What's new
Carbonite

South Africa's Top Online Tech Classifieds!
Register a free account today to become a member! (No Under 18's)
Home of C.U.D.

Ktm ownership

D3TTOL

VIP
VIP Supporter
Rating - 100%
19   0   0
Joined
Jun 12, 2015
Messages
5,514
Reaction score
3,602
Points
10,735
Location
The land of the Nether
Hey guys and gurls.

My bike's rear shock broke all its seals two weeks ago while going home. I got it to KTM raceworx, since it's the dealer that I bought the bike from I thought it'd be best to take it there.

The bike isn't even 2 years old yet. Its about 1 year and six months and should still be under warranty. I'm a bit upset because a rear shock shouldn't just spill it's juices out like that with less than 2 years of use. I assumed it would be covered under warranty.... I thought wrong, I've been told that it falls under wear and tear so the "refurbishment" will be at my cost.

I assume its going to be between R1.5k - R2k for them to "fix" it. My issue being that if its faulty then its just going to break again in the future?

I love the bike a lot, I really do. But is it going to be worth it? I've already looked at alternative replacements, the GSX-S1000, BMW S1000R and even a BMW R1200RS. None of them are going to replace the performance and characteristics of the KTM but I know the dealers will a bit more "honest" to their warranties if something legitimately goes wrong while under warranty.

Maybe I'm thinking about it completely wrong and it is just bad luck and it shouldn't be under warranty?

I dunno, what do you guys think?
Get rid of KTM and never touch them again?
Maybe it's just bad luck and all will be fine afterwards?
 
Hey guys and gurls.

My bike's rear shock broke all its seals two weeks ago while going home. I got it to KTM raceworx, since it's the dealer that I bought the bike from I thought it'd be best to take it there.

The bike isn't even 2 years old yet. Its about 1 year and six months and should still be under warranty. I'm a bit upset because a rear shock shouldn't just spill it's juices out like that with less than 2 years of use. I assumed it would be covered under warranty.... I thought wrong, I've been told that it falls under wear and tear so the "refurbishment" will be at my cost.

I assume its going to be between R1.5k - R2k for them to "fix" it. My issue being that if its faulty then its just going to break again in the future?

I love the bike a lot, I really do. But is it going to be worth it? I've already looked at alternative replacements, the GSX-S1000, BMW S1000R and even a BMW R1200RS. None of them are going to replace the performance and characteristics of the KTM but I know the dealers will a bit more "honest" to their warranties if something legitimately goes wrong while under warranty.

Maybe I'm thinking about it completely wrong and it is just bad luck and it shouldn't be under warranty?

I dunno, what do you guys think?
Get rid of KTM and never touch them again?
Maybe it's just bad luck and all will be fine afterwards?

Assumption is the mother of f-ups.

Confirm the cost of the refurbishment.
 
Assumption is the mother of f-ups.

Confirm the cost of the refurbishment.
lol

R600-R800 rand for the parts(which they have confirmed) + what ever the oil costs + 2 hours labor at R400 per hour or what ever their rate is

Going to look at selling it once I get it back, This issue should have been repaired or replaced under warranty. They calling it wear and tear, yet my mother's BMW S1000XR got its clutch cable replaced under warranty when it snapped(could also technically be considered wear and tear by KTM's logic).
I was at a BMW dealership giving my mother a lift back from dropping her bike off for a service and spoke to their sales dude.
He showed me the BMW warranty terms and conditions. Basically if I don't crash it,intentional damage to the bike and if its not tyres,fluids(Engine oil, brake fluid etc) or brake pads then it's covered under warranty.

And after all the "crap" I have given my mother for buying the famous OMB brand, they have sorted her bike out every time no questions asked, soo it's a good chance I'm going to look at getting a S1000R/S1000RR or R1250RS(Probably not this one, it's still a boxer engine.)
And their services are cheap, R3k for a service on a S1000XR.
 
