2019 Ktm 790 Adventure

The brake light doesn't illuminate unless excessive brake pressure is used. During normal braking the light doesn't illuminate at all when using the front or rear brake. It is available for inspection upon request. My safety and safety of others has been put at risk because other motorists will not know that i'm braking since the light doesn't illuminate. The problem has been reproduced by me. The KTM dealer will not offer free diagnostics for this even though there have been two other brake recalls for this model. This has only been inspected by me and multiple other owners who hav encountered the same issue. There were no warnings or symptoms prior to the issue.

I PUURCHASED THE MOTORCYCLE NEW ON 11/19/19. AFTER 3K MILES THE FRONT WHEEL AND SUSPENSION BEGAN LURCHING SEVERELY WHEN THE FRONT BRAKE IS APPLIED IN MOTION ON CITY STREETS. AT SLOW SPEEDS WHEN APPROACHING A STOP SIGN/LIGHT THE LURCHING IS WORSE TO THE POINT WHERE I CAN ONLY USE THE REAR BRAKE TO STOP THE MACHINE. I HAVE NEARLY LOST CONTROL OF THE MOTORCYCLE ON SEVERAL OCCASSIONS WHEN TURNING ON PAVEMENT AT LOW SPEED DUE TO THE SEVERE LURCHING WHEN APPLYING THE FRONT BRAKE. IF REQUIRED TO USE THE FRONT BRAKE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC THE CONDITION IS SUCH THAT THE MOTORCYCLE CANNOT BE STOPPED EFFECTIVELY WITHOUT LOSING CONTROL, THEREFORE I CAN ONLY USE THE REAR BRAKE WHICH GREATLY INCREASES THE REQUIRED STOPPING DISTANCE. THIS CONDITION IS INDICATIVE OF WARPED BRAKE ROTORS OR MALALIGNED WHEEL HUBS. THE DEALER SERVICE TECHNITION RODE THE MOTORCYCLE AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME CONDITION AS I. NEXT, HE MEAURED THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AND DETERMINED THEY WERE SEVERELY WARPED. HE FILED A WARRANTY CLAIM WITH THE MANUFACTURER (KTM) AND THE CLAIM WAS DENIED. I CONTACTED KTM CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT 3 TIMES AND EACH TIME WAS INFORMED THEY WOULD NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY BECAUSE THEY CLAIM BRAKE ROTORS ARE "WEAR ITEMS". I EXPLAINED TO KTM THAT I HAVE RIDDEN MOTORCYCLES FOR 40 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A ROTOR WARP OR WEAR OUT WITHIN 3K MILES, INDEED MY 2017 BMW F800 GS BRAKES WORK PERFECTLY AND IT STILL HAS THE ORIGINAL ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS WITH 18,000 MILES ON THEM. WHEN ROTORS "WEAR" THEY BECOME CONSISTENLY THINNER AROUND THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE CONTACT SURFACE WITH THE BRAKE PAD, NOT AT RANDOM POINTS ON THE ROTOR SURFACE.

OIL LEAK AT COUNTER SHAFT SEAL, REPAIRED BY KTM SAFETY RECALL ON REAR BRAKES DASH GOES' BLANK WHILE RIDING, STEERING DAMPENER FAILED WATER PUMP LEAKED THE CLUTCH FAILED ( SLIPPING ) KTM DECLINED TO REPAIR THIS, I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF AND FOUND A BROKEN CLUTCH PLATE. THE FRONT BRAKES EXPERIENCED A PULSATING SENSATION WHILE BRAKING, THIS GRADUALLY GOT WORSE OVER TIME, KTM REPLACE THE FRONT WHEEL AND ONE BRAKE ROTOR THE FRONT BRAKES EXPERIENCED INCONSISTENT FREE PLAY IN THE LEVER, THIS CAUSED THE FRONT BRAKE REACTION TIMING TO BE DIFFERENT EVERY TIME, KTM DECLINED TO REPAIR THIS, WE HAD THE DEALER BLEAD THE BRAKES AT OUR EXPENSE, THIS SEEMED TO HELP THE REAR BRAKES WHERE NOT FULLY RELEASING CAUSING DRAG AND THE BRAKES TO GET HOT, THIS ALSO DAMAGED THE RIVETS THAT HOLD THE ROTOR TOGETHER AND CAUSED THEM TO WEAR ON THE CALIPER MOUNT, KTM DECLINED TO REPAIR THIS BUT DID SUPPLY NEW BRAKE CALIPER MOUNT AND ROTOR, BUT NOT LABOR.

