IllustrationTHE MOTORCYCLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND BURST INTO FLAMES. THE DRIVER CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS IN A BURN UNIT FOR TWO MONTHS. HE DIED AS A RESULT OF HIS BURNS. OTHER THAN THE BURNS, THE DRIVER WALKED AWAY FROM THE CRASH.
2015 Ktm 1290 Super Duke R
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 1290 Super Duke R years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 6 of 6 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports1 fire reports1 injury reports
What owners actually said
6 reportsI AM EXPERIENCING PULSING BREAKS AT LOW SPEEDS AS WELL AS A WHINE WHEN PUSHING THE MOTORCYCLE AT LOW SPEEDS. I HAVE REPLACED THE PADS AND ROTORS MORE THAN ONCE AND THE ISSUE RETURNS
AS MENTIONED ON MANY MANY WEBSITE FORUMS FROM EXISTING OWNERS I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES MANY OTHER OWNERS ARE. PULSING AND GRABBING OF THE FRONT BRAKES, DEALERS DIAGNOSE AS 'WARPED ROTORS' MOST OF THE BIKES ARE STREET RIDDEN AND THE BRAKES NEVER GET HOT ENOUGH TO SIMPLY WARP. HERE IS THE PROBLEM THE MOUNTING SURFACE FOR …
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AS MENTIONED ON MANY MANY WEBSITE FORUMS FROM EXISTING OWNERS I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES MANY OTHER OWNERS ARE. PULSING AND GRABBING OF THE FRONT BRAKES, DEALERS DIAGNOSE AS 'WARPED ROTORS' MOST OF THE BIKES ARE STREET RIDDEN AND THE BRAKES NEVER GET HOT ENOUGH TO SIMPLY WARP. HERE IS THE PROBLEM THE MOUNTING SURFACE FOR THE BRAKE ROTORS ISNT TRUE, THE WHEELS ARE DEFECTIVE, BY REMOVING THE ROTOR AND FILING DOWN THE ROTOR SURFACE(WHEEL) POINTS, MAKES THE ROTOR RUN TRUE, THUS PREVENTING UNEAVEN PRESSURE DURING HARD BREAKING AND FIXING THE CAUSE. KTM NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THIS AND RECALL ALL FRONT RIMS THAT EXPERIENCE THIS ISSUE.
I JUST PURCHASED THIS BIKE AND THE SPEEDOMETER IS HORRIBLY INACCURATE. THIS IMPACTS SPEEDOMETER READING, ODOMETER, ESTIMATED RANGE, AND MAY IMPACT TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS.
DURING NORMAL RIDING CONDITIONS THE OIL SYSTEM OF THE ENGINE WILL NOT CYCLE THE OIL THROUGHOUT THE MOTOR PROPERLY. A "LOW OIL" WARNING WAS DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND ON THE LAST INCIDENT, WHICH OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 700 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, THE SEALS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE…
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DURING NORMAL RIDING CONDITIONS THE OIL SYSTEM OF THE ENGINE WILL NOT CYCLE THE OIL THROUGHOUT THE MOTOR PROPERLY. A "LOW OIL" WARNING WAS DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND ON THE LAST INCIDENT, WHICH OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 700 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, THE SEALS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE CASE STARTED TO FAIL FROM THE OVERPRESSURE IN THE MOTOR. THIS ALLOWED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OIL TO BE SPILLED IN FRONT OF THE REAR TIRE CREATING AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS RIDING SITUATION. THIS EVENT HAS OCCURRED THREE TIMES IN TOTAL WITH THE FIRST AT 193 MILES, THE SECOND AT 498 MILES AND THE THIRD TIME AT APPROXIMATELY 700 MILES. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR BOTH THE SECOND AND THIRD INCIDENTS. AFTER THE SECOND EVENT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE MOTOR AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. LESS THAN 200 MILES LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN WITH ME ALMOST CRASHING THE MOTORCYCLE DUE TO THE OIL SPILLAGE. THE MOTORCYCLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND DIAGNOSTICS.
UPON INSPECTION OF THE OEM ENGINE OIL FILTER DURING THE INITIAL BREAK-IN OIL CHANGE (659 MILES ON ODO). THE FILTER ELEMENT AND CORE WAS COMPLETELY COLLAPSED. STARVING THE ENGINE OF "FILTERED" OIL AT THE MOST CRITICAL TIME, DURING NEW ENGINE BREAK-IN. *TR
Official recalls
118V033000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder
Jan 10, 2018
KTM North America, Inc. (KTM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 1290 Super Duke R ABS, 2016 1290 Super Duke R SE ABS and 1290 Super Duke GT ABS and 2017-2018 Super Duke R and1290 Super Duke GT motorcycles. The piston within the Brembo front brake master cylinder may fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the front brake master cylinder piston fails, the loss of front braking ability can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: KTM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the piston with an aluminum one, free of charge. The recall began on February 21, 2018. Owner's may contact KTM customer service at 1-888-985-6090.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.