Yeah KTM is very expensive on maintenance, so is Ducati and triumph.
BMW bike services are cheap, which is weird considering their cars cost a lot to service compared to other cars.
 
I havent found them to be very expensive... I recently serviced my bike on my own and bought the parts from them .Oil i got Motul .

I have found is that some of the dealers are friendly and willing to help and others arent.
I buy my parts from Fast KTM In Alberton
 
Can most definitely be a wear and tear item. Only takes a piece of grit to get into a seal to cause a leak thus needing a rebuild. It is extremely rare however it has seen two year of use.

I have owned a KTM 1190 Adenture R since 2015. I have put 73000 km on it thus far and have yet to have anything go wrong on it at all.

Think switching a brand due to one bad experience is a bit extreme especially a R2000 bad experience. Each to his own.
 
I have to agree with DeaJaeVoo switching brands over a 2K job is extreme, It happens with all brands.
Had a few bikes and each have their own issues, personally id be glad that in that time only a fix of 2K is required, been in situations with other brands where its been far more in shorter times.

Fix it, and ride it.
 
*edit ... Rear shock is weird... my Daytona's rear shock was toast after like 4/5 years... but mostly because I weigh too much. lol

I know someone who has had a terrible experience with BMW.
So you may or may not have a better experience if you change brands.
 
Can most definitely be a wear and tear item. Only takes a piece of grit to get into a seal to cause a leak thus needing a rebuild. It is extremely rare however it has seen two year of use.

I have owned a KTM 1190 Adenture R since 2015. I have put 73000 km on it thus far and have yet to have anything go wrong on it at all.

Think switching a brand due to one bad experience is a bit extreme especially a R2000 bad experience. Each to his own.

Its not over R2K
The service will cost close to R5k if not more which I expected and was willing to do. Soo far the running costs have been a bit higher than say my previous Honda CB1000R. It's probably the way I ride but I've gone through two rear tyres and on my third set of brake pads.
The money isn't the issue, The fact they immediately dismissed it as wear and tear after less than two years, You could argue that a piece of grit can get in there and ruin it all etc but friends,family and random people I know have had similar "wear and tear" problems, mainly with their front forks,brakes,clutch which were covered under warranty. The brands they had were Honda,Suzuki,BMW,Ducati and Triumph. Iv'e heard some bad news regarding Yamaha and Kawasaki's warranties.

Any way, My problem is that I really think this should be covered by warranty as I have never heard of suspension failure within the warranty period being brushed off as "wear and tear"

Funnily enough KTM headquarters doesn't particularly care either. i inquired with them if it really does count as wear and tear and the pretty generic response I got was "Please go to your nearest dealer" crap... soo much for a customer support.

I did see that thepridge said that changing brands might not make a difference. If you go to a restaurant and the service is crap, most likely you won't go back to that restaurant, Soo far my mother's BMW has been flawless, cost her R3k for the service and the one time it gave her a issue when the clutch cable snapped, it was replaced under warranty. The staff have been friendly, willing and have gone the extra mile in selling the bike to her, maintaining it and generally trying hard and successfully keeping her as a customer. They put a rear tyre (pilot road 5) on her bike a month or so ago for R1800 including fitting and balancing.... Thats a brand spanking new pilot road 5 190/55/17. I was soo jealous.
 
Its not over R2K
The service will cost close to R5k if not more which I expected and was willing to do. Soo far the running costs have been a bit higher than say my previous Honda CB1000R. It's probably the way I ride but I've gone through two rear tyres and on my third set of brake pads.
The money isn't the issue, The fact they immediately dismissed it as wear and tear after less than two years, You could argue that a piece of grit can get in there and ruin it all etc but friends,family and random people I know have had similar "wear and tear" problems, mainly with their front forks,brakes,clutch which were covered under warranty. The brands they had were Honda,Suzuki,BMW,Ducati and Triumph. Iv'e heard some bad news regarding Yamaha and Kawasaki's warranties.

