My turn...engine failure @ 1711 miles.

[reenmachine]

Had just pulled off the track yesterday where everything had been running perfectly for several sessions. Idled through the pits and when I pulled the clutch in to coast into my garage space the engine quit. No unusual noise or anything, it just died. I fired it up and there's a loud internal metallic rattle. It really sounds like a cam chain tensioner or something but it could be anything. I haven't had a chance to investigate yet. The engine starts just as quickly as ever and idles smoothly, there's just the loud rattle.

Ideas?

1711 miles, 19 days past warranty...

 

[simpletty]

sounds like somethings let go for sure. Let us know what you find. I just don't get it, I'll say it again and for those of you who disagree with me your turn is coming maybe later but it is. How can KTM make a bike that breaks so damn much....it really chaps my ass. Major fail

drop your oil and check the screens. If it's really full of metallic flake and lots of stuff in the screens I would be doing a complete tear down. It could be a number of any parts that failed.

 

[stevieboy]

I hate ass-chapping!

 

[reenmachine]

droop your oil and check the screens. If it's really full of metallic flake and lots of stuff in the screens I would be doing a complete tear down. It could be a number of any parts that failed.

Yep, that's the first thing I'm planning to do. Unfortunately, I'm about to leave town for a couple weeks so I won't be able to satisfy my curiosity for a while.

 

[simpletty]

noise go away when you pull in the clutch? goes into gear fine? I've seen pics of cam delamination, but I am sure that might cause other issues, rough running ect...

 

[Formula390]

It could be so many things. From cam chain tension to clutch basket. I certainly wouldn't run it while it's doing that until I had opportunity to investigate. If it were ME, I'd drop it off at the dealer and nicely explain that warranty coverage is STILL expected.

 

[Diploman]

The fact that your engine quit when you pulled in the clutch may provide a clue to what happened. Given that the engine starts and runs normally - the rattle excepted - suggests that the power unit may be intact and the failure likely is somewhere else in the power train: ie the clutch. When the 390's were first brought to market in 2013 in India, there was a rash of clutch failures caused by loosening of the (left-hand thread) inner hub clutch basket nut, which would loosen and back off. KTM increased the factory torque setting on this nut to 120NM, which seems to have cleared up the issue. But this is still a possibility. Alternatively the clutch tension is provided by five screws holding washers over the springs - if one (or more) of these screws were to loosen and back out then the screw(s), the washer(s) and the spring(s) might be rattling around inside the clutch cover. Or possibly something might have snapped in the clutch operating mechanism. Whatever the loose part, I surmise that it at first jammed, stopping the motor abruptly, then fell free when the rotation ceased. This loose part now rattles around within the clutch cover when the engine starts. You might want to look at section 16, pg 133 of the Duke repair manual. This could be a less catastrophic failure than you might think.

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s225...0 Repair Manual (Full Version - 204pages).pdf

Perhaps the worst aspect of this incident is that it gives Simpletty a pretext to strut his cynical "I told you so" doomsday pessimism. Useless and very tiresome.

 

[unicorn_violence]

Perhaps the worst aspect of this incident is that it gives Simpletty a pretext to strut his cynical "I told you so" doomsday pessimism. Useless and very tiresome.

this made me laugh!

 

[simpletty]

Diploman really? I'm not cynical I'm realistic. Why should 1711 miles be ok for a bike to break down? It's a road bike not a dirt bike, we like to spend hours on these things and we do tend to put on a few hundred miles in a day sometimes. I am tired of people's attitudes that it's ok for stuff to break at low mileage. I hope that it's nothing serious and was trying to help out on the thread. Don't hate because I'm of the opinion these bikes aren't up to quality engine wise. I own one and hey I'll live with what I have I've accepted the fact. Everything breaks eventually dude so I'm not saying the sky is falling. I don't want to derail this thread, sorry reenmachine. I'm actually genuinely interested in finding out what went wrong so if it happened to me I know what it will take to fix it.

Diplomat, buy anew car, drive it for a week, have it break four times in two months. Tell me you would enjoy that and tell everyone to buy that car.

Anyways sorry reenmachine, I agree with Matt. I would drop the oil and inspect the clutch to see if there has something fallen apart there. Or even better like he said drop it off at the dealer and ask them to warranty it.

Good luck and keep us posted!!

 

[Rexbo]

Drop it off with a dealer... see if they'll even ask to repair if its only 19 days past warranty due to low mileage. Worst they can say is no... but KTM has been making some exceptions on accepting warranty claims for things that should be disqualified, like my race bike and Ari's race bike

 

[reenmachine]

Thanks for the input guys -- sounds a bit hopeful perhaps. I'll probably drop it at the dealer and give the warranty a shot but if that doesn't work, in I'll go!

Of course, I'll share my experiences here.

