2020 KTM 1290 Super Duke R Launch Review

With a small shove of the 'bar the 2020 KTM 1290 Super Duke R tipped effortlessly into the sweeping uphill right-hander, my upper body straining against the forces involved in punching a high-performance naked bike through the cool and still morning air. With one session down, I knew that beyond the rapidly approaching blind crest lay a ribbon of grippy, positive-camber tarmac, and a flowing continuous-radius turn that would slingshot me onto the main straight of Portugal's sublime Portimao circuit.

Portimao, or the Autodromo Internacional de Algarve, is a shrine to speed guaranteed to test any machine to its limits. And while I was on the cusp of finding my own, this ballistic Austrian bike – now cranked on its ear, its digital speedo spinning like a slot machine – was merely coaxing me to try harder, to exploit even more of its breath-taking potential, if I dared.

Of course, then someone like three-time Pikes Peak winner Chris Fillmore (see video below) or grand prix legend Jeremy McWilliams scythes past and all but sucks the decals off my own Super Duke R's bodywork, and I'm reminded of my place in the hierarchy of motorcycledom.

Thing is, whatever your pace, riding this bike feels so damn great, makes you feel so damn good, you'll think you're up there in the pantheon of racing greats, even when your lap times clearly beg to differ…

Last year marked 25 years of KTM's Duke family. While the lineage began with the supermoto-style, single-cylinder 620 Duke in 1995, the first V-twin Super Duke 990 appeared in 2005, before the original 'Beast', as KTM christened it – the 1290 Super Duke R – was unleashed in 2013. An update followed in 2017, leading KTM to denote this 2020 KTM 1290 Super Duke R as 'the Beast 3.0'.

I was fortunate enough to be there for the birth of the first Beast at Spain's Ascari circuit and I've ridden the current model too, but heading into the media launch for the latest iteration of KTM's flagship streetfighter had one question nagging away in the back of my mind: why mess with an already brilliant bike?

The answer sheds light on why KTM has achieved the trajectory of success it has over the past quarter century. This company knows complacency offers nothing but a steady slide into obscurity – and in a segment as crowded and as hotly contested as high-performance naked bikes, for KTM that's not an option…

This latest model then is simply the next step in KTM's ongoing product offensive, and one that KTM Super Duke R product manager Hermann Sporn says achieves a double-edged victory: it's better both on the track and on the road.

In order to accomplish this seemingly contradictory feat, KTM thrust virtually every component under the microscope. This isn't simply a tarted-up version of what's gone before – KTM says 90 per cent of the 1290 Super Duke R is new or improved.

Related reading:
Updated 2020 KTM 1290 Super Duke R imminent
2017 KTM 1290 Super Duke R launch review
2014 KTM 1290 Super Duke R launch review

While the output of the 1301cc 75-degree 'LC8' V-twin may be relatively unchanged, with maximum outputs of 180hp at 9500rpm (up 3hp) and 140Nm at 8000rpm (down 1Nm), the engine is now lighter and features top-feeder injectors for better high-speed fuel atomization and, subsequently, better high-speed performance.

The airbox is 2.8lt bigger and fed by a ram-air system with an intake centrally located between the two new headlights, while a new exhaust with two catalytic converters makes this Euro4-compliant model fully ready for Euro5 (for which it will be approved from 2021). Despite the twin-cat setup, the total exhaust system is now 1kg lighter.

The slipper clutch has been improved as has the PANKL six-speed gearbox, which is now said to offer smoother, faster shifts and can be switched between road and race patterns by changing a couple of bolts. The performance of the optional bi-directional quick-shifter is improved too, says KTM.

But perhaps the single biggest headline concerns the chassis. It's an all-new chromoly-steel trellis and is not, as some have speculated, merely lifted from the now-defunct RC8 sportsbike. It has new mounting points for the engine, which it now carries 38mm higher, but most importantly KTM says it offers three times the torsional rigidity for an optimal blend of handling and feedback.

It's mated with a new lightweight aluminium/carbon-composite subframe while the ergonomics feature a mild revision – the 835mm seat height continues but the tapered alloy handlebar is now set marginally lower and further forward.

The swingarm is also new, stiffer, and has a higher pivot point, while the Beast now rides on new WP Apex suspension comprising a 48mm inverted fork up front and a piggyback monoshock at the rear. The latter now boasts a linkage instead of a direct setup and that affords extra travel and better cooling of the shock's oil, says KTM.

