Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R

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Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
Photo: KTM

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R

23 photos

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

1/23
"There is no competition!" Pithy words, but you have to agree with KTM press man Thomas Kuttruf.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

2/23
The seat and rear are very narrow.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

3/23
The ABS can be switched to Supermoto mode, then it only intervenes at the front and allows funny gimmicks with the rear wheel.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

4/23
Loud, strong, fast: Super Duke in race trim with accessories from the KTM range.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

5/23
For the first time in Austria, a single-sided swing arm guides the rear wheel.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

6/23
Typically KTM: latticed tubular steel chassis, high-quality WP spring elements, finest Brembo brakes; the airbox above the engine, over which the 18-liter tank slips.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

7/23
The basis of the mighty 1.3-liter engine is the 75-degree V2, which made its debut in the RC8 in 2008 with a displacement of 1148 cm³.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

8/23
With the new Super Duke, KTM leaves the real thing "Beast" from the chain.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

9/23
These values ​​make the previous Super Duke appear like a tame lamb.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

10/23
The KTM 1290 Super Duke R offers 180 hp, 144 Nm, 204 kilograms including fuel – these are undoubtedly values ​​that never existed in this combination.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

11/23
The KTM-V2 with an oil tank flanged to the front. In the box at the front
Cylinder is an oil heat exchanger. In spite of the larger displacement, the intake ducts were made smaller and the throttle valves enlarged.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

12/23
Thanks to Formula 1 technology, the enlarged pistons are almost 50 grams lighter.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

13/23
Handlebars and fittings can be quickly adjusted to personal requirements.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

14/23
Even just above idle, around 2000 rpm, it runs smoothly, we bubble cautiously through the city at barely more than 3000 rpm.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

15/23
One more time to note: this engine has two huge pots with a single displacement of 650 cm³ and delivers 90 Euro 3 and everyday HP from each.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

16/23
The KTM 1290 Super Duke R can be controlled extremely sensitively and works with an almost unbelievable smoothness.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

17/23
New for KTM is the single-sided swing arm, which provides space for the exhaust on the right.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

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The chain drive of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R..

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

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The ignition lock of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R..

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

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Instruments from Adventure, the off-road ABS is now called Supermoto ABS.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

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The rear looks very sporty.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

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The beefy, tall tank leads to the typical lines of the Duke series.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R
KTM

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The KTM 1290 Super Duke R is an ultra-powerful, yet cultivated power-naked bike. That deserves the greatest respect.

KTM 1290 Super Duke R in the driving report (2013)

When a Dunlop begs for mercy

The journalists drove to the presentation in Marbella, Spain, with great respect. But: Surprise, Surprise, the KTM 1290 Super Duke R doesn’t spit poison and bile at all.

“There is no competition!” Pithy words, but you have to agree with KTM press man Thomas Kuttruf. 180 hp, 144 Nm, 204 kilograms including fuel – these are undoubtedly values ​​that never existed in this combination. And which made the previous Super Duke, who could also be pretty beastly, suddenly appear like a tame lamb. But now the KLet the TM 1290 Super Duke R off the chain. With its beefy, high-build tank, it adopts the typical lines of the Duke series, but technically has practically nothing to do with the old model. The drive comes in principle from the RC8 R, has been inflated, optimized and refined.

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Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R

KTM 1290 Super Duke R in the driving report
When a Dunlop begs for mercy with black lines

The KTM 1290 Super Duke R is based on the typical KTM tubular space frame; for the first time in Austria, a single-sided swing arm guides the rear wheel. This keeps the machine narrow thanks to the tightly fitting rear silencer. Under the engine, the manifolds artfully wind themselves into the front silencer. Thanks to sufficient volume you could save yourself tricks with exhaust flaps. And of course, the latest Bosch electronics including lean angle sensors (but without ABS cornering) are on board to somehow keep the elemental force in check. The ABS can be switched to Supermoto mode, then it only intervenes at the front and allows fun games with the rear wheel. Specially designed Dunlop Sportsmart 2 tires complete the package. The technology is packed and wrapped by KTM in-house designer Gerald Kiska with a typically angular handwriting.

KTM 1290 Super Duke R ergonomically excellent

In principle, nothing sensational – if it weren’t for these key data that even hardened testers freeze in awe. How can you keep a motorcycle under control that wants to degrade such aggressive hooligan machines as Aprilia Tuono or Ducati Streetfighter to defenseless victims? To experience this, KTM has come up with a sparkling circuit for the KTM 1290 Super Duke R, starting from Marbella to Ronda and back over the smallest mountain roads.


KTM

Typically KTM: latticed tubular steel chassis, high-quality WP spring elements, finest Brembo brakes; The airbox above the engine, over which the 18-liter tank slips.

