1290 - Big paint chips lurk under your radiator shrouds...

Today I took off one of my radiator shrouds... It's a long story. However, I found big chunks of paint chipped and missing from the front (hidden) edge of the tank. I took my 3 day old bike back to the dealer and went mental...

The dealer empathised and took a rad shroud off another pre pdi bike and found exactly the same issue. The dealers have notified KTM and asked for a response and solution.

Check yours and let me know what you find... And if it's chipped, give your dealer some shit...

Doesn't detract from the bike being fecking awesome though!!

LB

Where are you located?

Doubt anything will be done... its every single one of them that has the issue. Lucky its not visible when all buttoned up.

You mean like this!
Reported this in the warranty thread a few weeks back. I am getting a new tank under warranty. About 4 week wait from Austria.

Oh shit. That is bad.

I thought you just mean where the paint is missing under the bolt. Wonder if I'll get a warranty because of the missing paint.

Ok what am I missing here? Why the hell would you care about an area that isn't even visible when assembled?
It not even an material that is corrosive without paint.

Yeah if I'd paid 14k for something I wouldn't put up with that either. Back to the dealers.

thats crazy, its like worrying about the paint behind the door panels of your car. unless you are gonna run the bike without the shrouds what difference does it make? you cant see it.
id be pissed if it was on a visible surface but not what you have going on there.

Erm... Shall I have my new £19k bike scratched by some Austrian fuckwit, or shall I have it without the scratches?

I think I'd prefer it without please...

LB

When you get new tank stick a thin piece of rubber on the tank or shroud but yes this is crap!
KTM need to do their home work before they release new model bikes on the market.

I agree it isn't acceptable and KTM need to address it along with the assembly process but I don't agree with the giant over reaction or the comments about giving dealers shit about it. Dealers have nothing to do with it, didn't assemble the bike and will be more than happy to warranty the tanks and fit them for you since they are make money off of it.

Kris was the first to my knowledge to spot this and we warrantied his and would happily do the same for anyone else bothered by it. Me personally I don't care and have the same issue with my own bike.

In my opinion it's all about the brand and the perception of what this stands for.

KTM has always produced well engineered bikes that are well put together and stand up to the rigours of use. But this bike appears to have manufacturing characteristics that don't deliver the same feeling of care. Like KTMGuy says, Audi have a premium position and you know what you're buying. The 1290 has a premium price tag and is delivering a product that falls short of this. If the bodywork and frame looks like this what does that say about the engine internals or electrics?

Oh dear.

Here is my original RC8 tank. It was blistered like this all over.


If KTM wont replace shit like this that shows I dont think you have much chance of getting anything out of them for damaged paint that doesnt show. Not saying it is right, but it is deffo a contributing factor why I havent bought a 1290.

So the only reason the shrouds are there, are to cover the marks made when the shrouds are fitted?

MY GOD! THIS KTM UK LOGIC!

Also sorry to stray off topic but it's worth mentioning to save you heartache down the track. Add some off these little grip pads used for furniture to the raised sections of your tank where the side fairings sit before they eat through the paint completely. I grabbed these ones from Bunnings for about $2.

There's also a few places where you should be (if you're worried about rubbing etc) adding 3M ventureshield to the frame. Most notably is the clips of the radiator over flow bottle and opposing side cover and I also added "tabs" to the frame where my boots will rub.

I plan to add more 3M to the top of the tank where the fairing sits & the headlight too as I like playing cat & mouse with mates and I'm sick of getting stone chips!







This is where I've fitted 3M Ventureshield

I do like that eBags. Very simple and effective. My favourite mods!
Might be a worth a trip to bunnings today!

It's all in the details. Glad to contribute something useful.

Have I missed the point where the paint is chipped so the water gets in and lifts the paint off the rest of the tank. KTM warranty department sucks ass. Bernie who works for KTM UK needs shooting IMO. If the rest of the world takes his opinions (which I'm told they do) god help all you poor bastards who shelled out for any modern KTM. All went to shit when the RC8 was developed IMO.

Of course if you have a decent dealer it helps but KTM are so short sighted, clearly they don't give a shit about their customers. If this happened on a Honda they would replace in a heartbeat.

Why should the customer have to find ways of preventing these things like paint rubbing off and chipping happening?

If I was in your shoes Leeroy I would take it to a different dealer and see what happens.

Mine has the same small issues. This is normal for new bikes, take some time and add some extra protection to the bike and all will be sweet. I usually do this will all my bikes when they are new.

surely it makes no difference if they have put together cheap components in India or Austria???????
and to be honest final inspection is at the wrong end of the maufacturing chain.......or too fooking late as i like to call it