Hi guys and girls,
So by reading the title you would have probably guessed, my Yamaha R1 is no longer, it has been replaced. It has been replaced by an entirely different beast, one that was even nicknamed the beast by KTM's marketing. The KTM Super Duke 1290R.
Why KTM?
Now why did i pick this bike in particular? I was always fascinated with Vtwins even since I tried a Honda VTR 1000 Firestorm out a few years back, the responsiveness and the sound baffled me. When KTM introduced the Super Duke 1290R I was immediately interested, however at the time I wasn't in the position to actually purchase one. After living with a super bike for 2 years something more suited to the uneven, bumpy public roads seemed to be a breath of fresh air to be, and the KTM ticks all the boxes.
So whats it like to ride?
My first impressions sitting on the bike was "What the hell is this?" the seating position couldn't be more different from a sports bike, that was to be expected, however the seating position also feels different from most naked bikes. The only way I could describe the seating position is a mix between an enduro bike and a naked bike. Its strange but you get used to it.
Moving off and I struggled to think why this bike was named the beast, its manors were impeccable, fuelling much better than my 2008 Yamaha R1 which i had previously. I could feel the torque but didn't think the bike would kill me. However flick the mode into sport and grab a hand full of throttle and that soon changes. There is literally instant power on tap from the 1301cc power plant, surprisingly there is even a rush of power in the last couple of thousand revs at the top end where usually most other Vtwins would be dying off in the power band. Even with wheelie control on, the front wheel struggled to keep itself planted, you can tell this is a bike with two sides to its character.
Its all about the engine then? Well no, I always knew the engine would impress me, its a 1301cc vtwin, what wouldn't there be to like? The thing that impressed me so much about the Super Duke was the ride and handling. The quality WP suspension absorbs bumps which would have been knocking me out of my seat on my old R1. This would normally indicate that the suspension is really soft and it would compromise handling, but again no. In the corners the Super Duke turns in faster and feels more planted than any of the sports bikes i have ridden before, its something you wouldn't believe until you've tried it. Also the brakes, it has the best of the best, Brembo M50 monoblock calipers. Although some reviews say sometimes the ABS kicks in a little too early and the brakes don't feel quite as good as maybe the brakes on the Aprilia Tuono V4R, I certainly haven't noticed any problems, you can pull off 1 finger braking with ease.
What else did I consider?
The KTM wasn't the only bike I looked at, surprise, surprise the mighty Super Duke has some fierce naked competition. I would say the 2 other favourites in my line up were the Yamaha MT10 and the Aprilia Tuono V4R.
Why not the Yamaha MT10? Well this was a close one, the MT10 has been praised so much in reviews and has pretty much sold out in the first year it was introduced. The crossplane engine has one of the best sounds in motorcycling at the moment in my opinion. However reviews have said the suspension is ever so slightly budget and the brakes are not bad, but not brilliant. However the key factor for me was that although i don't think the MT10 is a bad looking bike, its certainly striking, but i felt it doesn't look stunning, not like the KTM is.
Why not the Aprilia Tuono V4R? Again the Aprilia has a stonking engine, a 1100cc V4 which makes it very unique in character and sound. Unlike the Yamaha MT10 I think the Aprilia looks stunning, much like its race bred RSV4 cousin. The Aprilia has been frequently on top of the naked class shoot outs and is regarded by many as the best naked bike you can buy. So why didn't I get one? A couple of reasons, firstly the Tuono factory, which is the one i would want to get is quite a bit more expensive than a used KTM Superduke 1290. Secondly the guys at the KTM Centre in Hemel Hempstead (where I got my Super Duke from) were so nice and accommodating, and they had a ex demo 2016 model with 900 miles on it. I am a sucker for good service, so I purchased the bike there and then after the test ride.
Should you get one?
If you like bikes that will literally rip your arms out of the socket under acceleration, but still have the road manors of a learner bike when you want to go through town peacefully. This bike is for you. Even if you have always been a sports bike fanatic (I was before I rode this) give the KTM a try, it will surprise you. Unless you are trying to set the fastest lap records on the race track, you can keep your super bikes, i would rather take this any day! Try and get a test ride on one if you can, you won't regret the experience. If you have any questions about this bike, please do comment! We at Bike Stop just love talking about motorcycles! Ask us anything.