Any way, My problem is that I really think this should be covered by warranty as I have never heard of suspension failure within the warranty period being brushed off as "wear and tear"

Funnily enough KTM headquarters doesn't particularly care either. i inquired with them if it really does count as wear and tear and the pretty generic response I got was "Please go to your nearest dealer" crap... soo much for a customer support.

I did see that thepridge said that changing brands might not make a difference. If you go to a restaurant and the service is crap, most likely you won't go back to that restaurant, Soo far my mother's BMW has been flawless, cost her R3k for the service and the one time it gave her a issue when the clutch cable snapped, it was replaced under warranty. The staff have been friendly, willing and have gone the extra mile in selling the bike to her, maintaining it and generally trying hard and successfully keeping her as a customer. They put a rear tyre (pilot road 5) on her bike a month or so ago for R1800 including fitting and balancing.... Thats a brand spanking new pilot road 5 190/55/17. I was soo jealous.

The point I was making is that for every good experience you know of I can find multiple bad ones for any brand.
That is SA.
It is sad and annoying yes.

If you like the brand, try a different dealer... if you are not fussed about the brand then by all means, switch.
 
The point I was making is that for every good experience you know of I can find multiple bad ones for any brand.
That is SA.
It is sad and annoying yes.

If you like the brand, try a different dealer... if you are not fussed about the brand then by all means, switch.

I understand what you're saying. Individual people can be lucky or unlucky with the brand they have decided on. I had a citroen, everyone warned me about it yet I haven't really had any truly major issues with it. A friend bought a legendary Toyota and sold it after a few months of owning it, hell even my wife had a dud of a Toyota that we got rid of quite a few years ago because of the endless issues it was giving us.

Difference being, if I say "my KTM is in for repairs" people respond with "KTM's need a ATM nearby" as someone already mentioned earlier or they don't seem surprised at all.
I haven't really seen that with a brand new Honda, suzuki etc.
 
Don't mean to derail the thread, but im looking at buying a bike,and reading this makes me avoid KTM. What would be the Toyota of bikes? I want something similar to a CBR 600RR/ Kawa Z800/Z1000. Leaning towards the Kawa's
 
Don't mean to derail the thread, but im looking at buying a bike,and reading this makes me avoid KTM. What would be the Toyota of bikes? I want something similar to a CBR 600RR/ Kawa Z800/Z1000. Leaning towards the Kawa's


Dont get more reliable than that.
 
lol

R600-R800 rand for the parts(which they have confirmed) + what ever the oil costs + 2 hours labor at R400 per hour or what ever their rate is

Going to look at selling it once I get it back, This issue should have been repaired or replaced under warranty. They calling it wear and tear, yet my mother's BMW S1000XR got its clutch cable replaced under warranty when it snapped(could also technically be considered wear and tear by KTM's logic).
I was at a BMW dealership giving my mother a lift back from dropping her bike off for a service and spoke to their sales dude.
He showed me the BMW warranty terms and conditions. Basically if I don't crash it,intentional damage to the bike and if its not tyres,fluids(Engine oil, brake fluid etc) or brake pads then it's covered under warranty.

And after all the "crap" I have given my mother for buying the famous OMB brand, they have sorted her bike out every time no questions asked, soo it's a good chance I'm going to look at getting a S1000R/S1000RR or R1250RS(Probably not this one, it's still a boxer engine.)
And their services are cheap, R3k for a service on a S1000XR.

How much is the valve clearance service on the XR? You'll look at R7k for that service. Your logic is a bit flawed dude.

I'd stick with the KTM or FIU has the naked Busa which has a history of carrying fat people around so you know your shocks will last

Also, @thePridge that guy with BMW problems brought it on himself Not really but I like ragging on him.
 
This has always been my perception of KTM that the bikes are ever so slightly less reliable and then further less down by the dealer support.