FRONT BRAKE LEVER INCONSISTENT, THEN FRONT BRAKE BEGAN APPLYING ITSELF FORCING UNWANTED REDUCTION OF SPEED DURING HIGHWAY USE AND OVERHEATING OF FRONT BRAKE. THE ONLY WAY TO GET BRAKE TO RELEASE WAS TO PULL BRAKE LEVER VERY HARD AND SUDDENLY MULTIPLE TIMES TO FORCE ENGAGEMENT OF ANTI-LOCK SYSTEM, AT WHICH POINT THE BRAKES WOULD RELEASE.

THE BIKE SUFFERS FROM UNEVEN FRONT BRAKE ROTOR WEAR OR SOME OTHER ISSUE WHICH CAUSES THE BIKE TO PULSE SEVERELY WHEN THE FRONT BRAKE IS APPLIED. THE PROBLEM IS MOST SEVERE AT LOW SPEED AS WHEN COMING TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT. THE INABILITY TO COME TO A SMOOTH STOP IS INHERENTLY DANGEROUS, IN THAT WHEN THE BRAKE QUICKLY GRABS AND THEN LETS GO IT IS DISRUPTING TO BALANCE AT THESE LOW SPEEDS. I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS MOTORCYCLE . INSTALLING A SECOND SET OF ROTORS DID NOT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, THE PROBLEM RETURNED. WHILE I HAVE INDICATED JANUARY 1, 2020 AS THE "DATE THIS HAPPENED", THE PROBLEM IS PROGRESSIVE AND BECOMES WORSE OVER TIME,

WHEN SLOWING WITH THE FRONT BRAKE THERE IS A PULSING SENSATION, LIKE THE BRAKE GRABS AND THEN RELEASES. I FIRST NOTICED THIS ON THE HIGHWAY WITH STRONG BREAKING FROM ABOUT 70 MPH. IT FELT LIKE A STRONG HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION IN THE FRONT OF THE BIKE. IT IS MOST NOTICEABLE AT LOWER SPEEDS, WHEN SLOWING FOR A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. WHEN I TOOK THE BIKE IN FOR SCHEDULED SERVICE I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT IT AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE BRAKES. THIS WAS IN NOVEMBER WHEN THE BIKE WAS ONLY 5 MONTHS OLD. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WERE WARPED BY ABOUT 10MM. THEY TOOK A VIDEO OF IT AND SUBMITTED THE VIDEO WITH A WARRANTY CLAIM TO KIM NORTH AMERICA AND THEN ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER TOLD ME THE CLAIM HAD BEEN DENIED. I HAVE BEEN RIDING MOTORCYCLES FOR OVER 30 YRS. AND TEACHING MOTORCYCLE SAFETY CLASSES FOR 7 YRS. IN THAT TIME I HAVE ENCOUNTERED 1 WARPED BRAKE ROTOR, WHICH WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS SAFETY ISSUE AND A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OWNERS OF THE SAME MAKE, MODEL, YR BIKE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MY BIKE IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. IF IT WAS KTM WOULD PROBABLY REPAIR IT. IF YOU WOULD LIKE, I CAN ASK THE DEALER FOR A COPY OF THE VIDEO.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 KTM 790 ADVENTURE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN A PARKING LOT, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR BRAKE PEDAL WAS BLUE (INDICATING HEAT). THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT GREASED THE REAR BRAKE CALIPER PIN. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO SCUDERIA WEST MOTORCYCLE (LOCATED AT 69 DUBOCE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103, (415) 621-7223), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70. CONTACT STATES AFTER WENT HOME FOUND A STICKEY WHITE SUBSTANCE IN THE BRAKE PINS, CLEANED IT ALL IS NORMAL THEN. *PM *TP