Monday 27th October 2014

KTM 1290 Super Duke R: Review

KTM calls its 1290 Super Duke R 'the beast' - can PH2 tame it?

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With all the excitement surrounding the super naked class someone was always going to over-step the mark. And for 2014 you have to hand that award to KTM. Fair enough, BMW has released the 160hp S1000R which also kicks out a claimed 82lb ft of torque, but the German 999cc in-line four was never going to match the thumping power of KTM's 1,301cc V-twin. Sure enough, the KTM produces a claimed 180hp, which equates to a genuine 160hp with 99lb ft of torque at the rear tyre. In a naked bike? You can see why KTM marketing types have been labelling this bike 'the beast' but is it really that savage?

Sun soaked launch? Rain soaked reality more like

Who's afraid of the beast?
In typical fashion, it was throwing it down with rain when I picked up the Duke. Not exactly the ideal conditions for testing a naked bike with such a savage power output. After a bit of a pep talk by the KTM guys, I was advised how to change power modes and told the bike had its ABS and traction control activated. Personally I find power modes a waste of time, especially when you have TC, so I left it in Street and just got on with sloshing my way home.

As I blatted down the dual carriageway my first surprise was how effective the KTM's small nose fairing is. It might look tiny, but it is actually really good at deflecting the wind and you can easily hold a steady legal limit without feeling like your head is being bent back on itself. And the Duke is also very comfortable. The KTM feels physically larger than other naked bikes, presumably because it isn't a stripped down sports bike and has instead been designed as a bike in its own right. The tall tank gives a 'sit in' riding position and the whole frontal area feels big and somehow reassuring. It's a muscular bike and wasn't quite what I was expecting, however I was pleasantly surprised. But did the power output live up to the hype?

Let's stick to the glitzy press shots then!

As the roads were damp I was taking it fairly easily, which didn't bother the Duke at all. The throttle response is smooth and at low revs the V-twin is very refined, unlike my Aprilia Tuono V-twin which judders like crazy at low rpm. On the few occasions I opened the KTM up there was certainly a hint of some serious torque, not to mention a flashing traction control warning light, but if you didn't go looking for it the power was kept nicely in the background. I know KTM was calling it 'the beast' but on a gentle ride home in the damp the Super Duke felt anything but. However, when the weather dried up this all changed...

Shaken when stirred
With a dry road and a slight feeling of naughtiness I decided to put the KTM through its paces on some roads I know fairly well. And it didn't take long for the Duke's character to change. Get that V-twin on song and it is remarkably potent. With all the rider aids switched on the Duke still attempts to wheelie off the throttle in third gear, meaning the traction control light spends most of its time flashing like a strobe light in a 1990s rave. The power delivery is absolutely bonkers and you can almost feel the two massive pistons thumping up and down in the cylinders. On a flat and smooth road it's seriously impressive as the electronics tend to keep it all under control. However, hit a bumpy back road and it starts to unravel slightly...

Now, did I leave the traction control on or off?

The problem with such a torque-laden engine is that it is always trying to wheelie, something that sets off a fairly annoying chain reaction on bumpy roads. As soon as you are hard on the gas or hit a rise the front lifts, causing the traction control to chime in. This drops the front again, but if you are still on the power, as soon as the forks extend the front comes up and once again the traction control kicks in. The net result is that you end up kangarooing down the road rather that accelerating, which causes another issue. The Duke isn't an unstable bike, but this kangarooing and the fierce torque makes it want to shake its head quite a lot. It's not tank slapping as such, more simply kicking. While it certainly makes for a thrilling ride, it is also quite irritating and slows your overall pace down. So why not just turn the TC off? You can't, well not on the move anyway.

KTM has an irritating failsafe that means you can only turn the TC off when the bike is stationary with the engine running. And once you have decided to switch the TC off and the turn the ignition off, the computer resets itself and turns the TC back on again. You can get a dongle that makes the computer remember your last setting, but I found it really annoying I couldn't play with the TC while on the move. Sometimes you need to flick TC off should you wish to impress someone with a crafty wheelie, something you can't do on the Duke. And that's not its only irritation.

Inability to toggle TC on the move is frustrating

First generation woes
To me the 1290 Super Duke R feels like a bike that is nearly brilliant, but needs a few niggles sorted out. As well as the annoying TC issue, the Duke's mirrors are rendered utterly useless above 70mph due to vibrations, the oil pressure light on my test bike came on twice for no reason and most irritatingly the fuel reserve range is pathetic. The warning light came on and less than 15 miles later I was stuck at the side of the road, missing a curry and waiting for my girlfriend to rescue me with a can of petrol. And then there is the price, a tag of £13,999 is tricky to justify when the BMW comes fully loaded with active suspension for £11,390.

Wind the wick up on the Duke and the combination of fierce torque and the TC system means it is actually quite hard to ride quickly on a bumpy road and if you turn the TC off you really need to be on your toes. On a smooth road the torque is so strong that fast acceleration in third gear results in the front wheel hovering in the air slightly and the bars waggling from side to side gently. Yes, this is hysterical and really makes you giggle, but it's not the fastest way of getting past traffic! There again, take it gentle and the Duke is a very pleasant bike to ride. Which is why I'm a bit confused about the 1290 Super Duke R.

Never a dull moment on this bike, that's for sure

There is no denying the KTM is a bit of a beast, but do I want a naked bike to be a beast? Not really. To me the whole point of a naked is to have fun sub-100mph, something that is tricky on a sportsbike. At lower speeds the KTM's torque is so fierce you can't really go banzai on it and it doesn't quite have the simple joy of riding that the less powerful Speed Triple does. There again, at civilised speeds the Duke is very compliant and a lovely machine to ride. It's an odd one and I reckon the Super Duke is a bike you grow to love with ownership and needs to be sampled over a long period rather than a short romance.

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KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R
Engine: 1,301cc V-twin
Power (hp): 160@9,250rpm
Torque (lb ft): 99@8,300rpm
Top speed: 155mph (est)
Weight: 189kg (dry)
MPG: 41mpg (est)
Price: £13,999

 

[MarJay]

What's the point of a 180bhp naked bike? People are buying nakeds because 1000cc sportsbikes have become stupid, so why would they then want to buy an even more stupid naked?