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