2017 KTM 1290 Super Duke R launch review

Nearly four years ago, Bikesales attended what was probably the blue-chip launch of the year when KTM unveiled its 1290 Super Duke R – the mightiest model in KTMs nakedbike range – over two spectacular days in southern Spain.

The launch was designed to showcase the machine's supreme capabilities as riders were first let loose on mountain passes followed by a chance to unleash the full amount of the bike's capabilities on a fast and flowing race track. Over those two days, we noted at the time that KTM pulled off a very rare coup by not only delivering a clever 'teaser' marketing campaign but also by delivering a bike that thoroughly justified the hype. In some case, it even exceeded it…

KTM coined the tag 'Beast' to describe the original 1290 Super Duke R (there's no standard version of the Super Duke, just the full-flavoured R incarnation), and the philosophy was mostly about taming all that ferocity – which, thanks to seamless and sophisticated electronics, wasn't a bridge too far. However, that whole taming process undersold the 1290 Super Duke R's refinement and precision across the board – it wasn't all about being a backstreet brawler and the bike could do mellow just as easily as rage.

Irrespective of your take on the Beast moniker, it's here to stay – and we’ve just tested the '2.0' version at the Australian media launch alongside the 2017 1290 Super Duke GT – the Duke R-based sportstourer. The one-day launch was broken into halves – a road ride on the GT and then a track-based session on the R.

And then on day two, we rode the latest versions of the baby Duke – the 390 and the fully faired RC390. We'll have reviews on all four bikes, and we'll begin with the 1290 Super Duke R.

Wide-ranging updates
As the first major update to the 1290 Super Duke R since it was launched in 2013, the 2017 1290 Super Duke R not only has a revised appearance with an LED headlight (with a heat sink to cool the LEDs), running lights and sharper bodywork, but KTM's gone to town on the now Euro 4 LC8 V-twin ride-by-wire engine with a 10mm shorter intake tract for a wider powerband and a higher compression ratio of 13.6:1 thanks to titanium inlet valves and new combustion chambers.

The 1290 is now activated by a new transponder system called KTM RACE ON, while the rider gets to look at a new multifunction TFT display and illuminated menu switch. Cruise control has now been added to the electronics suite, which includes three rider modes: Sport, Street (both delivering full power) and Rain (130hp/95kW). Tyre pressure monitoring is also standard, as is turn indicator reset.

The WP suspension now has harder springs front and rear for "high-speed excellence", matched to new Metzeler MR7RR supersport tyres. The wider (by 20mm) and lower (by 5mm) handlebars have also been moved forward to maintain the more aggressive stance.

2017 1290 SUPER DUKE R PRICE AND SPECS IN BIKE SHOWROOM

Track time
Sydney Motorsport Park's south circuit was the venue for the 1290 Super Duke R launch, under a beautiful winter sun. It's a tighter layout compared to the original circuit, so any designs on fully stretching the bike's legs – in a top gear sense – would have to be kept in check. And the Duke R can really stretch if it has to, even more so in its 2017 configuration with a higher 500rpm rev limit.

The essence of the LC8 engine remains its 75-degree, four-valves-per-cylinder V-twin configuration, with a 108mm bore and 71mm stroke creating 1301cc of pure adrenalin. Monster 56mm Keihin throttle bodies feed all that combustion anger. The peak power (177hp) is delivered at 9750rpm and peak torque is 141Nm at 7000rpm.

The circuit may have been tight, but the virtues of a bike that is light, manageable and easy to ride again came to the fore. Sometimes finding a rhythm on a race track can be difficult, especially if you're not a regular punter, but I felt right at home on the Super Duke R from the get go – not at a lap record-busting pace mind you, but a 'comfortable' stride nonetheless.

And that all gets back to the essence of what the Duke R really is: a bike that's just as comfortable being a pussy cat at road-legal speeds (even Australian ones!) as it is taking performance to the extreme.

The bike makes riding easy, thanks to the light-action power-assisted slipper clutch – KTM has just about perfected the soft clutch – a great gearbox and immaculate fuelling – a far cry from the early snatchy days of the LC8 engine.

