this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2023
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KTM reliability - real world experience needed (self.motorcycles)
submitted 1 year ago by ominouslemon to c/motorcycles
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I currently own a Honda CB500F. I love it, but I'm kinda tall (188 cm, i.e. 6'2") and I'm looking for a bike (naked, preferably) that fits me better.

Today I went to a dealership and sat on a 2023 KTM 790 Duke. The ergos seem p e r f e c t for me. The price is also a pretty nice plus.

Having said that, I'm hesitant to pull the trigger. The 2023 model is built by CF Moto in China, and KTM never had a good reputation to begin with, when it comes to reliability.

I'm looking for some real-world experience. Do you own a KTM? Maybe even a 790 Duke? What's your experience with it? I can't seem to find a definitive answer about it. Lots of anecdotes, but I can't understand if reliability problems are an actual trend.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I have a 2008 690 (650cc) Duke. It's had countless owners and god knowns which parts on it are actually original. It has about 70k km on the odometer (assuming it's the original one and it was always fitted and connected). I've had it for about 6 or 7 years now I think.

Things which have been a problem:

  • Clutches are consumables. They seem to last about 20k km for me. They're not expensive or difficult to replace yourself. The feel on them is fantastic though so I'll happily replace the plates if that's the trade off. I don't want to go back to a bike with a cable clutch.
  • The cam chain tensioner. I replaced the hydraulic one with a manual one a while back.
  • The muffler. This is not a KTM fault, a previous owner replaced the OEM with a cheap aftermarket can and it's shit and constantly needs repacking and rivets replaced.
  • The single front disc on the front is prone to "warping" where it builds up material in one spot and pulses at slow speed. I replaced it once and the new one started doing the same thing after a short time so now I just deal with it. The same thing happened on my previous bike with a single front disc.
  • The fuel mapping has been played with, and in combination with the supermarket exhaust is not perfect. I've put a standard map on but it's still just ok.

Overall I'm pretty happy with it. I often look at upgrading but all I really want is the same thing but maybe a bit faster.

[–] ominouslemon 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So what I'm extrapolating from your comment is that there are problems, but they arise after a significant mileage, I guess. I'm tempted...

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

They are performance bikes, so there's a trade off between performance and longevity of parts. But, most of the problems I've had have been because of aftermarket parts or changes that previous owners made.