2006 Ktm 300 XC-W

I PURCHASED A NEW 2006 KTM 400EXC JUNE 2006, IN OCTOBER I TRANSPORTED THE MOTORCYCLE IN A TRAILER TO A RIDING AREA, WHEN I ARRIVED IT WAS LEAKING SO BADLY THAT GASOLINE WAS DRIPPING OUT OF THE TRAILER ONTO THE GROUND, THE GAS CAP WAS SO DEFORMED THAT IT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE OFF AND ON. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND THEY REPLACED THE CAP WITH AN IDENTICAL DEFECTIVE CAP THAT DEFORMED AND LEAKED IN ABOUT 3 MONTHS. THE CAP WAS REPLACED AGAIN. THEY HAVE SINCE MAILED ME A NEW SEAL FOR THE CAP, SAYING THIS IS THE SOLUTION TO ALL OF THE GAS CAP PROBLEMS, BUT MY CAP NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, IT IS DEFORMED AND SWOLLEN AGAIN. HAVING A GAS CAP THAT DOES NOT LAST MORE THAN 3 OR 4 MONTHS AND REGULARLY LEAKS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, AND KTM IS CONTINUING TO SELL NEW MODELS WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE DESIGN. *JB

THIS RELATES TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT DELIVERED BY KTM SPORTMOTORCYCLES NA. ON PRODUCT LINE FOR MODEL YEARS 2006 AND 2007, INCLUDING MY VEHICLE 06 450 EXC, THE 1/4-TURN GAS CAPS HAVE HAZARDOUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING FAULTS. TO DATE KTM HAS FAILED TO PROPERLY ADDRESS IT. DETAIL OF THE CAP PROBLEMS: - THE CAP HAS 3 LOCKING TABS THAT MATE WITH THE TANK. THE ORIGINAL CAP'S NECK WAS TOO LONG, PREVENTING A TIGHT SEAL AND LEAKED BADLY - KTM ISSUED NEW CAPS WITH SHORTER NECKS, TIGHTENING THE SEAL AND TEMPORARILY FIXED THE LEAKING. - THE NEW CAPS LEAKED WITHIN DAYS OR WEEKS OF INSTALLATION. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE CAPS BECAME GROSSLY DISTORTED OVER TIME, LIKE DUE TO INCREASED PRESSURE ON THE CAPS, INTERACTION BETWEEN THE CAP MATERIAL AND THE FUEL, AND POOR DESIGN. THE NEWER CAPS LEAK AS BADLY AS THE ORIGINALS WHEN DISTORTED. - THE CAP VENT TUBES POP OUT RESULTING IN FUEL LEAKING OUT FROM THAT AREA. - CAPS HAVE POPPED OFF IN CRASHES, RESULTING IN RIDERS BEING SOAKED IN FUEL. THE BADLY DISTORTED CAPS WILL NEVER PROVIDE A SECURE CONNECTION TO THE TANK. AFTER 2 LONG YEARS KTM FINALLY RELEASED A '''''PERMANENT''''' FIX, WHICH IS MERELY ANOTHER X-RING. IT IS NOT A FIX AT ALL. MANY RIDERS HAVE INSTALLED THIS NEW X-RING AND STILL LEAK. IN NO WAY DOES IT ADDRESSES THE CAP WARPING AND POP-OFFS OR THE VENT-HOSE POP OFFS, ALL WHICH ARE POTENTIALL LIFE-THREATENING. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT KTM OFFICIAL RACES TEAMS FOR OFF-ROAD, MOTOCROSS, AND SUPERMOTO, BOTH ON THE NATIONAL AND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CIRCUITS, DO NOT RUN THESE 1/4-TURN GAS CAPS! FINALLY, KTM APPEARS TO BE DONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. SOMEONE IS EVENTUALLY GOING TO GET BURNED OR DIE. HOPEFULLY THE NHTSA WILL TAKE ACTION AND FORCE THE ISSUE. I HAVE MUCH MORE DETAIL AVAILABLE IF NEEDED.

I PURCHASED A NEW KTM MOTORCYCLE IN MARCH 2006 FROM A LOCAL DEALER. APPROXIMATELY AUGUST 2006 I NOTICE THE GAS CAP(NEW 1/4 TURN DESIGN) LEAKING WHILE RIDING THE MOTORCYCLE. ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER WHILE RIDING I FELL OVER AND DROPPED THE MOTORCYCLE AND THE GAS CAP ACTUALLY POPPED OFF THE GAS TANK AND SPILLED GAS ON ME. IT TOOK ME 15 MINUTES TO GET BACK TO MY TRUCK AND WASH THE GAS OFF. IT MADE SEVERAL BLOTCHY RED AREAS ON MY LEG WHERE THE GAS HAD SOAKED MY PANTS. I REPORTED THIS ALL TO THE DEALER AND THEY SOLD ME A NEW GAS CAP. THE NEW CAP STARTED LEAKING GAS AFTER ONLY TWO RIDES. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER AND THE KTM NORTH AMERICAN SERVICE REP. KTM AT THIS POINT SUGGESTED AN O-RING SO I BOUGHT ONE FROM THE LOCAL HARDWARE STORE AND PUT IT ON THE GAS CAP. THIS SEEMED TO STOP THE LEAK BUT THEN I NOTICED THE GAS CAP GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO REMOVE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE CAP IT WAS NOTICEABLY DEFORMED SO I REPORTED THIS TO MY LOCAL KTM DEALER IN OCTOBER 2006. THEY GAVE ME ANOTHER CAP BUT THIS ONE WAS FREE AND THEY GAVE ME A X-RING TO INSTALL ON THE CAP. SINCE THEN, THE NEW CAP HAS ALSO DEFORMED AND NOW THE VENT CHECK BALL HOUSING HAS ALSO COME APART CAUSING THE CHECK BALL TO DROP INTO THE GAS TANK SO NOW GAS SPILLS OUT THE VENT TUBE. I REPORTED ALL OF THIS TO MY DEALER AND THEY SHOWED ME A LETTER FROM KTM WITH NEW X-RINGS ATTACHED STATING THIS WAS THE FIX BUT THEY COULD NOT GIVE IT TO ME AS THEY ONLY HAD A COUPLE AND OFFERED TO SELL ME ANOTHER NEW GAS CAP. I HAVE ALSO CALLED THE KTM NORTH AMERICAN SERVICE REP. AND INFORMED HIM OF ALL OF THESE ISSUES BUT IT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE GETTING ANYWHERE. THEIR X-RING FIX MAY RESOLVE THE GAS LEAK BUT IT DOES NOT RESOLVE THE DEFORMED, POPPING OFF, FALLING APART PROBLEM WITH THEIR DESIGN. *NM

2006 KTM 300XCW MOTORCYCLE PURCHASED JUNE 2006. GAS CAP BEGAN LEAKING WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. GAS DRAINS FROM AROUND THE BASE OF THE CAP ONTO THE TANK, SEAT, RIDERS LEGS, AND MAY DRIP ONTO THE MOTOR AND EXHAUST. TANKS OPENING IS ALSO DISTORTED. KTM SENT AN X-RING TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT IT STILL LEAKS JUST AS BADLY AS BEFORE. *NM