2022 Ktm 690 SMC R problems

Filed Oct 25, 2026 · Body, Fuel system · MA

Fuel tank is swollen due to the 10% ethanol in our fuel. Swollen tank is causing seat to unlatch while riding, side panels are no longer able to be properly installed, and the fuel tank is now very close to the exhaust pipe due to the tank being bloated, this has been an ongoing issue for 2+ years that has gotten worse every year, its a safety concern at this point and the bike has under 1200 miles on it. The seat in the pictures is an oem seat base with an aftermarket cover, but has the same issue with both the oem seat, recovered seat, and ktm power parts seat. Please reach out via email as I rarely get phone calls due to poor reception at my place of employment

Filed Feb 28, 2026 · Body, Fuel system · MA

Fuel tank has swollen over time, causing body panels to no longer fit properly, fuel tank is under the seat and is a structural component of the motorcycles frame by design, my concern is that the tank is in very close proximity to exhaust system and is now considerably closer to exhaust from swelling, which concerns me that it could continue to swell and cause a fire when it contacts exhaust, also side panels on rear of bike are starting to break mounting points and im concerned may come off the bike on the highway and cause an accident. This is a very common issue in the US due to the plastic they used and our ethanol blended fuel, KTM is aware of the issue and will not recall, as this is not a problem overseas where non ethanol fuel is common. This issue is well documented on enthusiast groups online. This has been an issue for me since 2023 and has progressively gotten worse every season. This issue started by around 200 miles and is significantly worse now as it has 1100 miles on it currently. Issue was brought to service departments attention while under factory warranty and I was told its normal and won't get any worse, it is now to the point I am concerned about riding the motorcycle.