Both ends are fully adjustable (with high and low-speed compression damping on the monoshock) via manual adjustors. The lack of semi-active suspension may surprise some, but in Portugal KTM Super Duke R product chief, Hermann Sporn, told us it could well be considered down the track as part of the model's on-going evolution.

The front stoppers now comprise Brembo's radial-mount, four-piston, monobloc Stylema calipers and unsprung mass has been reduced with lighter five-spoke alloy rims.

Even the Beast's minimalist bodywork has gone on a diet, with precious grams shaved from the centre portions of various panels. All up KTM says the new 1290 Super Duke R's weight is down by 6kg to 189kg (dry), while the fuel tank's capacity has shrunk by 2lt to 16lt, due largely to the increase in airbox capacity.

On the electronics front, the somewhat clunky menu system and display of the old bike has made way for a slick 5.0-inch TFT unit with an all-new menu system, with input provided via new switchblock button layouts. Bluetooth connectivity and the associated KTM MY RIDE smartphone app provide additional functions like turn-by-turn navigation, audio streaming, call management and more.

The latest Bosch 9.1 MP 2.0 Cornering ABS now adds a Supermoto ABS mode, to fully disengage ABS from the rear wheel if desired, while the switchable and multi-level traction control system now has a 6D sensor arrangement that monitors yaw (or drift) as well as lateral and longitudinal movement, for even greater precision, safety and smoother intervention.

The Beast is fairly bristling with advanced rider aids, including wheelie control (either on or off – there's no mid setting) and launch control, and comes standard with Rain, Street, Sport and Track ride modes, plus an optional Performance mode (that is similar to Track but allows the rider to access KTM MY RIDE features as well).

Track mode allows the nine-level traction control setting to be altered on the fly via paddle buttons on the left-hand 'bar, while a new switch on the right-hand switchblock gives access to two custom setups at the touch of a button (like your preferred track and street settings). It's all next-level stuff, and a major key to the Beast's appeal for reasons we'll get to shortly.

It's a long list of changes and there are plenty more minor details I haven't delved into here, but the end result is a generational shift for the Super Duke R that KTM says delivers improved handling, even more accessible performance, greater adjustability, more sophisticated electronics, and ultimately a more responsive, thrilling and confidence-inspiring ride – one where the connection between rider and machine is stronger and more intuitive than ever before.

To put all these bold claims to the test, Bikesales was part of the international media contingent that descended on Portimao in Portugal's southern Algarve region, for a cool but ultimately dry day that saw us taking to the 4.7km track in the morning followed by a road loop through the hills that afternoon.

The two scenarios showcased the bike's multifaceted character to great effect – and highlighted how the KTM 1290 Super Duke R actually offers a far more diverse spread of ability than its self-proclaimed 'Beast' tag suggests.

Of course, it's a justifiable moniker for any naked with this sort of power-to-weight ratio and towering torque: with 120Nm on tap from 4500rpm and 115Nm still cranking out at its 10,500rpm redline, the 1290 Super Duke R blasts its way out of corners with the conviction of an Exocet missile.

And it's got long, long legs. At 100km/h in sixth the LC8 ticks over at just 3250rpm, but at this engine speed it feels more comfortable in fifth or even fourth gear. Still, bang on that throttle in top gear at 160km/h and the Super Duke R surges forwards – it packs a mighty punch.

But this performance is only half the story, as its roomy ergonomics and superb new seat make it an easy proposition to ride at street-legal speeds. It's a bike for all moods and multiple situations, from fangs-out track time to sports road riding – even commuting, if need be.

That effortless grunt is key. Just as KTM had hinted, around Portimao I found I could go a gear or even two higher through many corners, and that takes a bit of getting used to. You can be ultra-lazy with that slick gearbox or be up it for the rent – the choice is yours.

For me, the new bike's chassis and suspension package is the highlight. All those many changes have produced a ride that is, paradoxically, firmer and more responsive, yet without being harsh. It tips in with remarkably little effort – another aspect that takes some acclimatisation – while the rear-end refuses to squat under hard acceleration, addressing one of very few criticisms levelled at its predecessor.

It's just a picture of composure; once committed, even crappy backroads and big mid-apex bumps aren't enough to shake it from its laser-guided line, yet it will flick through chicanes with the agility of a gazelle.