Ergonomically, the KTM 1290 Super Duke R feels very good: extremely slim, footrests and seat fit perfectly for big and small riders, and the tank, which is built up high in front of the body, doesn’t bother in any way. Handlebars and fittings can be quickly adjusted to personal requirements. All controls require little force, everything works very easily – at least when the vehicle is stationary.

Now comes the moment of truth, the pressure on the starter button is the start signal. Not excessively loud, but with a deep, powerful voice, the 1.3-liter two-cylinder roars. What is noticeable: The idling speed is not particularly low at over 1000 rpm, which is not surprising in view of the minimized centrifugal masses. If you listen carefully, you will see that every single combustion comes clean and even. A reference to sophisticated thermodynamic conditions and a successful mapping on the KTM 1290 Super Duke R..

The clutch and transmission work almost perfectly

The clutch and transmission of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R work almost perfectly in the first few meters: light, precise and noiseless. Let us initially approach the matter defensively and with due restraint. So on the polished, reflective asphalt in Marbella, just stroke the throttle at first, you don’t want to be standing across at the first roundabout. Despite the huge 108 pistons, the V2 is as soft as butter, can be controlled very sensitively and goes to work with almost unbelievable suppleness. Even just above idle, around 2000 rpm, it runs smoothly, we bubble cautiously through the city at barely more than 3000 rpm.

One more time to note: this engine has two huge pots with a single displacement of 650 cm³ and delivers 90 Euro 3 and everyday HP from each. This gives you an idea of ​​what might still be possible with the KTM single-cylinder. KTM lifts the smoothness to a level previously unimaginable for such high-performance V2 engines. This is made possible by technological leaps on the one hand, such as e-gas with electronically controlled throttle valve or double ignition with separate mapping for each spark plug, on the other hand, a lot of know-how in the design of the hardware and meticulous fine-tuning in the coordination.

But now we finally want to feel the power of this mega-twin, because outside of the city the roads become more grippy and the curves smoother. This asphalt strip, beautifully chiseled into the barren rock between Marbella and Ronda, is an incomparable experience for every motorcyclist, and a test field that promises to be intoxicating for the KTM hammer. So select third gear and then gradually wind up the gas. The short-stroke V2 feels really comfortable between 3000 and 7000 rpm. He hardly vibrates at all, is already developing bear strength and pushing out of the curves with power. Despite all the explosiveness, the front wheel of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R by no means obstructs your view. So you can absorb this unique thrust with all the fibers of your body – and you have only turned the gas halfway up.

Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R

Naked bike


KTM 1290 Super Duke R prototype in the driving report

Explosive mix of thump and speed

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Driving report KTM 1290 Super Duke R

Naked bike


KTM 1290 Super Duke R in the PS driving report

A real hammer on wheels

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Load seriously!

Courage gradually grows with trust. So now seriously load. Whatever happens then sets in motion a spontaneous adrenaline surge. The KTM 1290 Super Duke R extends its claws, the rider goes pale. The unfortunate Dunlop begs for mercy with black lines. You hardly feel it yourself, but you can permanently marvel at artistically valuable asphalt etchings by the people in front. The good grip of the tires, the traction resulting from the long swing arm and good balance, and the even engine characteristics prevent overly wild drifts and uncontrollable outbursts of violence.

A power naked bike from the ground up


KTM

This asphalt strip, beautifully carved into the barren rock, between Marbella and Ronda is an incomparable experience for every motorcyclist.

To which certainly a very inconspicuous, but diligent traction control contributes in the background. You can tell that after switching off electronic helpers, the engine grabs even harder under full thrust, as if more power was being released. In the sport mode, which is still sensitively controllable, the electronics allow considerable wheelies. Also in third gear, which, by the way, has been in it for at least 30 kilometers. Never shift gears again – the KTM 1290 Super Duke R comes close. Everything would probably be possible here in the fourth, this torque monster doesn’t care about anything anyway.

The chassis works in a similarly cooperative manner as the engine. Thank God the KTM 1290 Super Duke R is not a stripped super athlete, but designed from the ground up as a power-naked. That means a moderate geometry with not too short caster, which results in a round, stable driving behavior. Neutral and direct, never nervous and hectic. For this purpose, Dunlop designed a front tire with a low pitching moment, so that a mistaken line in a bogus curve can be corrected without violence. Even surprising emergency braking maneuvers in a considerable incline do not catapult you straight into the unsavory looking rock face.

The package is completed by high-quality WP spring elements with a wide adjustment range. Whereby it should be clear that committed pilots with such a powerhouse cannot drive a slack chassis setting, which means slight but tolerable compromises in comfort and responsiveness. A more progressive lever system might have given more leeway at the rear.

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Weaknesses of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R?

