what would the WERA forum do v. new bike problems?

so i had previously posted about picking up a ktm 690 smc-r... weeelllll i got a bit sidetracked and ended up buying a 2020 1290 superduke. cool, right?

sorta. so do the deal, paperwork is ready, but wait, for whatever reason KTM makes you pay extra for certain things on the bike. weird. i've bought a lot of bikes in my day and KTM seems to be the only one that does this. so the bike comes with a quick shifter and autoblipper, cruise control, heated grips, slipper clutch and track modes where you can turn on and off ABS, traction control and wheelie control. it comes with it.... but none of that shit is active unless you pay ANOTHER $800 to have the dealer download a software flash onto the bike. frustrating that a $19k bike makes you pay more to turn things on that are already on the bike.

whatever. i'm not buying a bike these days without a quickshifter and all the other shit. so i buy it.

so in their pre-delivery prep of the bike, the service dept plugs the bike in to start downloading this shit and proceeds to brick the bike. like, bike is dead dead. won't start, nothing works, completely immobilized, nada. The tech has to call KTM USA and hope they can remotely tap into the bike and fix the problem. 3 hours later everyone has tried everything and they give up. bike is dead.

now they "hope" they can get this fixed sometime next week. keep in mind, deal is done and they have their money and i'm just kinda getting the "sorry, nothing we can do right now, hopefully we can figure it out". attitude.

so what does one do? it's not like these bikes are a dime a dozen, i've signed all of the paperwork and the MSO (lol, have fun with that one).. do i walk? if so, how do i cancel this deal?

do i just wait and hope they can fix it and then hope there aren't any additional electronic issues in the future (this bike has a keyless ignition which is one of the things they can't get working)?

like, i'm at a loss. this dealership supposedly moves a bunch of bikes (first bike i've bought (tried to buy, lol) from them). I've bought a LOT of bikes and never encountered something like this, and certainly not the, "well whatever" attitude i'm getting.

 

What a bummer. That sucks big time.
Sorry, just wanted to say, buy a Honda. Everything works, every time, all the time.

It would be a real shame if you can't get out of this deal. I bet the sales department's entries to the KTM powers that be indicated you did not get the upgraded package, the service department didn't get that memo and KTM's site bricked it.

 

Offer them a cocktail for the troubles.



A molotov cocktail.

 

yeah, but i'd fall asleep riding the thing.

i've had a couple of hondas. NOTHING they offer excites me.

 

That sucks but welcome to the premium European motorcycles experience.

Once you get dicked around some more you'll be back on a Japanese bike.

 

i’ve had.... like 10 ducati’s, a handful of bmw’s. an aprilia.

nothing like this.

 

I put an addendum on my post. They fucked it up, they pay. Lawyer up if you have to...$19K is no joke.
Don't know what to say if you find the Hondas boring.

 

You haven't taken the delivery of the bike so I think you have a leg to stand on. Time to talk to the sales manager or GM.

 

In most states there is a right of cession period....check to see if applicable in your area. In SC, it's 72 hours.....so, maybe for you?

 

You haven’t taken delivery - that’s a strong argument .

 

it's not that i don't think i could get out of it... i think i could.. i'm just wondering if i SHOULD... hence my WWJD do title


like, a new bike thats stuck in the service dept with a :dunno: from the powers that be isn't the greatest start to ownership.. lol, maybe it's an omen?

 

It would be a red flag for me.

 

The 1290 is a pretty awesome ride. If you have a little patience now it will pay dividends later.

I manage a large Service Dept, well versed in KTM. PM me if you need a second opinion.

 

i mean, that’s what all the reviews are saying, and of course the bike has been well loved in past iterations..

since you’re on the service side of this, have you seen this problem before? the sales guy was all, “this happens occasionally”.. i’m like wat? this is a common occurrence when selling a new bike that the bike just turns into a paperweight?

i mean. it’s a little disconcerting that no one seems to know how to solve it at the moment.

 

also, to all the ktm execs reading this (lol)... stop being weird and just include this software release in the price of the bike from the factory and stop making your dealers service dept have to deal with this.

 

I can’t say I’ve seen that issue.

With the KTM diagnostic software the bike must be unlocked after the pre delivery inspection. Demo mode gets you one hour of use. Permanent unlock can occur only after warranty registration.

KTM can most certainly dial in remotely and solve the issue. FWIW I tried calling several times today and only got VM with no return call so I’m not sure what’s up there. In the past I can usually get one of the guys in Amherst on the line, even on Saturdays.

 

it’s the Tesla upgrade model. Awesome bike. Hope you can get it figured out.

 

yeah it took the tech a minute to get someone and then he was on the phone for a couple of hours.

then they sent me home after saying they tried all they could and couldn’t figure it out.

 

You lured me into replying here lol I’m sure there are bigger fish higher up the food chain than me lurking about

 

That is a drag.

I’m curious, was that the only 1290 they had in stock?