THE BEAST 2.0
CW FIRST RIDE
KTM'S 1290 SUPER DUKE R WANTS YOUR BRAIN
Bradley Adams
SCIENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE HUMAN BRAIN IS ONE OF THE MOST complex structures in the universe. Engrossed with receptors and neurons, it’s wired in a way that, when presented with an object that appears useful or satisfying, it’ll force you to feel drawn to that thing. You’ll want it. Need it. Be unable to take your eyes off it. It’s the reason I don’t set foot in a grocery store hungry, and also why I’m sitting here at the Losail International Circuit having a staring contest with KTM’s 1290 Super Duke R. My body feels the need for going fast, and my brain knows just the thing to take it there.
CHARACTERS
Five minutes and I’ll be on track. Cue the endorphins.
Before I get ahead of myself, allow me to back up and say, I didn’t think KTM needed to update its Super Duke R. Introduced in 2014, the bike has already become something of an icon. The platform had the smallest of shortcomings, ones that you could easily ride around and quickly forget about. Comfortable, fast, and fun, it was a clear competitor for the naked-bike class crown since the day it rolled off KTM’s design board. And been a dominant force ever since.
Emissions regulations and KTM’s fear of becoming comfortable with “good enough” warranted change though. Which brings me back to the bike sitting in front of me, a bike nipped of its gratuitous bits, with engine updates for even more power and a refined electronics package to keep all that built-in brutishness in check.
Peak power is up over the old bike (by a claimed 4 hp), though Henrik Wiese, the head of KTM’s LC8 engine platform,
suggests the biggest change is engine smoothness below 5,000 rpm, improved fuel economy, and a 500-rpm-higher rev ceiling. This is made possible through small updates, including tomm-shorter inlet funnels, new titanium intake valves, and resonator chambers on the cylinder heads, which create a whirl effect and disturb the flow of gases into the combustion chamber, thus creating
a better air/fuel mixture for improved combustion. Thanks to a stiffer crank design, KTM also talks about improved reliability (bearings will have an easier life) and reduced vibration.
Electronics received like attention, KTM updating the bike with leanangle-sensitive traction control and an optional Motor Slip Regulation system (previously, the Super Duke R’s IMU only supplied information for the Cornering ABS, a system that’s been carried over for 2017).
SPECS
2017 KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R
BASE PRICE: $17,999 ENGINE: Liquidcooled V-twin DISPLACEMENT: 1301cc SEAT HEIGHT: 32.9 in FUEL CAPACITY: 4.8 gal. CLAIMED WET WEIGHT: 430 lb.
Riding modes include Sport, Street, and Rain, though you can now upgrade to an optional Track Pack, which adds track mode with launch control, antiwheelie-off setting, throttle-response selection, and MTC spin adjuster, which enables you to manipulate allowable wheelspin from Levels l to g.
Cruise control is standard, but you’ll have to upgrade to KTM’s Performance Pack if you want to add the up/downcapable Quickshifter+ system, KTM My Ride (which connects your phone to the bike’s new TFT display through Bluetooth), and previously mentioned MSR system, which is essentially a cornerentry TC system (more on that later).
The Super Duke’s 48mm WP Suspension fork has stiffer springs, while the shock has been revalved, ultimate goal being a good balance between on-road comfort and racetrack performance. It can’t all be apexes and checkered flags.
KTM has updated the handlebar position and shape. That bar is 20mm wider, 5mm lower, and positioned 18.5mm farther forward, which KTM hopes will keep you hunkered down and out of the wind (you won’t). That new shape also solves a problem I had with the old bike, which was with the ultra-short bar forcing me to rest my hands on its ends in canyon riding.
I never had other big complaints with the previous-generation Super Duke R. The electronics were heavy handed, but the bike was an absolute torque monster, handled well enough, and was super comfortable. Did I mention it was a torque monster? By comparison, the
new bike feels more refined. It’s still ungodly powerful, but it’s got even sharper lines, more precise electronic-rider-aid intervention, and refined suspension action. It’s a matured, smarter version of the bike we’d already fallen in love with. And it’s a truly fantastic machine.
Our street ride was limited to the roads near our hotel but shined light on engine smoothness in lower revs.
The ergonomics don’t feel dramatically different, which is good considering I initially expected them to feel too race-y. At the same time, the new TFT dash is easy to navigate and easy to read regardless of the sun’s glare.
