2018 KTM 1290 Super Duke R Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2018 KTM 1290 Super Duke R, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes2100.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R. WHILE RIDING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE MOTORCYCLE SHOOK AND VIBRATED. THE FAILURE BECAME MORE SEVERE AS THE SPEED INCREASED. THE MOTORCYCLE WAS TAKEN TO GOLD COAST MOTOR SPORTS (2070 JERICHO TURNPIKE, NEW HIGHLAND PARK, NY) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TWO FRONT BRAKE DISCS WERE WARPED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,102.
FRONT BRAKES ARE INCONSISTENT / GRABBY AT SLOW SPEEDS. <10MPH THEY MAKE A RUBBING NOISE/FEEL AND THE LEVER IS ON/OFF IN LIEU OF PROGRESSIVE AS YOU'D EXPECT. FRONT WHEEL CAN (AND DID) LOCK UP IN PARKING LOT MANEUVERS AND CAUSE A TIP OVER (I SAVED IT). I BELIEVE THE CAUSE IS A MFG DEFECT WITH TOLERANCES FOR FRONT RIM AND CAUSES ROTORS TO WARP. HAS HAPPENED SINCE NEW AND CAN BE CONFIRMED BY PUSHING THE BIKE AROUND (UNMOUNTED) AND YOU CAN FEEL THE RUBBING / NOISE. DEALER CLAIMED NORMAL BEHAVIOR BUT WARPED DISCS DO NOT SUPPORT QUALITY/CONSISTENT BRAKING ON A MOTORCYCLE, ESPECIALLY A HIGH PERFORMANCE MOTORCYCLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .