KTM Bust

I can't help remembering that wild cams impose even wilder acceleration loads on the cam-to-follower interface. Add marginal lube on starting an OHC, and an initial pick-up fret is easy...

The peak loads are much worse with rocker followers, and it took GM years to get the J-series in all the 80's Astra and Cavaliers sorted, which ISTR needed a new plasma process inventing to remelt the cam surface.
Did Ford even get the Cortina era pinto right? (nominally attributed to slow oil feed)
These weren't light engines that can be revved hard from cold, either...
 
Ducati had rocker flaking problems on 888 996,916,S4 ,748 and several early 4 valve models it was due to poor hard Chroming and wrong metal ,, but they owned up to it and quickly did solve it by replacing them with better materials and a better way of hard chroming ,,,I have an 2001 S4 and its rockers crumbled after 3600 miles back in 2005 , I replaced mine with upgraded ones and now 18 years and 56,000 miles later they are still perfect its been all over South East Asia ....
 
Perhaps the Chinese factory that produces the faulty KTM motors under licence just happens to have a warehouse or two full of engines that have been re-engineered, ready to fit in the KTM's they will produce when they have bought the name for a couple of quid ?
 
From F/B

KTM drops MV Agusta “which is no longer considered a strategic asset”
On December 9, 2024, MV Agusta’s future took a dramatic turn as KTM officially announced that the iconic Italian motorcycle brand would no longer be considered a "strategic asset." At a critical meeting held at Confindustria Varese, unions and KTM representatives charted a path for MV Agusta’s return to fully independent management, marking a transformative moment for the company.
This decision initiates a comprehensive reorganization, with production operations shifting entirely back to the historic Varese plant. The transition is set to be completed by the end of March 2025, within a 90-day timeframe. While the move aims to streamline costs, overall expenditure remains substantial.
Despite these challenges, MV Agusta is embracing this period as an opportunity for renewal. The company plans to focus on selling remaining stock in Austria during early 2025 and launch production of three new motorcycles starting mid-March. Avoiding unnecessary stockpiling, MV Agusta aims for accelerated growth, targeting sustainable stability by the end of 2027.
On the employment front, an 80% solidarity plan will be implemented alongside a voluntary departure program. Although economic constraints prevent bonuses for early departures, executive salaries will be the first to face budget cuts if necessary. The company also assured employees that the thirteenth-month salary payment remains unaffected.
MV Agusta’s management is determined to address past missteps, prioritizing training and development to fortify its independence and drive innovation. This delicate transition, supported by unions and employee commitment, sets the stage for a bold new era.
With agility, determination, and a focus on innovation, MV Agusta seeks to reclaim its position among the titans of motorcycling. The road ahead may be challenging, but the historic Italian brand is ready to rise again.
 
MV eed to fix their quality issues and dealer support but the bikes are well engineered ,,

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MV Agusta are one of those odd aspirational brands with plenty of race history but pretty much everyone knows you'd likely just end up with a beautiful expensive non running ornament at some point....with little hope of getting it sorted. Shame really...the F4 was possibly the most beautiful bike ever made...IMHO
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KTM has also announced they are stopping production of 790 and 890 models until at least March 2025 due to excess inventory also production of 390 models in India will be scaled back until March 2025 in view of falling sales . Big V twins slow rate production will continue and be reviewed in March 2025 However parts and services providers are demanding payment up front before delivery .

German and Austrian and EU are looking at possible criminal charges for Stefan Pierer and other senior management over the financials of KTM and Pierer group .
 

Christmas Wage Woe for KTM Employees

Reports from Austria suggest that some KTM employees may not be receiving their wages in time for Christmas, as was previously promised
www.visordown.com www.visordown.com


Also the Camshaft oiling woes are spreading now to KTM 890 models and CF Moto and KOVE models using LC8 engines as its not a manufacturing problem but a fundamental design flaw by KTM when they engineered the original 790 LC8 engine platform ... many customers are also reporting that even after KTM have rebuilt their engines with new parts under warranty they soon fail again .
 
Just announced In Austrian and Milan Finance circles that KTM has to sell its 51% share in MV Agusta to urgently raise cash ,, but its not going to get much as now MV is also affected by overproduction with 2000 bikes sitting in Warehouses , poor sales and factory is on Short time working MV may soon go under itself .Workers and Union are very worried .

KTM Pierer AG have called in Citibank in an attempt to keep themselves afloat with estimated 3.2Billion Euro debts and total loss of trust in KTM brand as well as 100,000 unsold bikes !!!!!With the ongoing Camshaft oilways issue and no sign of a proper solution customers are not likely to buy KTMs .

Senior KTM director Trunkelholst actually admitted they have major reliability and quality issues , Over production and that the brands reputation is collapsing .

Also The Pierer AG group in now facing Insider trading charges and investigations worldwide led by Austrian Financial regulators

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Very bad news indeed. Quality issues always ring bells to me of bean- counters getting in the way of production values.
 
jerryz said:
Just announced In Austrian and Milan Finance circles that KTM has to sell its 51% share in MV Agusta to urgently raise cash ,, but its not going to get much as now MV is also affected by overproduction with 2000 bikes sitting in Warehouses , poor sales and factory is on Short time working MV may soon go under itself .Workers and Union are very worried .

