NHTSA vehicle safety data

2015 KTM 1290 Super Duke R Recalls & Complaints

The 2015 KTM 1290 Super Duke R has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 6 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized KTM dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2015 KTM 1290 Super Duke R. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

2015 KTM 1290 Super Duke R owner complaints

Owners have filed 6 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 KTM 1290 Super Duke R, describing incidents dated April 25, 2015 to March 1, 2020.

Most-cited components

Engine 2 complaints
Fuel/Propulsion System 1 complaint
Service Brakes 1 complaint
Unknown or Other 1 complaint
Vehicle Speed Control 1 complaint
Wheels 1 complaint

Of the 6 complaints on file, 1 reports a crash and 1 a fire; across all 6 complaints, owners report 1 injury and 1 death (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11386999 · Filed January 7, 2021
THE MOTORCYCLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND BURST INTO FLAMES. THE DRIVER CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS IN A BURN UNIT FOR TWO MONTHS. HE DIED AS A RESULT OF HIS BURNS. OTHER THAN THE BURNS, THE DRIVER WALKED AWAY FROM THE CRASH.
ODI #11234380 · Filed July 24, 2019
I AM EXPERIENCING PULSING BREAKS AT LOW SPEEDS AS WELL AS A WHINE WHEN PUSHING THE MOTORCYCLE AT LOW SPEEDS. I HAVE REPLACED THE PADS AND ROTORS MORE THAN ONCE AND THE ISSUE RETURNS
ODI #11183816 · Filed March 3, 2019
AS MENTIONED ON MANY MANY WEBSITE FORUMS FROM EXISTING OWNERS I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES MANY OTHER OWNERS ARE. PULSING AND GRABBING OF THE FRONT BRAKES, DEALERS DIAGNOSE AS 'WARPED ROTORS' MOST OF THE BIKES ARE STREET RIDDEN AND THE BRAKES NEVER GET HOT ENOUGH TO SIMPLY WARP. HERE IS THE…

Read all 6 complaints

Front Brake Master Cylinder Piston May Crack

NHTSA #18V033000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Foundation Components — Master Cylinder · NHTSA notice

Reported January 10, 2018 · KTM North America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 2,361 vehicles

Repair completion: 95.81% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

KTM campaign TB1805 · Owners notified February 21, 2018 · Vehicles built April 21, 2015 – February 3, 2016 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

KTM North America, Inc. (KTM) is recalling certain 2015-2016 1290 Super Duke R ABS, 2016 1290 Super Duke R SE ABS and 1290 Super Duke GT ABS and 2017-2018 Super Duke R and1290 Super Duke GT motorcycles. The piston within the Brembo front brake master cylinder may fail.

Safety consequence

If the front brake master cylinder piston fails, the loss of front braking ability can increase the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

KTM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the piston with an aluminum one, free of charge. The recall began on February 21, 2018. Owner's may contact KTM customer service at 1-888-985-6090.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 2015 KTM 1290 Super Duke R. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

6 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2015 KTM 1290 Super Duke R.

Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11386999

Crash Fire 1 injury1 death

Incident: March 1, 2020 · Filed: January 7, 2021

THE MOTORCYCLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND BURST INTO FLAMES. THE DRIVER CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS IN A BURN UNIT FOR TWO MONTHS. HE DIED AS A RESULT OF HIS BURNS. OTHER THAN THE BURNS, THE DRIVER WALKED AWAY FROM THE CRASH.

Service Brakes

ODI #11234380

Incident: July 24, 2019 · Filed: July 24, 2019

I AM EXPERIENCING PULSING BREAKS AT LOW SPEEDS AS WELL AS A WHINE WHEN PUSHING THE MOTORCYCLE AT LOW SPEEDS. I HAVE REPLACED THE PADS AND ROTORS MORE THAN ONCE AND THE ISSUE RETURNS

Wheels; Unknown or Other

ODI #11183816

Incident: March 3, 2016 · Filed: March 3, 2019

AS MENTIONED ON MANY MANY WEBSITE FORUMS FROM EXISTING OWNERS I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES MANY OTHER OWNERS ARE. PULSING AND GRABBING OF THE FRONT BRAKES, DEALERS DIAGNOSE AS 'WARPED ROTORS' MOST OF THE BIKES ARE STREET RIDDEN AND THE BRAKES NEVER GET HOT ENOUGH TO SIMPLY WARP. HERE IS THE PROBLEM THE MOUNTING SURFACE FOR THE BRAKE ROTORS ISNT TRUE, THE WHEELS ARE DEFECTIVE, BY REMOVING THE ROTOR AND FILING DOWN THE ROTOR SURFACE(WHEEL) POINTS, MAKES THE ROTOR RUN TRUE, THUS PREVENTING UNEAVEN PRESSURE DURING HARD BREAKING AND FIXING THE CAUSE. KTM NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THIS AND RECALL ALL FRONT RIMS THAT EXPERIENCE THIS ISSUE.

Vehicle Speed Control

ODI #11096801

Incident: May 18, 2018 · Filed: May 18, 2018

I JUST PURCHASED THIS BIKE AND THE SPEEDOMETER IS HORRIBLY INACCURATE. THIS IMPACTS SPEEDOMETER READING, ODOMETER, ESTIMATED RANGE, AND MAY IMPACT TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS.

Engine

ODI #10743415

Incident: June 14, 2015 · Filed: July 24, 2015

DURING NORMAL RIDING CONDITIONS THE OIL SYSTEM OF THE ENGINE WILL NOT CYCLE THE OIL THROUGHOUT THE MOTOR PROPERLY. A "LOW OIL" WARNING WAS DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND ON THE LAST INCIDENT, WHICH OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 700 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, THE SEALS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE CASE STARTED TO FAIL FROM THE OVERPRESSURE IN THE MOTOR. THIS ALLOWED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OIL TO BE SPILLED IN FRONT OF THE REAR TIRE CREATING AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS RIDING SITUATION. THIS EVENT HAS OCCURRED THREE TIMES IN TOTAL WITH THE FIRST AT 193 MILES, THE SECOND AT 498 MILES AND THE THIRD TIME AT APPROXIMATELY 700 MILES. THE MOTORCYCLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR BOTH THE SECOND AND THIRD INCIDENTS. AFTER THE SECOND EVENT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE MOTOR AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. LESS THAN 200 MILES LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN WITH ME ALMOST CRASHING THE MOTORCYCLE DUE TO THE OIL SPILLAGE. THE MOTORCYCLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND DIAGNOSTICS.

Engine

ODI #10713061

Incident: April 25, 2015 · Filed: April 27, 2015

UPON INSPECTION OF THE OEM ENGINE OIL FILTER DURING THE INITIAL BREAK-IN OIL CHANGE (659 MILES ON ODO). THE FILTER ELEMENT AND CORE WAS COMPLETELY COLLAPSED. STARVING THE ENGINE OF "FILTERED" OIL AT THE MOST CRITICAL TIME, DURING NEW ENGINE BREAK-IN. *TR

Other KTM 1290 Super Duke R model years

Check your 2015 KTM 1290 Super Duke R VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your KTM 1290 Super Duke R at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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