My last update on life with the KTM 1390 Super Adventure Evo saw me pootling around on a rather pleasant 790 Adventure while I awaited the return of the big Tango Express from KTM UK’s workshop.
The ailment? Cam sensor failure had caused pretty much every electronics system to take an impromptu summer holiday.
Fault diagnosed, KTM replaced both cam sensors as a precautionary measure, and I swapped the 790 for the 1390 Adventure S EVO full of renewed excitement.
Three faultless commutes later, I was ready for a long day in the Peak District to see how the Evo coped with the region’s nadgery and technical tarmac. The weather was gorgeous, my mood was high, and I felt like nothing could go wrong.
Sadly, the one thing that could go wrong was the same thing that went wrong last time. Halfway through Matlock Bath I glanced down at a set of traffic lights, and the dash flashed up a warning for traction control failure. I knew what was coming next. Sure enough, it was followed with cruise control failure and AMT malfunction warnings. All less than 150 miles since it had been ‘fixed’.
Limp mode made for the rest of a very dull and frustrating day while I tried to salvage a degree of enjoyment of the Peaks and then dawdled home feeling like I was aboard the world’s largest 125cc bike .
Back at KTM on the Monday, they confirmed it was another cam sensor failure. Cue a second 790 Adventure loan (which was nowhere near as nice as the first, with iffy fuelling and a quickshifter/autoblipper that almost never worked).
Two weeks later the 790 was needed elsewhere, so my adventure bike is now a 990 RC R . But that too will soon be needed elsewhere, and the prognosis for the 1390 is as yet unknown.
Clearly KTM have a problem with their cam sensors on 1390s, which is evident from a quick internet search and from MCN readers who have contacted me with the same complaint. At this stage KTM can’t confirm when they expect to be in a position to fix the problem – meaning the 1390 might reappear next week or possibly not at all.
The breakdowns are frustrating, and the lack of a solution even more so, but the greatest annoyance is how such a simple parts failure – which KTM say might be being caused by heat knobbliing the cam sensor – is ruining what is an otherwise fantastic bike.
If your 1390 suffers the same woes, it’s unlikely to just die on you – it will get you home. When the electronics detect the failed sensor, it goes into a safe mode, but it doesn’t prevent it from running. You can keep up with most traffic, and it’ll still hold motorway speeds.
Group Editor - With over 40 years of riding experience and 21 years as a bike journalist, Rich has ridden nearly every new bike of the past two decades and many historical models dating back to the 1930s. He is particularly passionate about sportsbikes from the 1990s and early 2000s, and he loves big bikes that handle well and are suited for long-distance travel. Rich enjoys challenging rides, such as a non-stop 1703.5-mile trip from Land’s End to John O’Groats and back.In his personal collection, Rich owns a 2007 Honda VTR1000 SP-2, a 1998 Ducati 996, a 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 ‘Slabby’, a 1998 VFR800FiW, and a 1975 Honda CB750 SOHC Dunstall.
Over 40 years of riding experience and 21 years as a bike journalist