KTM Pierer AG have called in Citibank in an attempt to keep themselves afloat with estimated 3.2Billion Euro debts and total loss of trust in KTM brand as well as 100,000 unsold bikes !!!!!With the ongoing Camshaft oilways issue and no sign of a proper solution customers are not likely to buy KTMs .

Senior KTM director Trunkelholst actually admitted they have major reliability and quality issues , Over production and that the brands reputation is collapsing .

Also The Pierer AG group in now facing Insider trading charges and investigations worldwide led by Austrian Financial regulators
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Gone full circle then. They had some quality engineered bikes back in the 70s. The 80s saw a severe dropping off of quality across the board with their MX bikes. Chocolate frames, gearboxes,and needle roller bearings that needed stripping and re-greasing after any muddy event. Most riders resorted to installing their own grease nipples on the swinging arm bearings, I glad to get shot of mine 250cc MX even with the £400 hit on the resale value at the time. I bought a cheap YZ250 [1983].
What a revelation, it held together, didn't need three times as much time mending as time spent riding.It went like stink, and I instantly took to it.
Mike.
 
What i cant understand is that when the KTM LC8 790 twins were designed the actual production engineers flagged up the terrible oilway design in the heads and to the cams and warned KTM directors then that its could lead to big problems in the future .

But the engine was approved for production anyway and further developed into 890 and also licensed to CF Moto and Kove in China .. its beggars belief .. The Chinese makers have tried to modify the oilways in their own bikes to get rid of the problems but TBH Its not working for them or KTM . The best thing if they survive is to scrap LC8 design and start again like Honda did with the flawed Vf750 chocolate cam disaster in the 80s which was replaced with the bombproof wonderful VFR 750


But owners of any bike with LC8 engine is sitting on a timebomb with no effective solution and a huge loss of value ,, The bikes are effectively unsellable at present .

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Last edited:
jerryz said:
What i cant understand is that when the KTM LC8 790 twins were designed the actual production engineers flagged up the terrible oilway design in the heads and to the cams and warned KTM directors then that its could lead to big problems in the future .

But the engine was approved for production anyway and further developed into 890 and also licensed to CF Moto and Kove in China .. its beggars belief .. The Chinese makers have tried to modify the oilways in their own bikes to get rid of the problems but TBH Its not working for them or KTM . The best thing if they survive is to scrap LC8 design and start again like Honda did with the flawed Vf750 chocolate cam disaster in the 80s which was replaced with the bombproof wonderful VFR 750


But owners of any bike with LC8 engine is sitting on a timebomb with no effective solution and a huge loss of value ,, The bikes are effectively unsellable at present .
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Bean counters, it's always the bean counters that get the final say so.
Mike.
 
jerryz said:
The best thing if they survive is to scrap LC8 design and start again like Honda did with the flawed Vf750 chocolate cam disaster in the 80s which was replaced with the bombproof wonderful VFR 750
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It would be the right thing to do if they were in any way solvent . Honda were able to hugely over engineer the VFR at great cost...to ensure their reputation was kept. KTM are stuffed.
 
VW went the same way in the early 2000s the bean counter over ruled the engineers , and ordered the engineers against sound engineering principles to cheapen the design of all VW cars. Shaving a few euros here a few there which added up to a lot accross a whole car platform. and increasing profit at the cost of quality.

They actually designed parts that would just pass a 3 year warranty and then maybe fail ,, totally cynical ,Then there was dieselgate on top of it .


But several of the changes were slowly undermining VW s previous reputation for quality reliable cars . Over the last 20 years VW cars have become average reliability at best like Renault or Ford but still charge a quality premium . But the customer s end up with horrors such as plastic bearings in water pumps, plastic pulleys , bad gear boxes especially the autos, some aweful engines with stretchy timing systems , and much more . This show up in reliability and satisfaction surveys where VW are now down in the lower end 20s or 30s The top is always Japanese or Korean . Its also show on VW accounts as they spend 4 times more on warranty problems than Toyota , both groups make about 13m vehicles but Toyota pay out to dealers $1 bn and VW pay out $4bn per year on vehicles under warranty ,,, Clearly Toyota make a better product . But after warranty ends VW owners are then soon getting lots of expensive repairs due to crap quality , wheras Toyota owners often have a happy long trouble free experience .

VW are not the only Quality Auto manufacturer to do this ,, BMW are guilty too, as are Ford, Nissan.and there reputations have all suffered as have their reliability ratings
 
Press release from KTM Administrators at 9am today jist of it is



    • rumors are true Bajaj want to take KTM. So it will be Indian manufacturing
    • 265.000 bike in stock (many without eur5+) so unsellable in many counties it was only 100,000 last week!!!!!!
    • banks want Pierer removed (make sense) he is under investigation for insider dealing and accounting fraud
    • 30% quote is not going to happen (was clear) Thats the $3.8 debts so big haircuts for creditors possibly only $700m may be recovered ????
    • 60 sub contractor companies used by KTM likely are going broke as KTM owes them Millions
    • buildings are now sold to get money (make sense)
    • there is enough money to keep the lights on, but not to pay people. (crazy)
    • production optimization (i guess most of it) will be moved to bajaj and cfmoto India and china .. end of production in Austria


Warranty claims on defective 790 and 890 LC8 engines unlikely to be solved as engineers have now reported that there is no definitive solution ...

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