NHTSA Complaint #11578500 — 2020 KTM 790 ADVENTURE

At approximately 14,700 Miles, the motor on the bike shut off abruptly while riding at 60 mph down the road while negotiating a blind curve. The vehicle was catastrophically disabled with no warning sounds, lights, or codes and left me stranded in an area with limited cell reception and in a blind spot for approaching vehicles with no shoulder to safely park on. The bike had not yet seen its first scheduled maintenance interval (manufacturer recommends 18,000 miles) and had received multiple oil changes well before scheduled intervals. No aftermarket modifications were done to the engine, air, fuel or other pertinent systems. Upon disassembling the motor for inspection, there was substantial catastrophic damage to the cam shafts and cam followers. It was concluded by a BMW certified master mechanic that the failure was due to premature wear of the cam followers and cam lobes. The cam follower broke in the motor causing a jump in timing and ejection of valve shims. The force of the malfunction was severe enough to spin a cam lobe 90 degrees out of position on the shaft, bend valves, and other damage. Upon inspecting the air box and oil jets, these components appear in good form and do not appear to have contributed to this malfunction. Upon contacting KTM, I was denied any assistance and have had to facilitate these repairs on my own out of pocket expense (approximately 2500 dollars so far). KTM also denies accountability for what appears to be a design or parts flaw that has been happening to other motorcycles manufactured between 2020 and 2023.