I thought it was more specifically a KTM Cape Town problem, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

The main reason I've never bought one after almost pulling a trigger on the Superduke when it first came out and going for a Buell instead.
 
How much is the valve clearance service on the XR? You'll look at R7k for that service. Your logic is a bit flawed dude.

I'd stick with the KTM or FIU has the naked Busa which has a history of carrying fat people around so you know your shocks will last

Also, @thePridge that guy with BMW problems brought it on himself Not really but I like ragging on him.

Are you stating that factually or guessing?

Is it simply that the I-4 is harder to get to? The entire valve check service for the boxer models is <R4000.
 
And after all the "crap" I have given my mother for buying the famous OMB brand, they have sorted her bike out every time no questions asked, soo it's a good chance I'm going to look at getting a S1000R/S1000RR or R1250RS(Probably not this one, it's still a boxer engine.)
And their services are cheap, R3k for a service on a S1000XR.

And they look after you even out of warranty if you brought it to them for all servicing etc.

My quickshifter was replaced well out of warranty period of the bike and somewhere in the next 2000-3000km I'm taking it in for them to have a free courtesy look at the drive shaft due to having a failure here and there at higher mileage on other bikes.

Of course when they do this I get a courtesy bike for the day and it's no issue for me at all.

Changing brands does make a massive difference.
 
How much is the valve clearance service on the XR? You'll look at R7k for that service. Your logic is a bit flawed dude.

I'd stick with the KTM or FIU has the naked Busa which has a history of carrying fat people around so you know your shocks will last

Also, @thePridge that guy with BMW problems brought it on himself Not really but I like ragging on him.
How would my logic be flawed?
I was comparing basic service costs between the two. Valve clearence service was R8k for the Honda I owned.
Basic service cost so far for the KTM is already at R4500 and will still increase as they are still waiting for parts to arrive, this is excluding the rear shock rebuild/service. I don't have a issue with the price of servicing. I expected it to cost a bit more. What I didn't expect was for the rear shock to just suddenly piss its oil all over the bottom rear of my bike. This wasn't a gradual leak or a leak that it existed. I stopped and there was a crap ton of smoke coming from the engine, more than enough smoke to make a vaper jealous. It literally dumped its oil over the back of the engine in less than a minute.
 
Don't mean to derail the thread, but im looking at buying a bike,and reading this makes me avoid KTM. What would be the Toyota of bikes? I want something similar to a CBR 600RR/ Kawa Z800/Z1000. Leaning towards the Kawa's
Personal experience? Suzuki, Honda, kawasaki or yamaha would probably be the most reliable. Best Service I'd have to give to suzuki and honda. I've never owned a kawa so I don't know about them too much, my mother had a GTR1400 and she didn't really have issues with service. Yamaha on the other hand she has had plenty of warranty, recall, service issues. They all got sorted out at the end but she had to fight a bit for it.
 
And they look after you even out of warranty if you brought it to them for all servicing etc.

My quickshifter was replaced well out of warranty period of the bike and somewhere in the next 2000-3000km I'm taking it in for them to have a free courtesy look at the drive shaft due to having a failure here and there at higher mileage on other bikes.

Of course when they do this I get a courtesy bike for the day and it's no issue for me at all.

Changing brands does make a massive difference.
Yea, they offered my mother a courtesy bike when she took her bike in for a service a few weeks ago. She refused because all they had was a F650, all the other bikes were already loaned out. Instead she used my sister's CB1000R though she still complained about it xD. Funny enough they actually offered to take a look at the Honda once she told them about the two small issues with the bike and trye/brake replacements. Soo the Honda is currently sitting at BMW lol.
 
Are you stating that factually or guessing?

Is it simply that the I-4 is harder to get to? The entire valve check service for the boxer models is <R4000.
Correk. You have to strip that bad boy down. I paid R1000 for plugs alone. but the bulk of the job is labour.
 