The engine is flexible to the max, and taking corners a gear higher than usual wasn't a concern, particularly when I was roaming around in that excellent 4000-7000rpm zone. That region offers an excellent combination of power and torque, which equates to a furious amount of acceleration. At 4000rpm, the Super Duke R is already producing more than 120Nm of torque, so if you want to know why you can ride the R a gear higher there's your answer right there. And it's less hustle and bustle too, which suited me just fine.

The wider and lower handlebar does the job that KTM intended: hunkering the rider down even more, which equates to increased weight over the front wheel. According to KTM, it also helps the rider "resist the intense airstream rushing in at high speed". The handlebars also offer four levels of adjustability spanning 22mm.

Electronic wizardry
The resourcefulness of the engine and powder-coated steel trellis frame is enhanced by the awesome Brembo monobloc stoppers, so KTM has the 'spine' of the 1290 Super Duke GT extremely well sorted – which just leaves the electronics to make sure that sweet balance remains in place.

Leaving aside the optional 'Track' and 'Performance' packs for a moment, the standard 1290 Duke R package includes Bosch MTC (Motorcycle Traction Control) and cornering ABS. The former is either ‘on’ or ‘off’ but when ‘on’ it offers different levels of intervention depending on the selected ride mode, while anti-lock braking has ‘on’, ‘off’ or ‘Supermoto’ modes, the latter allowing a rider to lock the rear wheel and ‘back it in’ while retaining ABS on the front.

A few riders in the morning track session (we had alternate groups riding the Duke R and Duke GT) mentioned in passing that it was quite slippery with the OEM Metzeler MR7RR supersport tyres – but then again we're talking pilots of the calibre of former Aussie superbike star and MotoGP rider Mark Willis…

Sure, the rear broke away a few times during the five 20-minute track sessions, but the combination of a warmer track, some fresh rubber and a less frenetic pace served me well. Like any electronic system, MTC is not idiot proof, especially when the Duke R is bristling with such a huge amount of rage, but it is reassuring to know there's a sophisticated 'back room' just waiting to help you out if things do go pear-shaped.

Even more intensity
All but one of the 1290 Super Duke Rs were in standard trim at Sydney Motorsport Park, and the 'orphan' was fitted with the optional $799.99 'Performance Pack'. The electronic goodies in the pack are a two-way quickshifter, motor slip regulation and KTM MY RIDE for smartphone integration.

KTM describes motor slip regulation as the "opposite effect of traction control" by preventing the rear wheel from locking up when a rider gets in a bit of a pickle. I wasn't riding at such extremes to take advantage of MSR, but the quickshifter was superb on such a tight layout – just one less variable to worry about.

There's also an optional 'Track Pack' for $599.99 and this one includes launch control, more aggressive mapping, including a Track option, and the anti-wheelie mode disengaged.''

If you want to take performance to another level again, KTM's PowerParts catalogue offers a wide choice of race parts, including wave discs, front crash pads, race seat, adjustable rear sets, carbon protection, and Akrapovic exhaust. To check out the 1290 Super Duke R PowerParts catalogue, click here.

Someone who's enjoying the competitive juices of the 1290 Super Duke R at the moment is American-based expatriate Aussie Rennie Scaysbrook, who's competing in the 2017 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado on one. Keep abreast of how he goes here.

The new TFT dashboard is a beauty, more than big enough to display all the information without looking messy, and the brightness of the display adjusts automatically to the ambient light.

Obviously, you’re not digesting as much information on a race track as the open road, but the TFT dash rounds off what is a classy and refined package.

Summing up
Is there a nakedbike that makes a bigger statement than the 1290 Super Duke R? It does fast with absolute aplomb, but doesn't lose interest when the pace drops to a more sedate level.

That's a sign of a beautifully engineered motorcycle which oozes refinement, precision and class, and is not all about being a backstreet brawler – although there is that element of endless power! The ingredients are just right, and the finish is superb.

From the moment I cranked over the machine for the first time and took in that throaty burble, until I parked it in the garage at Sydney Motorsport Park, the 1290 Super Duke R delivered a beautiful ride experience.

Now for an extended road ride…