Also playing their part are new Bridgestone Battlax S22 tyres with a carcass construction specifically tuned for this model. On the track and in the hills this rubber only added to the all-round sense of confidence; they never put a foot wrong.

Those high-spec Brembo Stylema front stoppers have all the power and feel in the world, and the quick-shifter earns its keep when exploring the bike's performance potential. Seems a bit of a shame that it's an option on a bike like this, although the list of bog-stock gear does run to niceties like electronic cruise control.

The bike's new menu system is another big step up and the TFT display looks trick and is easy to read – it moves up or down (with the accessory flyscreen, if fitted) to reduce glare as required, and the new (and backlit) button layout is a vast improvement.

And the various rider aids are less intrusive and smoother in operation when they do kick in – which they did on many occasions around the Portimao circuit. That spells confidence and allows you to ride harder but safer, maximising riding enjoyment and allowing you to tailor the bike to suit your mood, your skill, and the conditions at hand.

Still, this is no beginner's bike – it delivers blistering performance and as such demands an appropriate level of respect – but its forgiving nature, smart rider aids and wide range of adjustment open the Super Duke R experience up to an even broader spread of mere mortals.

Because you don't have to be a Chris Fillmore, or a Jeremy McWilliams or Alex Hofmann for that matter (who were all in attendance at Portimao), to hop off the KTM 1290 Super Duke R with a grin your helmet can't contain. Journos new and old were all sporting demented smiles at Portimao, ones that persisted long after the adrenalin rush finally subsided.

As for gripes, my biggest (of few) would be that the reduced fuel capacity will shorten the Super Duke R's range, which seems a pity given the added comfort of that new seat. At the end of the road ride the trip computer was reading an average of 7.5lt/100km, spelling an effective range of somewhere approaching 200km. The pace was, err, brisk – we'll reserve final judgement until we test one locally.

The mirrors blur a bit – hardly surprising for a big V-twin – but by and large the vibration is nicely muted, partnering with the pleasingly raucous stock exhaust note to give the KTM 1290 Super Duke R a wonderfully visceral edge.

And for taller riders, like myself (188cm), it's a hell of a job to hang on at higher (say 200km/h-plus) track speeds. KTM offers an accessory flyscreen, and it made quite an appreciable difference when I sampled a bike fitted with it on the road ride.

On that note, there's a mountain of KTM PowerParts accessories on offer, including race suspension, a race pipe, an adjustable WP steering damper (as opposed to the standard non-adjustable one), soft luggage – it goes on and on.

Other than its menu system and a temperamental fuel gauge, I didn't honestly think there was anything wrong with the old KTM 1290 Super Duke R. It was, and is, a brilliant sports naked. Then KTM goes and produces the Beast 3.0, and in an instant the old one looks, well, just that – a bit old.

The 2020 KTM 1290 Super Duke R is a new and improved Beast on every front – it's sharper than ever, yet even more forgiving and safer too, with cutting-edge features and electronics that will see it remain on top of its game.

KTM Australia says the new 1290 Super Duke R will be storming local showrooms from April, with Aussie pricing to be announced closer to that release. Book in a test ride – we dare you – because this is one seriously superb motorcycle, both on the track and on the road.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, eight-valve, 75-degree 'LC8' V-twin
Capacity: 1301cc
Bore x stroke: 108mm x 71mm
Compression ratio: 13.5:1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 180hp (132kW) at 9500rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 140Nm at 8000rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed PANKL with quick-shifter
Clutch: Wet multi disc, slipper
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Chromoly steel tubular trellis with aluminium-carbon-composite sub-frame
Front suspension: WP APEX 48mm inverted fork, fully adjustable, 125mm travel
Rear suspension: WP APEX monoshock, fully adjustable, 140mm travel
Front brakes: Twin 320mm discs with Brembo Stylema radial-mount, four-piston, monobloc calipers (Cornering ABS equipped)
Rear brake: 240mm disc with Brembo twin-piston caliper (Cornering ABS equipped)
Tyres: Bridgestone Battlax S22
Tyre sizes: 120/70ZR17 front, 200/55ZR17 rear

DIMENSIONS
Rake: 25.2 degrees
Trail: 106mm
Claimed dry weight: 189kg
Wheelbase: 1497mm
Ground clearance: 160mm
Seat height: 835mm
Fuel capacity: 16 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: TBA
Colours: Orange or black
Bike supplied by: KTM