a constant string of problems with my ktm starter motor eventually saw me get rid of the bike and swap to beta, in part due to the bulletproof nature of the starters - out of interest, it seems for 2017 ktm is finally buckling in to pressure about getting rid of that ridiculous two stroke starter design... woohoo.
good news? yes the beta starter motor is great. search around and you'll see talk of the occasional bendix issue, but these seem to be normal wear and tear instances. but there's a small number of cases where the beta starter occasionally won't work, then the frequency picks up over time. if this happens to your beta, in my experience it's very likely to be an issue in the wiring loom.
first case. within three months, a mate's RR300 has this problem. turning the handlebars one way increases the chances the starter will work. this leads the mechanic to the wiring loom under the fuel tank and he finds a loose connection. problem solved.
second case. my RR300 purchased a few months later. the mechanic thinks it will be the same problem, but it's a bit deeper in the wiring loom this time. i wish i'd got pics of this, but he said a clip that holds the wiring loom in place is missing... possibly not put on at the factory. it allowed muck to accumulate and increasingly corrode one of the connectors. cleaned and all fixed.
there is a guy in a another state here who said he had the same issue, haven't heard back so i assume he got it fixed. there's also a guy on this forum who reported starter issues with both a RR300 and Xtrainer so figured i would start this thread as it looks like the wiring loom is the first place to start looking.
if there are only half a dozen cases worldwide i wouldn't call it a known issue... possibly a new guy on the assembly line did a dodgy job with the wiring loom on his first few bikes. who knows? but just wanted to post this in case others have similar problems. if you ever have your tank off, i'd suggest make sure no wires are touching your frame at all, look for any signs of corrosion or mud collecting. easy fixes.
SOME BASIC CHECKS
is the battery fully charged?
are both terminals secure? few guys said the negative works loose sometimes.
has the positive terminal been rubbing on the bottom of the seat pan?
wire going to the starter motor secure?
tank off, check all connections in the wiring loom for corrosion, wear or looseness.
is moisture getting into the starter button, or is it corroded?
check the wiring harness where it flexes around the head stem of the frame.
some very basic diagnostics, use jumper leads from your car battery to your battery terminals first to see if it's just the battery
next jumper leads directly to the starter motor to make sure it's not the problem.
after that, it's the voltmeter and start digging deeper.
after that you are starting to look at the relay, the starter motor itself, testing the wiring loom etc.