By Nick Zarras | Managing Editor
Each turn of the media page brings smiles to a motorcyclist. One of the most popular model designs is the naked bike “street fighter”. Naked bikes are now hybrids between the ergonomics of a dual sport and a remade version of their high performance sport bike brethren. KTM dramatically upped the ante by increasing the capacity of their 1190 cc RC8 R Supersport/Superbike engine to the new 1301 cc displacement power plant for the 2014 KTM 1290 Super Duke R. They added a PASC hydraulic operated anti-hopping clutch and a tubular space frame of powder coated chrome molybdenum steel. Brembo brakes now grace the wheels, managed by the Bosch 9 M+ anti-lock braking system. A WP suspension Upside down front fork and rear Monoshock coupled to a single-sided swingarm round out the suspension. All this is to “tame the beast” to make it easy to live with.
Naked bikes are usually taller but the KTM 1290 Super Duke R is an easy mount. The seat is fixed at 32.8 in/835mm. Like the RC8 R the KTM 1290 Super Duke R’s ergonomics are adjustable. There are two handlebar positions, the hand brake lever, the clutch lever, the footrests, the foot brake lever, the shift lever can be tailored to your needs. The adjustments from the factory fit me so I made no changes.
The instrument cluster is highly visible with a state-of-the-art display from VDO. The core data is in the central instrument display with an analog tachometer, with adjustable gearshift light, and an LCD display. The display highlights the digital speedometer, with a clock, large gear indicator, and bar graphs for coolant , fuel level and selected ride mode. The second LCD display on the left of the central display shows menus pages to setup the on board computer and has additional display information. The left switch array has four control keys on the mode switch. The up and down button scrolls the selector window, the set button sets your choice, and the return button brings you back to your previous window. Once you select a menu choice it will ask you to confirm the choice.
On the left LCD you can select one of three road modes using the mode switch. Each mode interfaces with the ride-by-wire system to influence the responsiveness of the engine, and the level of MTC (Motorcycle Traction Control) intervention. The MTC is a lean sensitive system that monitors rear wheel speed. It reacts in milliseconds to reduce engine output to smooth out power to reduce slippage based on ride mode and current angle of lean. Traction control can be shut off if desired.
In the Street and Sport mode the engine is allowed to develop 180 hp/106 ft-lb torque. In Sport mode the MTC system allows the most wheel slip and drift at a full power setting. This is where I kept it most of the time. In Street mode the power comes in smoother, with a bit more traction control intervention which is excellent for daily riding. In Rain mode the available engine power is reduced to 100 hp with earlier traction control intervention allowing minimal slip. In “Supermoto” mode ABS is kept on the front wheel but deactivated on the rear wheel. The Bosch 9M+ two channel anti-lock braking modulates brake pressure to prevent brake lockup thus greatly shortens braking distance while providing optimum motorcycle control.
These modes provide leading edge assistance to the rider. The ride-mode, ride-by-wire, lean-sensitive traction control (MTC) and Bosch 9M+ two channel ABS allows the average rider a much higher level of safety while performing at the KTM 1290 Super Duke R’s higher level of road performance.
The Road Test: I went out with Gary Koslowski and due to this day’s higher temperatures we decided to go to Mount Charleston National Park for the test. The test ride was 125 miles. On the road the KTM 1290 Super Duke is sort of the wild child of the KTM line. It feels more aggressive on the road, more of a growl in its mechanics, turns on a dime and gives you nine cents change. Yet ergonomically it feels narrower, full adjustability of controls and pegs, a nice short reach to the handlebars, and great foam on the seat. There is the dichotomy. Here we have a light weight, highly powerful naked bike that visually is in the super bad category and has the chassis and engine toback it up, but on a daily basis is easy to live with.
At 416.7 lbs./189 kgs it feels very light. Immediately the feel of the bike was familiar to its RC8 R lineage. The transmission shifted like the RC8 R sport bike. Low speed turns with the wider bars and management systems are very easy. The WP suspension and new single-sided swingarm provides the right balance of flex and stiffness. There is a stability that gives you the confidence to push it on any road at any lean angle without concern.
On the road I was surprised at how well the front end design of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R provides good wind protection. Even though it was a hot day I did not feel any appreciable heat off the engine or off the exhaust. The exhaust system houses the catalytic converter and not only has a great sound at the right level, but contributes to the bike’s extremely smooth torque curve.
The KTM 1290 Super Duke R’s tall gearing allows you the flexibility to run at any rpm level at highways speeds. Sixth gear at 4000 rpms puts you at around 75 mph. In the mountains the bike just flows through the turns. The bike’s linear power curve from 2000 rpms up gives you instant acceleration without having to downshift. 4000 rpms seems to be the sweet spot. The slipper clutch worked flawlessly, not allowing any rear wheel chatter. The added plus is that only one finger pressure is needed to actuate the hydraulic clutch. The strong torque curve allowed me to keep the bike mostly in one gear. The perceived lightness of the bike in the turns just facilitated the timing of my lines and power inputs.
One of the niceties of the suspension design is the light alloy single-sided swingarm. It provides good flex dynamics and stiffness. The WP front telescopic fork is fully adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping. The left fork controls compression and the right rebound damping. The rear WP gas shock has an external remote reservoir with independent low and high speed compression and rebound adjustability. Brembo front twin-disc brakes with 320 mm and radially mounted M50 four-piston monoblock fixed calipers, and a rear single-disk 240 mm two-piston caliper provided more than ample braking for any situation. The Dunlop Sportsmart tires provided highly predictable steering, with excellent grip and stability instilling great rider confidence. This setup provided great road control and ride comfort.
The Super Duke R has excellent design stability and does not need a steering damper on a smooth road, but KTM provided a hydraulic steering damper from WP Suspensions to provide that added safety margin. Overall each part of the package minimizes rider effort which increases positive ride dynamics for a more enjoyable ride.
I headed back on I-95 in heavy traffic that was keeping an unusually very high speed flow. The light weight, strong mid-range torque allowed me to filter through the unpredictable tourist traffic patterns, increasing my safety. At higher speeds the bike continued to display excellent road manners.
So this test was my vacation time, on a light weight superbike in God’s country. The 1290 Super Duke R is the most aggressive bike in KTM’s lineup, yet is highly civilized and forgives the rider’s mistakes. It is also easy to live with as the Super Duke only needs to be serviced every 9000 miles/15000 km. With an observed fuel economy of 38 mpg on unleaded premium fuel and a 4.76 gallon/18 liter fuel tank, the Super Duke can provide many miles of smiles before fill-up.
When I tested the 2013 KTM 1190 Adventure R I though it was the best bike KTM produced, now the 2014 KTM 1290 Super Duke R has claimed that title. Its addictive engine, precise handling, electronics, and ergonomics won the title. My thanks to Carter Powersports Las Vegas (6275 S. Decatur Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89118, phone: 702.795.2000,
www.carterpowersports.com) for the use of their KTM 1290 Super Duke R for this road test.
Ride Safe my friend...
Clear skies, clear roads....