We come from such suspicions to the serious weaknesses of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R, such as the side stand that is difficult to feel when sitting. Or to the light switch that is often unintentionally activated during coupling. And finally to the temporary protective film on the swing arm that peel off after just two hours. The reader notices that the list is trying hard. It is annoying that the personal setting of the assistance systems has to be laboriously reprogrammed after each start. But there should soon be a dummy plug that prevents that.

Rumor has it that the first prototypes of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R were frightening, dangerous monster machines that could not have been let loose on humanity. It’s hard to believe what the KTM technicians have made of it in the series: not a cuddly toy, but also not an unpredictable beast. An ultra-powerful, yet sophisticated power-naked bike. That deserves the greatest respect.

Engine of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R.


KTM

Thanks to Formula 1 technology, the enlarged pistons are almost 50 grams lighter.

The basis of the mighty 1.3-liter engine is the 75-degree V2, which made its debut in the RC8 in 2008 with a displacement of 1148 cm³. In 2010 it got 1195 cm³ displacement and double ignition in the RC8 R and had a nominal output of 175 hp. In 2013 a tamed offshoot was developed for the 150 hp travel enduro 1190 Adventure. For the KTM 1290 Super Duke R. A piston that has grown from 105 to 108 millimeters but is 50 grams lighter, in combination with a two millimeter stroke extension, increases the displacement to 1301 cm³. Smaller intake ducts should bring more smooth running in the partial load range and push the torque peak into lower regions. The throttle valves, on the other hand, were enlarged and grew from 54 to 56 millimeters.


KTM

The KTM-V2 with an oil tank flanged to the front. An oil heat exchanger is located in the box on the front cylinder. In spite of the larger displacement, the intake ducts were made smaller and the throttle valves enlarged.

What is new compared to the system with double throttle valves of the RC8 is the real electric throttle, which actuates the individual valves by means of a servomotor. The throttle delivers the control signals. This opens up endless possibilities in voting.

The “transmission ratio” between the throttle grip and the throttle valve can be varied as required, and different responses are possible in different modes. The throttle valves always close a little softer, even if you brutally turn off the gas. At the lowest engine speeds they do not open fully, even at full throttle, this is the only way for this high-performance gunman to achieve this outstanding smoothness from idle.

facts and figures


KTM

Even just above idle, around 2000 rpm, it runs smoothly, we bubble cautiously through the city at barely more than 3000 rpm.

engine
Water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 75-degree V-engine, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves, bucket tappets, dry sump lubrication, injection, Ø 56 mm, regulated catalytic converter, battery 12 V / 11 Ah, hydraulically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch (anti -Hopping), six-speed gearbox, X-ring chain.
Bore x stroke: 108.0 x 71.0 mm
Displacement: 1301 cm³
Compression ratio: 13.2: 1
Rated output: 132.0 kW (180 PS) at 8870 rpm
Max. Torque: 144 Nm at 6500 rpm

landing gear
Steel tubular frame, load-bearing motor, upside-down fork, Ø 48 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, steering damper, single-sided swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut, directly hinged, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, double disc brake at the front, Ø 320 mm , Four-piston fixed calipers, rear disc brake, Ø 240 mm, two-piston fixed calipers, ABS, traction control.
Cast aluminum wheels: 3.50 x 17; 6.00 x 17
Tires: 120/70 ZR 17; 190/55 ZR 17

Mass and weight
Wheelbase 1482 mm, steering head angle 65.1 degrees, caster 107 mm, suspension travel front / rear 125/156 mm, seat height 835 mm, dry weight 189 kg, tank capacity / reserve 18.0 / 3.5 liters.

Guarantee: two years
Service intervals: every 15000 km
Colour: orange
Price: 15,495 euros

Driving report racing version


KTM

Loud, strong, fast: Super Duke in race trim with accessories from the KTM range.

The KTM 1290 Super Duke R also bears the suffix “R” because it contains racing genes that can be developed with just a few modifications or movements. On racetracks – especially on not so fast, narrowly winding ones – it can even counter attacks by committed clip-on racers. The former GP star Jeremy McWilliams documented this convincingly in relevant videos with wild drifts.

More moderate journalists were able to get an impression of it on the tricky slope in the Ascari Race Resort in Ronda. For this purpose, KTM had pepped up a few machines with accessories from the Power Parts range. Here, too, it is primarily the brutal thrust in the acceleration phase that inspires – hardly a superbike will be able to follow. It’s nice that you can rely on traction control, you need it. The more tightly tuned WP Racing suspension elements, slicks and a slightly higher rear end ensure a more aggressive set-up with more pressure on the front wheel. The stability is impeccable up to the 250 km / h achievable here. Sure, a real race bike is a bit more manageable and delivers more feedback from the front wheel due to the bent seating position and more extreme geometry in the limit area, but for a naked bike the KTM 1290 Super Duke R is sensationally light and manageable. Overtaking is difficult anyway: The pressure waves of the roaring Akrapovic system turn the slipstream into strong headwinds.

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