My experience with vehicle warranties is that if it's going to break, it's not under warranty, and they will damn well find a way to make sure it doesn't get fixed under warranty. I had a Hyundai i20, with 35k km on the clock, 3 years old and well within it's warranty get a locked up rear brake caliper. Took it in. Nope, no warranty, because the caliper rusted in place. "How", I ask. "It seems a seal in the caliper burst and leaked all the oil and grease out, resulting in it drying out and rusting shut". I say "Ok, calipers are covered, aren't they?" They go "Yeah, but rust damage is specifically excluded." Screwed.
 
Yea, they offered my mother a courtesy bike when she took her bike in for a service a few weeks ago. She refused because all they had was a F650, all the other bikes were already loaned out. Instead she used my sister's CB1000R though she still complained about it xD. Funny enough they actually offered to take a look at the Honda once she told them about the two small issues with the bike and trye/brake replacements. Soo the Honda is currently sitting at BMW lol.

Why are people so full of kak about FREE bikes to ride around for a day?

It’s simply about making it convenient so you don’t have sit without transport or take an Uber or any of that.

Not meant to be your own bike for a day. Not even the exact same model is that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Why are people so full of kak about FREE bikes to ride around for a day?

It’s simply about making it convenient so you don’t have sit without transport or take an Uber or any of that.

Not meant to be your own bike for a day. Not even the exact same model is that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
I know right, I criticised her for refusing it in front of them in an attempt to make her feel a bit bad but she didn't care. She's at that ripe old age of caring very little about things like that.
 
My experience with vehicle warranties is that if it's going to break, it's not under warranty, and they will damn well find a way to make sure it doesn't get fixed under warranty. I had a Hyundai i20, with 35k km on the clock, 3 years old and well within it's warranty get a locked up rear brake caliper. Took it in. Nope, no warranty, because the caliper rusted in place. "How", I ask. "It seems a seal in the caliper burst and leaked all the oil and grease out, resulting in it drying out and rusting shut". I say "Ok, calipers are covered, aren't they?" They go "Yeah, but rust damage is specifically excluded." Screwed.

I hate to say it but a Hyundai remains a Hyundai for exactly that reason.

You don't find that kind of kak amongst the likes of BMW/Mercedes/Audi and other more premium brands.

Also, wouldn't that i20 have drum brakes at the back?
 
@D3TTOL ,

Please give Trax in Pretoria East a call and find out from Jeff or Riaan what they would've quoted and what warranty implications there are regarding your rear shock?

KTM ownership will be more expensive. Just a market fact. Comparing all the numbers, the general case is that it works out to more than other performance brands. You bought a Ready To Race product, and that comes at a cost. What premium you are willing to pay for that will be different from person to person.

I have a KTM 300, and will probably finally upgrade my 2015 carby model end of the year to a fuel injection 300 TPI. It's expensive, there are much cheaper options, but I LOVE this machine and what it does. I will keep on paying that ready to race premium.

edit; I realise that the competition is lot tougher in the roadies market, considering everyone makes awesome bikes. But the offroads, you choose KTM for how far ahead they are and how the bike compare to others.
 
Last edited:
Can't speak on the warranty, but what I can say is that a lot of shops don't work on rear shocks themselves. They often send it out to specialists. Almost everything else except the rear shock they'd do themselves in house.
That may be part of the reason they are making a reason to not give warranty cover.
My shock rebuild was closer to 3k on my 2014 KTM 300 XCW
 
Bmw after sales service is much better imho.... If I owned the KTM dealership I would at least offer to cover the labour...I have experience BMW breakdown services come to storms river, take the bike to George get them to open the dealership on a public holiday and replace the fuel pump. I've been riding and racing bikes all my life and have never had a rear shock failure...front fork seal yes but never rear shocks. When I bought my first new BMW I was told that any major failures on the bike that were not rider abuse or wear and tear that occurred out of warranty, that BMW would cover up to half the cost of the repair.... Unfortunately (as much as I love them) KTM is short for Kak To Maintain...
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom