2014 KTM 1190 Adventure Still Dying

My bike keeps shutting down on long day rides. It has happen everytime I go more than 200 miles. I will be riding along and then the bike starts bucking like it is losing fuel pressure ( putting it into any gear it still does the same) . I have had the bike in the shop three times now for the same issue and they can't find anything. They have chack fuel filter, tested fuel pump etc...When it starts shutting down i can be in in any gear when it happens however, if I pull in the clutch the engine revs fine its only when I put it back in gear, under load when it starts bucking. Today when it was shutting down, I pulled off the side of the road and openned the gas cap NO whooshing sounds like if there is vapor lock. To resolve I just turn the bike off then turn it back on and the bike runs find again sometimes for another 100 miles other times it starts bucking again in about 70-80 miles. It must be a electronic issues.

Im calling KTM again tomorow Bike still under warranty - Any ideas, from prior attemps all these guys tell me is they can't find anything wrong - I get it, because it only happens after some long distarnce travels not driving around the block

I know you said they tested the fuel pump, but this really sounds like a fuel pump problem. On the early WRRs, the fuel pumps would work fine when cold, but as they warmed up, they would start to fail. How is your shop testing it? Probably cold and not after it's been working for a few hours.

There's only 3 things you need to make the motor go: fuel, air, and spark. It's not air, so it's either fuel or spark. Maybe you've got a dodgy ignition that's throwing a fit when hot???? That's the only other thing I can think of.

Good luck.

-SM

This. Also how full is the tank when it happens? 200 is pretty far into the tank. It could be overheating from a minor issue that doesn't show until the fuel is warm enough to trigger it.

I wonder if there is a way to test these fuel pumps for a few things:
1) what is the temperature rise in the fuel due to the pump
2) is there a condition where the fuel flow is low enough, and the pressure relief system operates in such a way, that excess heat builds up
3) does a low fuel level increase this problem

I am also wondering if what you are describing is vapor lock in the fuel lines/injectors due to a combination of hot fuel/hot days/hot engine/whatever else. I would think that a hot restart would be problematic in such a case, but maybe the fuel system behaves in a way that avoids a complete lock.

Since you mention that it happens after 200 miles, as Sparc points out, the fuel level may be low and heats up more thoroughly, meaning that it gets into the fuel lines warmer than usual. If part of the warm fuel volatilizes as the fuel flows to the injector, the injectors could be getting starved. This could make the injectors inject some fuel and some vapor, thus delivering too little fuel in the same pulse duration. Keeping in mind that I have no data to support the theory, it seems plausible to me.

200 miles into a tank and you are down into the wings of the tank. Is the fuel crossover working? Are the taps on each side fully open?

I have had this shut down issue happen both after fill up and lower tank levels. What is interesting is that when the shut down starts to occur I can pull the clutch in and rev the throttle no bucking, however when I put it in gear it will buck. Then the short term fix - just shut of the bike - restart, no problem in re-starting and off we go again like there was never and issue - On the turning on and off the bike something is getting reset. Looks like another drop off at the dealership - getting frustrating now since I now dont have confidence for long rides on the bike and have some Colorado, Montana and Mexico bike trips planned for the up-comming months. Looks like its going back to the dealer - again

pulling the clutch = reducing demand on the fuel pump. Turning off the bike then back on allows the pump to regain pressure...but it will eventually be overcome by demand..
That said you have some symptoms there that are strange.
Hope the dealer fixes the prob!!

Fuel tank venting ok ? When it does this maybe immediately pull over and open the filler cap to see if you have a vacuum on the tank.

Reminds me of a problem i had on a car , very similar symptoms .....long story short....... inside the fuel tank was some selophane or a bit of a plastic bag , it was floating about in the tank and every so often this would get sucked over the fuel pump strainer and cut off flow to a big degree , it would still run but struggled under load

When you switched the car off the plastic would fall away and off you went again sometimes for ages before it would re occur

Is there a way for you to read fault codes? If so, is your bike throwing any codes?

I agree with painter and you have something really odd going on by making the symptoms go away by pulling in the clutch. I wonder if that triggers some different path/map in the ECU, meaning your ECU could be dodgy. When electronics get warm, a marginal part can do wacky stuff.

-SM

sounds very much like a plugged filter. shutting it off lets pressurized fuel flow back through the filter essentially flushing it out and you are good for a few more miles. but???

I had this very symptom on a truck at work. Changing the filter would fix it for a month or two at a time. We finally discovered a cracked filler tube that was letting dirt in, thus plugging the filters in a few thousand miles.

I am on the road now and my bike started doing this today. I get about 100 miles into the tank and when I get hard on the throttle the engine cuts out. Happens when I am trying to pass cars. That was never a problem until today. when I stopped to fill up one time, about 130 miles in, the pump didn't work, so I had to move on to another station. The bike wouldn't start or run for a couple minutes. It did run again, and I put another 300 miles on today, but it kept happening.
Funny thing is, I brought a fuel filter along from inmate Gefr, but don't know if I can tackle this in the hotel parking lot. Does the tank have to come off? If so, is it possible to do this and not drain the tank?
For anyone that has done the filter change, is that major work, or can it be done with the KTM tool kit?
Alternatively, can someone recommend a decent shop between Amarillo TX and Flagstaff? I had planned on another week and a half on the road, wonder if I can go another 2500 miles in this condition?
Thanks

had to clear my filters on a road trip ..
you have to empty the tank as best you can ..
Then it's pop the screws holding the fuel pump in and pop it free of the tank ( its held in by an o ring) ..and you will see what's needed from there.

Dang these pumps/filters are a royal pain...
Seems if this hasn't happened to you ..its just a matter of time

Close the fuel taps. Drain only the side with the pump (left side). Disconnect the quick connect fuel line and electrical to the pump. Four screws to get it out. Be careful about the o-rings and keeping things clean. You should be able to do it in about an hour in a parking lot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

OK thanks. So are you guys leaving the tank on? And will the pump clear the skid plate if you have one? I have a Black Dog and it doesn't appear it will clear without removing that. Does the O ring need to be replaced? I thought I read something about that.

Thanks

The filter kit from gefr has the o-ring, but you'll want to keep the old one, just in case. This is a field repair...
I can't speak to the Black Dog plate, but the pump only has to drop straight down a short way before you can tilt it a bit on the way out. At any rate, getting the tank off is a 15 minute add.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have re used the old O ring in the field ..no probs

No need to remove the tank for this job.

I had a shop in Amarillo do mine today. I wasn't real keen on doing it in a parking lot if I didn't have to. My Black Dog plate needs persuasion going back on and I didn't have the big hammer along.
Filter was dirty, but not as bad as I was expecting based on the stories I have seen here. Bike ran fine today for 250 miles, so I hope that is the end of it. I guess I will put that on routine maintenance. I had 11k miles on the clock.

yup filters in these bikes clog. Glad to hear you were able to get the bike to run well at last.
all the best
g