We’ve seen the grumblings online. Some KTM owners of LC8c parallel twin-powered models have complained about excessive camshaft wear, including failures. The majority of reports come from owners of pre-2021 790 models, though there have also been some accounts of damage with later 790 and 890s, as well as the Husqvarna Norden 901.

These riders have been very vocal online, especially within the Facebook group, “KTM Failed Camshafts – 790/890 & 901” which is currently 8.6k members strong and has now curated a substantial amount of owner reports, many that include photos of damage.

The groundswell has become impossible for KTM to ignore as it acknowledged the issue via a social media post, saying firstly, “we would like to extend our apologies to the people who feel affected by the camshaft topic.” The Austrian company went on to assure owners it sees and hears the feedback, “whether it’s online, via our authorized KTM dealer network or simply through community chatter.”

Disgruntled owners have long speculated over causes of the excessive wear, with some believing the problem to be the result of poor quality parts, overly narrow cam followers, or lubrication issues. In respect to this, the Austrian manufacturer says they have already resolved issues that may be contributing factors of this wear behavior by making changes on the manufacturing side, including introducing an additional oil strainer from 2020 on and wider cam followers beginning with 2021 units.

“The camshafts used on the LC8c platform have no inherent defect,” KTM said in an official communication with MCN. “This applies both to the hardness of the camshafts and the width of the finger followers, as well as the sufficient lubrication of these components.” 

For those owners of 2021 and earlier models that show signs of unusual cam wear, the Austrian manufacturer says dealers have been assessing and repairing the cam assemblies free of charge on a case-by-case basis, part of a “goodwill” policy KTM says they implemented specifically for the issue. The program may also extend to owners who have already paid for camshaft replacement as long as prior work conforms with the goodwill policy guidelines. 

Per KTM, it’s been a small number of failures. For example in the UK, MCN, confirmed the Austrian manufacturer has acknowledged 29 failures have occurred within Great Britain, all of which were fixed under warranty. For perspective, KTM stated 55,000 790 Adventures and Dukes were sent to the global market through 2020. 

In the new statement, KTM goes on to explain they have specifically given authorized dealers instructions on how to inspect camshafts on 2018-2020 790s when an owner reports an issue. KTM says investigations have shown the majority of these bikes have been found not to have suffered physically damaging wear, but instead are showing benign discoloration or “running marks that have formed on the running surface of the cams or the bearing points of the shafts,” which can be removed by cleaning. “The overall quality and integrity of the camshaft itself is not the problem,” reads the statement. 

For some, the virtual firestorm created online seems to have done as much damage as having an actual mechanical problem, with some members of the very active Facebook group reporting they have sold their potentially affected models or changed their plans to buy a bike in the current LC8c range. 

MCN, which recently reported on the topic, highlighted a case of a Senior Technical Officer at the University of Queensland who had experienced cam failure on his 790. As an engineer he inspected his own camshaft, performing a Rockwell arc flash analysis, which measures the hardness of material, and reported the carbon content was lower than he would’ve expected, insinuating the camshaft itself could be the culprit.

KTM responded saying it does not have the personal investigation results from this particular test so could not comment on them, and went on to assure that all KTM products are fully tested during development and carefully monitored after sale on the market.

In another case presented by MCN, Austrian motorcycle engineering and analysis company, Coober GmbH, which provides laboratory services for engine development as a main offering, shared images online of a 2023 890 engine presenting what appears to be excessive wear on the cam lobes. 

It’s stories such as these that are causing so much discontent among LC8c model owners around the world, fueling an online firestorm that has prompted KTM to respond.

When asked by MCN if KTM is considering a recall on any of the LC8c models it responded by saying the small number of complaints will still be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, adding that the situation does not constitute a safety risk for customers.

In the event you experience a camshaft related issue, which presents with symptoms such as poor starting behavior, clearly audible, unusual running noises from the engine and noticeably reduced engine power, KTM encourages owners to visit an authorized dealer for an inspection. 

The statement ended with further apology for any “inconvenience or hassle” customers have experienced. 

Photos by KTM

Author: Jamie Elvidge

Jamie has been a motorcycle journalist for more than 30 years, testing the entire range of bikes for the major print magazines and specializing in adventure-travel related stories. To date she’s written and supplied photography for articles describing what it’s like to ride in all 50 states and 43 foreign countries, receiving two Lowell Thomas Society of American Travel Writer’s Awards along the way. Her most-challenging adventure yet has been riding in the 2018 GS Trophy in Mongolia as Team AusAmerica’s embedded journalist.