 

[reenmachine]

I dropped it of at the dealer yesterday. The service rep gave me a strong impression that he'd be able to get it warrantied by KTM despite being out of warranty by a couple weeks due to the low miles. It probably has something to do with the huge volume they do with KTM as well. Sounds promising, but I'm super skeptical of course. I'll have an answer in about a week.

 

[tt2013]

I dropped it of at the dealer yesterday. The service rep gave me a strong impression that he'd be able to get it warrantied by KTM despite being out of warranty by a couple weeks due to the low miles. It probably has something to do with the huge volume they do with KTM as well. Sounds promising, but I'm super skeptical of course. I'll have an answer in about a week.

Any update on your bike?

 

[reenmachine]

Any update on your bike?

I just dropped it off Saturday and it'll still be a few days until they can get to it. Believe me, I'll let everyone know what happens as soon as I know.

 

[Rexbo]

Where did you end up taking it?

I think we'll be getting a pretty good census of which KTM dealers in SoCal are helpful in the warranty claim cause

 

[reenmachine]

Where did you end up taking it?

I think we'll be getting a pretty good census of which KTM dealers in SoCal are helpful in the warranty claim cause

I took it to Bert's Mega Mall because that's where I bought the bike, although I've only gotten service done on both my KTMs at KTM Los Angeles which is much closer to where I live. I'm hoping the huge sales volume Bert's does with KTM gives them some pull the smaller guys may not have.

 

[Big_Muncho390]

390 service

I took it to Bert's Mega Mall because that's where I bought the bike, although I've only gotten service done on both my KTMs at KTM Los Angeles which is much closer to where I live. I'm hoping the huge sales volume Bert's does with KTM gives them some pull the smaller guys may not have.

Hey reenmachine, any update on the 390? Unfortunate to have those kinds of problems so soon. Hope it all works out for you!

 

[reenmachine]

Yes! The bike's still there, but I've been moving into a new house and swamped with that so I haven't been on here or even worried about not having the RC around. In fact, I told them to take their time because I don't have time to mess with it right now anyway.

So here's the diagnosis: Stator bolt backed out, causing the bolt head to rub against the flywheel, making the godawful rattling noise. I haven't had a chance to look at the diagrams in the shop manual to see exactly what and where, but that's what they told me. Also, KTM is covering it even though I was a few weeks past warranty. Well, mostly covering it. Parts (new bolts) and labor are covered for the diagnosis and repair. The dealer wants to change the oil/filter/screens, run it for a while, and then change the oil/filter/screens again, and KTM says that's on me, which I'm fine with given the fact they could have denied me altogether.

So, another documented case of bolts backing out, this time a little more serious than a sidestand or whatever.

Honestly, I'm not sure how much longer I'll own the bike. Maybe I'll get back on it and fall in love again, but as of now I'm kind of losing my confidence in the build quality to the point where I may just cut my losses and move on. I was ok with all the little nits to pick -- it's an inexpensive bike after all -- but bolts rattling loose internal to the engine is a bit much and goes on the "should never happen" list.

 

[simpletty]

Yes! The bike's still there, but I've been moving into a new house and swamped with that so I haven't been on here or even worried about not having the RC around. In fact, I told them to take their time because I don't have time to mess with it right now anyway.

So here's the diagnosis: Stator bolt backed out, causing the bolt head to rub against the flywheel, making the godawful rattling noise. I haven't had a chance to look at the diagrams in the shop manual to see exactly what and where, but that's what they told me. Also, KTM is covering it even though I was a few weeks past warranty. Well, mostly covering it. Parts (new bolts) and labor are covered for the diagnosis and repair. The dealer wants to change the oil/filter/screens, run it for a while, and then change the oil/filter/screens again, and KTM says that's on me, which I'm fine with given the fact they could have denied me altogether.

So, another documented case of bolts backing out, this time a little more serious than a sidestand or whatever.

Honestly, I'm not sure how much longer I'll own the bike. Maybe I'll get back on it and fall in love again, but as of now I'm kind of losing my confidence in the build quality to the point where I may just cut my losses and move on. I was ok with all the little nits to pick -- it's an inexpensive bike after all -- but bolts rattling loose internal to the engine is a bit much and goes on the "should never happen" list.

Loose internals is a lawsuit waiting to happen. What if you were cruising at 70mph on the freeway and this thing locked up? All :I could say is disaster. I haven't rode much in the past few weeks, track day this friday. See how that turns out. Hopefully everything holds together

 

[reenmachine]

Loose internals is a lawsuit waiting to happen. What if you were cruising at 70mph on the freeway and this thing locked up? All :I could say is disaster. I haven't rode much in the past few weeks, track day this friday. See how that turns out. Hopefully everything holds together

Yup. I was putting through the parking lot when this happened, but a minute earlier I was WOT on the track. Could have been a very different story.