All Tests – KTM 1290 Super Duke GT Test: Ready to Track! – Super Duke GT: MNC technical point

Posted on by admin

KTM 1290 Super Duke GT test: ready to track !

All Tests - KTM 1290 Super Duke GT Test: Ready to Track! - Super Duke GT: MNC technical point

Adding a windshield and a semi-fairing to a roadster to develop road skills, the idea is not new. But when this roadster turns out to be ” The Beast ” and its 173 hp, the result is (d) astonishing. KTM 1290 Super Duke GT review.

Super Duke GT: MNC technical update

Engine

The engine of the 1290 Super Duke GT is one of the most efficient production twin cylinders on the market: this enormous V2 of 1301cc (1.3 l!) Spits the trifle of 173 hp at 9500 rpm and 144 Nm of torque. at 6750 rpm. Directly taken from the Super Duke R roadster, this two-cylinder, open at 75 °, is originally a rebored and improved version of the LC8 in force on the RC8R Superbike. It is also recently found on the "monumen-trail" 1290 Super Adventure.

With its enormous pistons of 108 mm in diameter (10.8 cm!) Which frolic over 71 mm of stroke, this heavily compressed monster (13.2 to 1) is of the super-square type, like the most recent Ducati twins. This results in a phenomenal extension (10,250 rpm) and an astonishing appetite for revs, despite an incredible filling in the mid-range: 114 Nm of torque tumble from 3250 rpm !

Compared to the block of the Austrian maxi-roadster, the engine of the Super Duke GT undergoes some changes to improve its approval, among others at intermediate speeds. Austrian engine manufacturers redesigned the cylinder heads, combustion chambers and modified the timing. Incidentally, the surface treatment of certain moving parts (pistons, cams, etc.) has been improved for increased longevity..

In addition, the Keihin injection controlled by a ride-by-wire accelerator is reconfigured while the exhaust is new, all with a view to meeting Euro4 standards. The silencer, installed lower to make room for the passenger footrests, is also the subject of adjustments in this direction. Useful to promote good combustion, the dual ignition (two spark plugs per cylinder) in force on the R is retained on the GT.

In the end, these improvements allow the Austrian road to display a curve that is better filled than that of the roadster, despite identical power and torque values ​​of 173 hp and 144 Nm. Let us recall that since its switch to Euro4, the 1290 Super Duke R vintage 2016 displays 7 fewer horses (173 instead of 180 when it was released).

The clutch is actuated by a hydraulic control connected to a multidisc in an oil bath. To prevent the rear wheel from jamming, which is inevitable on such a compressed large twin, KTM has equipped it with a limited slip system. As an option, an electronic motor brake regulation device Motor Slip Regulation (MSR) supplements this mechanical anti-dribble. And everything works very well !

Another novelty, and not the least: the 1290 Super Duke GT is the first KTM to receive a shifter as standard, allowing upshifting without touching the clutch. A device as relevant in sports use as during bucolic duo walks, insofar as its good calibration avoids jolts.

Note that this shifter adapts to the conditions: if the gear shift is full throttle, the ignition micro-cutout is very short, favoring pure efficiency. Conversely, if we go up a gear on the gas net, the software extends the cut-off to provide more smoothness. In action, the result is convincing.

On the maintenance side, KTM announces rather reasonable service intervals since they are located every 15,000 km. What to forgive the Austrian engineers for having "forgotten" to install a central stand to lubricate and tension the final transmission by chain, despite the road vocation of this Super Duke GT !

Cycle part

Regarding the cycle part of the 1290 Super Duke GT, KTM has not complicated the task: the tubular trellis frame in steel reinforced with chrome molybdenum is strictly identical – with a few details – to that of the Super Duke R roadster.

The geometric values ​​have not changed a millimeter, in particular the rather short wheelbase (1482 mm) combined with a reasonably open caster angle (24.9 °). This compromise is at the origin of the excellent behavior of the bike, both agile and stable, despite the additional weight placed in height induced by the increase in the capacity of the tank (from 18 liters on the R to 23 on the GT).

To comply with its new road pretensions, the Super Duke GT adopts an elongated and reinforced rear loop, on which the anchor points of the optional 30-liter rigid suitcases appear. Thanks to the new lowered silencer, the passenger footrests are fixed lower on the rear buckle.

Comfort always: the pilot and passenger saddles gain in length and thickness through the lengthening of the rear buckle, which also allows the grafting of a practical grab handle in the back of the guest. Finally, the slightly raised and widened handlebar – adjustable to 22 mm via four positions – also slightly modifies the ergonomics and therefore the distribution of the masses, placed a little further back on the GT than on the R.

In terms of peripherals, the Super Duke GT takes almost identically the attractive and efficient endowment of the roadster. Braking is entrusted to the front by two Brembo monobloc M50 4-piston radial calipers actuated by a master cylinder in radial position which bite two huge 320mm discs. At the rear, a simple Brembo 2-piston caliper clamps a 240mm disc. Bosch tilt-sensitive, adjustable and deactivatable ABS is fitted as standard.

For the suspensions, if the GT obviously remains faithful to the WP (KTM brand), it adopts the semi-active version as standard with continuous adjustment of the hydraulics discovered on the maxi-trails of the Orange brand (see electronic part below. below).

