2023 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 2023 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
- Fuel system233.3%
- Brakes116.7%
- Electrical116.7%
- Engine116.7%
- Powertrain (other)116.7%
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
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
Under moderate ambient air temperatures of 75-80F the gas tank gets pressurized and if opened when more than a gallon remains this pressure causes fuel to spray out of the gas tank.
The motorcycle is just over 1 year old. Has less than 1300 miles on it. The bike does not start, the manufacture is not helping the dealership work on the problem. The motorcycle has been with the dealership for more than 3 months at this point. As an adventure motorcycle, a no start problem or if the bike shuts down while riding this could be a dangerous potentially deadly situation. There is also a known issue with the cam shafts failing at low mileage also. There is an active forum and Facebook pages with thousands of members world wide that are experiencing major defects on this model with no response from the manufacture. It is one of the most expensive motorcycles in this style and it is also one of the most unreliable. Please reach out if you have any further questions or need more details to push forward. I would like the manufacture to be held accountable for their shortcomings and potentially life threatening decisions made at the expense of their customers.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
Brake light is not activated by front brake unless extreme pressure is applied to lever.
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 motorcycle is just over 1 year old. Has less than 1300 miles on it. The bike does not start, the manufacture is not helping the dealership work on the problem. The motorcycle has been with the dealership for more than 3 months at this point. As an adventure motorcycle, a no start problem or if the bike shuts down while riding this could be a dangerous potentially deadly situation. There is also a known issue with the cam shafts failing at low mileage also. There is an active forum and Facebook pages with thousands of members world wide that are experiencing major defects on this model with no response from the manufacture. It is one of the most expensive motorcycles in this style and it is also one of the most unreliable. Please reach out if you have any further questions or need more details to push forward. I would like the manufacture to be held accountable for their shortcomings and potentially life threatening decisions made at the expense of their customers.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
The motorcycle is just over 1 year old. Has less than 1300 miles on it. The bike does not start, the manufacture is not helping the dealership work on the problem. The motorcycle has been with the dealership for more than 3 months at this point. As an adventure motorcycle, a no start problem or if the bike shuts down while riding this could be a dangerous potentially deadly situation. There is also a known issue with the cam shafts failing at low mileage also. There is an active forum and Facebook pages with thousands of members world wide that are experiencing major defects on this model with no response from the manufacture. It is one of the most expensive motorcycles in this style and it is also one of the most unreliable. Please reach out if you have any further questions or need more details to push forward. I would like the manufacture to be held accountable for their shortcomings and potentially life threatening decisions made at the expense of their customers.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
The bolt that holds the swingarm to the motorcycle fell off. The shaft vibrated out partially and half of the swingarm came loose which cause the rear wheel to be misaligned so the bike went down the road 'sideways'. On the forums and facebook groups, this is a common issue among owners of this model of motorcycle and it's predecessor (KTM790). Apparently, the manufacturer does NOT torque the bolts properly and apply loctite. In 40+ years of riding dozens of motorcycle, I've never had this critically important bolt fall off. This is regularly happening to owners of this model of KTM 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 .