Like the old bike, this Duke has splitpersonality syndrome; it’s friendly around town but willing and able to do
kll I VI I ■ Testing KTM’s launch control system
With a claimed 75 pound-feet of torque at as low as 2,500 rpm, the 1290 Super Duke R is a handful to launch sans electronics. Enter KTM’s new launch control and wheelie control systems.
In a mock dragstrip race, electronics off,
I got in what you could consider to be a noholds-barred fistfight with the bike, my mind trying to figure out if I should short-shift, climb over the front, feather the clutch, or hit the rear brake. Pretty soon I was into the rev limiter because, oh, yeah, I was supposed to pay attention to that too. The result wasn’t pretty.
New electronic systems on, revs are kept at 6,500 rpm and overall excitement to a minimum. I got out of the box easy, the front stayed down, and shifts were nailed.
Launch control is hardly a daily need, but including it is proof of KTM’s evolving understanding of rider aids and the importance of predictable, proficient intervention. Neat.
very, very bad things if and when you’re in need of a little fun. That second (better) personality comes out on the track, where the bike quickly reminds you of KTM’s “Ready to Race” slogan and does a fantastic job of conserving front tires. Effortless front-straight-long wheelies? Yeah, it does that.
The updated WP Suspension feels street soft but also more controlled through its travel, with better bump
absorption—refined. You could probably tinker with the settings if and when you head to the track (you’re taking it there, right?), but as a whole they're an improvement over the already capable bits on the previous-generation Duke in terms of action.
The updated electronics are immediately noticeable. In Track mode, I experimented with everything from MTC Level 7 to l and noticed that the system’s
cut felt shorter than before. Part of what makes a modern traction control system “good” is its ability to recognize slip early, run through the list of possible reactions in the shortest amount of time possible, and then make the necessary cuts as quickly as possible. This system does that while at the same time allowing for more slip than earlier KTM systems. This is a result of it better understanding what’s going on and not having to be overly cautious. Rather than, “I think we’re sliding. I’m not sure, but let’s be safe and make a cut just in case,” it says, “Well we’re at X lean angle and X throttle position, we might start to spin soon, but we’re okay for another X degrees of throttle opening.” Smarter.
It may seem small, but the engine's extra 500 rpm is a big benefit as well, those revs enabling you to hold on to a gear between corners without making friends (enemies) with the rev limiter. That makes things less busy at the track, as you’re not working the bike's transmission and imperfect auto-blip downshift as frequently. Put simply, those usable revs add flexibility to an already very flexible and fun powerplant.
As for the other electronic systems,
I appreciated having wheelie control separate in Track mode but found the system to be inconsistent (a likely result of how it reacts dependent on lean
KTM'S 1290 SUPER DUKE R TRACKBIKE This one’s really ready to race
Want to turn your 1290 Super Duke R into a trackbike? Easy. Just take a quick dip into KTM’s PowerParts catalog, filled with everything from crash parts and race seat, to rearsets and full Akrapovic exhaust system.
KTM mounted up a few of these PowerParts pieces and more to a bike I’d spend a session aboard at Losail. Noticeable change? With the fork cartridge kit, shock, triple clamp, and slick Dunlop rubber, the Duke felt more planted as I tipped into a corner and willingly carried massive amounts more lean angle with absolute confidence. Brakes seemed to have more feel and power, while fueling off the bottom felt perfectly crisp with the closed-course map.
A dealer needs to install the exhaust and program said map (included with exhaust, alongside block-off plates). That will register the bike for closed-course use, and from there you’re on your own to mount up and buy whatever other
angle) and preferred it off. Meanwhile, the Motor Slip Regulation system, which opens the throttle butterflies on decel to prevent the rear tire from locking up, gave me a good feeling for grip on corner entry. My only disappointment with MSR is that, because the system pulls information from the ABS, turning that system off or switching over to Supermoto mode also disables MSR. And I really, really like Supermoto
mode... If not because of how it frees up the rear wheel for slides, then for its reduced hold on the front. The beautiful thing about the Super Duke R is that it doesn’t matter how you ride it. Leave the electronics on. Turn the electronics off. Cruise around town. Terrorize apexes at a track. Or throw your better half on the back and go for a big two-up ride. It's content everywhere. Personally, I’d throw on a windscreen
and turn it into a commuter while still taking it to the occasional trackday.
No matter how you intend to use a Super Duke R, if you’ve ever considered opening up a spot in your garage for one, now is the time. The 2017 model hasn’t taken a single step in the wrong direction and is one of the most versatile and capable naked bikes ever.
Riding one is simply good for the brain. CTU
