KTM has confirmed it will join the worldwide recall for the Brembo brake problem that has seen thousands of European bikes recalled around the world.
The Austrian manufacturer will commence a global recall in February of “street models” that could be affected by a possible defect with a part on the Brembo front radial master cylinders, according to KTM and Husqvarna Motorcycles Australian Marketing Manager Alana Baratto.
UPDATE: Models affected are the 2015 690 Duke R, 1290 Super Duke R, 1290 Super Duke R Special Edition and 2016 Super Duke GT.
KTM Super Duke GT“The bikes that will require replacement parts for the master cylinder were sold between 2015 and 2017,” she says.
“Not exclusively a KTM issue, the possible defective part also affects a number of motorcycles produced by other manufacturers.”
Brembo issued a statement earlier this month that the safety recalls only affect radial master cylinder pistons in 15mm and 16mm diameters produced between 2015 and 2017.
They were supplied to Aprilia, Ducati, KTM, MV Agusta, TM Racing, Moto Morini and Horex.
The USA recalled several Aprilia and Ducati models, but so far the only bikes in Australia to join the global recall are the Aprilia RSV4 and Tuono. Click here for VIN numbers and more details.
Aprilia RSV4“There are no reported cases of KTM’s that have suffered from any issue due to the master cylinder,” Alana says.
“KTM is in final discussions with Brembo, but replacement parts are expected at the beginning of February.
“Once the complete list of possibly affected motorcycles is compiled, customers will be notified in due course if their bike is affected and that the part will be replaced for no charge at an official KTM dealer, taking approximately 1.5 hours.”
An official Australian recall notice should be due soon. When it posted, we will publish the VINs of affected bikes.
Which companies will join recall?
There is still no word from the Australian importers of Ducati and MV Agusta on whether they will join the recalls.
The recall does not affect brake master cylinders sold as aftermarket kits through Brembo authorised dealers.
The Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities told us they had contacted the Australian distributors of Ducati, Aprilia, Triumph and KTM motorcycles.
“The distributor of Triumph motorcycles has advised that no vehicles supplied to the Australian market are affected,” the department says.
“Other distributors are aware of the recently announced recall in the United States and are currently establishing whether voluntary recall action is relevant for vehicles supplied to the Australian market.
“The Department will provide further information on other vehicles supplied by these manufacturers as it comes to hand.”
Brembo brake fault
Brembo PR16 master cylinderThe fault is believed to be a crack in the internal piston of the PR16 radial master cylinder.
The crack can result from prolonged and hard use such as track work or frequent use of ABS.
Obviously, if it breaks, not only will braking force be diminished, but owners could also end up wth highly corrosive brake fluid leaking over their bike.
Brembo says the problem is with the plastic (polyphenylene sulphide) they used. To fix it, they will replace the plastic piston with an aluminium piston.
Here is the official notice from Brembo about the fault:
The anisotropy of the piston material, in addition to potential porosity introduced during the injection process, could lead to crack generation and thus potential component failure. The failure may occur with no warning to the rider, although a significant loss in brake effectiveness may be an early indicator.
In May, 2017, Ducati received initial information from the field regarding front brake malfunction involving a motorcycle in the European market. During the same month Ducati received a second European front brake malfunction report.
Ducati initiated an investigation and began to jointly conduct an analysis with Brembo, the component manufacturer. In September, 2017, a third European case was discovered. Failure was found to have occurred during race track use in two of the three cases. In November, 2017, the investigation was finalised and the root cause was identified as above. On December 14th, 2017, Ducati determined that a worldwide safety Recall was justified. For subject motorcycles sold in the US, there have been no reports of injuries due to the defect.”
The only previous recall for a Brembo brake fault we could find was an ABS modular in Triumph Street Triple and Daytona models in 2013.
YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS ON RECALLS
Recall notices are issued by the manufacturer through a voluntary industry code under the ACCC.
Despite hundreds of recalls by various automotive manufacturers, none has ever been mandatory. All have been issued by the manufacturer.
While any recall is not good news for the manufacturer, it shows that they are largely diligent in fixing problems.
If you believe there is an endemic problem with your bike that should be recalled, contact the ACCC on 1300 302 502.
To check whether your motorcycle has been recalled, click on these sites:
• USA
• UK
• Canada