KTM has issued a safety recall on certain 790 Adventure/R and Rally bikes for a faulty front brake master cylinder. A total of 3,707 bikes are affected by the recall filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This recall follows a separate one issued last year on 790 Adventure models for a rear brake failure.

According to this new defect report, the master cylinder piston return spring may be too weak to return the brake piston to its original position, reducing the functionality of the front brake. The recall was triggered after KTM received 79 reports regarding front brake issues on 790 Adventure models worldwide, prompting an investigation into the components supplied by J.Juan SA. Testing determined that the cause of the failure is due to the preload force of the originally equipped return spring being too low.

What Can Happen

A master cylinder piston with a return spring that does not meet the specified tolerance, will reduce the overall braking system’s effectiveness on the bike. This can increase the distance required to stop as well as the risk of a crash. 

How To Get it Fixed

Owners of affected models are instructed to call their local authorized KTM Dealer as soon as possible to have the repair for recall KTM2106 performed. To remedy this defect, dealers will replace the front brake master cylinder piston return spring with a stronger and larger one free of charge. KTM states that the repair will take approximately 35 minutes however, it may be necessary to leave your motorcycle with the dealer for a longer period of time depending on their work schedule. 

According to the official NHTSA filing, owner notification letters are expected to be mailed by KTM North America on May 21, 2021. You can also contact KTM customer service at 1-888-985-6090 or check your VIN to see if you are affected by the recall at www.nhtsa.gov.