In case you hadn’t heard about it, KTM’s LC8c twin-cylinder engine has been under fire lately—users are reporting that the parallel twin’s camshafts are prone to self-destruction, particularly pre-2021 790 Adventure models. A Facebook group set up to address the issue already has nine thousand members. After months of this issue stirring under the surface, KTM has finally responded. Sort of.
LC8c history
If you’ve been riding a while, you probably remember KTM’s 790 Duke was the first bike to run the new LC8c parallel twin. Introduced in 2017, that street bike was soon followed by 790 Adventure models; the 790 engine soon turned into the 890, and Husqvarna started building similar models under the 901 name. Now, between KTM and Husqvarna, they have 790, 890 and 901 models in their lineups, but they’re all the same basic design. Chinese manufacturer CFMOTO, a partner of KTM, also builds the same basic design under its own name (the Ibex 800 and other bikes use an LC8c-derived engine). CFMOTO also builds some of these engines for KTM.
The issue
Now, after several years on the market, LC8c owners say their engines are wearing out their camshafts prematurely. Some owners detail very rapid self-destruction of the top end, with premature wear happening within 20,000 kilometers or even less. The photos that some owners have posted are pretty nasty, with cams that are, to put it bluntly: “beat.”
KTM’s response
Enough people have complained that KTM posted this comment to the KTM Failed Camshafts Facebook group on July 18, 2024:
Here is an important update on handling the camshaft topic for selected KTM models.
Firstly, we would like to extend our apologies to the people who feel affected by the camshaft topic. We see and hear all the feedback we can, whether it’s online, via authorized KTM dealers or simply through community chatter. In order to best equip our authorized KTM dealer network, we issued a communication on how to inspect camshafts if customers report issues on the following motorcycles:
-KTM 790 DUKE, model year 2018, 2019 and 2020
-KTM 790 ADVENTURE, model year 2018, 2019 and 2020
Investigations have shown that a large proportion of these camshafts that are the subject of complaints are in order. In these cases, it is not a question of wear, but mostly just discoloration or running marks that have formed on the running surface of the cams or on the bearing points of the shafts and can be removed by cleaning.
The overall quality and integrity of the camshaft itself is not the problem.
Please visit your authorized KTM dealer, in case you have experienced the following symptoms: poor starting behavior, clearly audible, unusual running noises from the engine and noticeably reduced engine power.
If the camshafts are found to be damaged during an inspection by an authorized KTM dealer, they will be replaced. The cost of replacing damaged camshafts will be borne by KTM under the goodwill scheme.
If customers have already ordered a camshaft replacement for affected models from an authorized KTM dealer in the past, KTM will re-examine new goodwill applications through the authorized KTM dealer network. If the conditions explained in this statement and in the communication to the authorized KTM dealer network are met, subsequent goodwill may be considered.
KTM takes product quality seriously and continuously drives the development of its products. As part of the continuous development of our products and to improve the quality and wear behavior of the engine, we have introduced wider rocker arms from model year 2021 and an additional oil strainer from model year 2020 to improve the overall performance and quality of the engine. Both adaptations simultaneously resolve the contributing factors mentioned above.
Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience or hassle that any of our customers may have experienced.
So. It looks like KTM is addressing the issues, at least in some cases, but only for early-production 790s at this point. Buyers say the problem is hurting other LC8c engines—and at this point, it may be hard to convince them otherwise, and it will certainly affect the resaleability of their machines.
If you’ve got one of the bikes named, in the production years listed, it might be a good idea to talk to your dealer about checking it out. It’s preventative maintenance, sort of, that could save you a lot of grief down the road.
