KTM teased us with the 1290 Super Duke R Prototype last year and the production model was long awaited. Finally the Austrian motorcycle company has lifted the covers of its hyper motorcycle which as you can see, looks the part. The styling can immediately be related to the Duke as many design elements are present in this motorcycle. But the 1290 doesn’t use the ‘Super’ and ‘R’ words in its name for nothing. The KTM Super Duke 1290 really packs in a massive punch, enough to make your heart skip multiple beats every time you twist your right wrist.
Powering the KTM 1290 Super Duke R is a 1301cc, V-Twin engine which produces 180 BHP of power at 8870 RPM and 144 Nm of torque, out of which 100 Nm is available from just 2500 RPM. The twin-cylinder motor redlines at 12,000 RPM. Factor in the weight of just 189 kgs (dry) and you get a rough idea about the insane performance this machine will offer. Forget 0-100 km/hr (under 3 seconds), the Duke 1290 can be better summed up by talking about its 0-200 km/hr time, which is just 7.2 seconds, insane, you bet. That’s faster than even a Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 which packs in 700 PS of power!! (0-200 km/hr in around 8.6 seconds).
However it’s not just the performance of the KTM 1290 that makes it a Super Duke, everything in this bike is extreme. With the capability to do such insane speeds, stopping power is extremely important and KTM has given the 1290 Brembo M50 Calipers with 320 mm discs. There is a Supermoto mode which disables the ABS at the rear which lets you back it into corners. Other riding modes include Sport and Rain. This jet fighter on two wheels also gets a slipper clutch, ride-by-wire and traction control. KTM states that the top speed “depends on the rider’s courage and figure” but we estimate it to be around 280 km/hr.
Components which are part of every Duke are naturally there like upside-down forks at the front, suspension made by WP, steel trellis frame (powder coated Chromium-Molybdenum-Steel trellis frame in the 1290), etc. You need to run the 1290 Super Duke on 95 octane fuel and the tank capacity is 18-litres. Expect a mileage in single digits (8-9 km/l). The KTM 1290 Super Duke R competes with the Aprilia Tuono V4 R (165 BHP, 111.5 Nm) and BMW K1300R (173 BHP, 140 Nm).
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