The inverted fork – whose movements are limited by a steering damper – 48 mm in diameter has the same travel as on the roadster: 125 mm. Same similarity at the rear where the WP mono-shock absorber frolics over 156 mm, a fairly high travel value for a roadster.

Due to the transplant of the semi-fairing, the additional 5 liters in the tank, the addition of a windshield with adjustable height without tools (over 140 mm) or the modification made to the rear buckle, the full weight of the Super Duke GT is logically higher than that of the Super Duke R: 223 kg against 211. A reasonable difference taking into account the modifications and their contribution.

Finally, the original pneumatic assembly is entrusted to the very good Pirelli Angel GT, tires with a more "round" profile and more enduring than the sporty assembly of the roadster. The Italian tires take place on rims – with angled valves – in 120/70/17 and 190/55/17, as on the Super Duke R.

Electronic

Like the roadster from which it is derived, the Super Duke GT gives pride of place to electronic assistance and sophisticated equipment, such as its "cornering lighting" via three LED headlights fixed in the tip of its fairings. lateral.

Discovered on the 1290 Adventure, this system gradually lights up LEDs according to the inclination – calculated using the sensors of the control unit Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC) – to illuminate the inside of bends. This efficient device – adopted by the – reinforces the action of the 18 LEDs installed on the top of the headlight, in order to provide daytime lighting.

The MSC control unit, which continuously measures the inclination of the motorcycle, is also used to provide very precise information on the adjustable and disconnectable traction control as well as the equally configurable 9ME ABS installed as standard. Concretely, the more the motorcycle is bevelled, the more the intervention of the electronics will be fine and progressive.

The degree of these interventions is also linked to the three driving modes offered: Sport, Street and Rain, which can be changed while driving – gas cut – from the left stalk. In addition to a more or less direct response from the electronic throttle, these modes respond to different parameters: in Sport, the 173 hp tumble down at full gallop and the ABS as the anti-skating are very discreet..

This mode allows, for example, slight drifts from the rear and rear wheel rearing up during acceleration. It is possible to initiate a wheelie with the help of the clutch, on condition, however, to be gentle: if the rear wheel slips at the moment of the impulse, the traction control immediately cuts off the arrival of power..

In Street mode, the throttle response is smoother and the traction control intervenes earlier, as well as the ABS. Finally in Rain mode, the power is limited to 100 hp (for nostalgic French bikers!) And the arrival of torque is regulated. Anti-slip and ABS are on maximum alert, killing in the bud any primer to steal the front or rear wheel.

The anti-slip is also completely disconnectable, when stationary only. The ABS – coupled from front to rear only (the right pedal has no effect on the front) – has a "Supermoto" option which, once engaged, disconnects the brake assist on Rear wheel. It is also possible to completely disconnect the ABS but in view of its qualities and its finesse, MNC sincerely does not see the point..

Another "big piece" in technological terms on this Super Duke GT: its semi-active suspensions developed by WP. This second generation of intelligent "suspenders" still operate according to the same principle: once the preload has been adjusted when stationary (Sport, Street or Comfort), the system manages the hydraulic laws in real time (in 10 milliseconds according to KTM) according to the condition of the road and the driving phases.

Concretely, solenoid valves placed on the suspensions are able to open and close in the blink of an eye to limit or amplify the passage of oil through the valves. The device thus acts on the expansion and compression to absorb an obstacle more effectively. Everything is informed by three sensors, placed behind the fork, under the rider saddle and at the level of the swingarm axis..

The device also provides an "anti-dive" function in order to avoid a too pronounced transfer of attitude when braking or accelerating. This characteristic ensuring a level attitude in all circumstances varies according to the engaged mode: very active in "Comfort" and "Street", it is deactivated in "Sport".

KTM justifies this choice by explaining that in fast driving, most testers prefer to feel the fork plunge under braking, in particular on the entries of "bleeding" curves..

The three main sensors are connected to an electronic control unit Suspension Control Unit (SCU), responsible for continuously analyzing the position and attitude of the motorcycle. This WP unit therefore works in parallel with the Bosch box managing ABS and anti-slip: in the future, it is likely that a single electronic brain will oversee the whole, as is the case with the also equipped with semi-active WP suspensions !

Finally, the Super Duke GT receives a standard tire pressure indicator (TPMS), visible on the dashboard. A dedicated warning light comes on in the event of a sudden loss of pressure (puncture or leak). A cruise control – active from 50 km / h – is also part of its standard equipment. Its operation is quite intuitive because it is the only control located on the right stalk, apart from the traditional starter..

As an option, the Austrian GT (i) can add the services of a hill start aid Hill Hold Control (HHC), whose action results in locking the rear brake for 5 seconds. To activate it, just keep pressure on the front or rear brake. The orange traction control (TC) warning light comes on and becomes solid, indicating that the device has blocked the rear caliper.

Practical, this HHC allows you to focus only on the accelerator and the clutch when restarting on a hill, without fear that the motorcycle may roll back following an error. Too bad, however, that its activation – linked to a measurement of the inclination – is only possible when climbing: on the flat or downhill, the system does not work..

In addition, the motorcycle must be on the first report: it is therefore impossible to use it as a "hand brake" when stopping on a steep portion. Last annoying detail concerning electronics: the not very intuitive navigation in the multiple menus. Having to scroll through half a dozen pages to access the heated grips, for example, is quite daunting: shortcut keys to the controls would be welcome. !

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *