2020 KTM 790 Adventure 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 2020 KTM 790 Adventure 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
- Brakes466.7%
- Electrical116.7%
- Fuel system116.7%
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
Rear brakes: the line that leads from the fluid reservoir to the master cylinder has popped out twice (the 90degree fitting at the master cylinder) resulting in a loss of rear brake use.
FRONT BRAKE LOCKED UP ON ITS OWN WHILE TRAVELLING AT 50MPH ON PAVEMENT. HAD BEEN RIDING 10 MINUTES, HAD USED THE FRONT BRAKE VERY LITTLE PRIOR TO IT LOCKING UP. TO GET THE BRAKE TO RELEASE, I HELD PRESSURE ON THE FRONT BRAKE LEVER AND OPENED THE BRAKE CALIPER BLEED NIPPLE TO RELEASE BRAKE FLUID.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE TFT DASHBOARD HAS A HISTORY OF GOING BLANK WHILE RIDING. I.E. THE SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, WARNING LIGHTS, GEAR INDICATOR, TRACTION CONTROL INDICATOR, RIDER MODE ETC HAVE DISAPPEARED WHILE RIDING. IF YOU CYCLE THE BIKE DOWN BY TURNING THE IGNITION KEY TO THE OFF SETTING AND THEN RESTARTING THE BIKE IT RESETS THE TFT DISPLAY, BUT CAN AND HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY. THIS OBVIOUSLY IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IS DOCUMENTED ON YOUTUBE FOR VARIOUS KTM MODELS AND YEAR. THIS FIRST OCCURRED ON MY BIKE AUGUST 5TH OF 2020. IT OCCURRED TWICE THAT DAY AND AGAIN AT A LATER DATE. POSSIBLY A CAUSATION OF THE ABOVE OR A SECOND INDEPENDENT FAILURE IS THAT THE TFT DISPLAY FORMS CONDENSATE ON THE INSIDE OF THE GLASS WHEN CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT. THIS SUBSEQUENTLY INTRODUCES MOISTURE INTO A HIGHLY SENSITIVE ELECTRICAL DEVICE, WHICH COULD CAUSE FAILURES. THE CONDENSATE HAS BEEN BAD ENOUGH TO OBSCURE IMPORTANT DASH DATA WHILE RIDING. I BELIEVE THE CONDENSATE FIRST FORMED IN MARCH OF 2020 AND HAS REPEATEDLY DONE SO EVEN AFTER NEW DASHES WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. I INCLUDED PICTURES OF BOTH ISSUES AND CIRCLED THE AREAS OF CONDENSATION AS WELL AS THE BLANK DISPLAY WHILE DRIVING. THE TFT GOING BLANK HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED (55-75MPH) ON PAVED ROADS, NICE WEATHER BUT SUNNY. THE TFT CONDENSING HAPPENS AFTER THE BIKE HAS SAT, LIKE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. IT SEEMINGLY OCCURS IN THE SPRING AND FALL WHEN TFT DISPLAY CAN GET HOT ENOUGH COMPARED TO THE AMBIENT OUTSIDE TEMP. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAPPED IN THE SUMMER WHEN THE TEMPS OF THE TFT DISPLAY AND THE OUTSIDE ARE SIMILAR. IT ALSO DOESN'T SEEM TO HAPPEN IN THE WINTER AS OF YET, PERHAPS BECAUSE THE COLD AMBIENT TEMPS KEEP THE TFT COOL ENOUGH. THIS ISSUE OCCURS BECAUSE OF AIR TEMP CONDITIONS RATHER THAN ROAD CONDITIONS. THE TFT DISPLAY HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH OEM 2 TIMES ALREADY.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE FUEL TANK IS NOT VENTING PROPERLY AND GAS SPRAYED INTO MY EYES AND UPPER BODY WHEN I CHECKED TO SEE WHAT CAUSED A VERY HIGH PITCH WHINE WHILE STOPPED AFTER RIDING FOR ONE HOUR. *TR
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 .