Brabus and KTM return with 1300 R Edition 23
'Bold. Luxurious. Badass', reckons Brabus - a bike just like its cars, then...
Just about one year ago, Brabus partnered with KTM for its first ever bike, the 1300 R. It was based on the latter’s 1290 Super Duke R Evo, which is a pretty good place to start for your first two-wheeled creation, and was in fact such a hit that it sold out. Not in a matter of weeks, or of days, or even hours - the Brabus 1300R sold out in two minutes. One minute and 55 seconds, to be exact. The day before Valentine’s Day. So, of course, they were going to make some more.
This Edition 23 is essentially the same bike as before, a 1300R boasting Brabus bits like the Monoblock forged wheels, limited edition plaque, carbon everything and WP Apex semi-active suspension, only now with a new spec. Or, in Brabus speak, a ‘direct evolution’ of before. Available in Superblack and Stealth Grey, perhaps the most Brabus names for paint ever created, there will be 145 units of each colour made available. So perhaps there’ll be on sale for four minutes this time, as only 77 of the original were produced. It isn’t clear yet why the bike has been called Edition 23, but rest assured it’s nothing to do with production numbers.
Additional bits for this bike include the Brabus crest stitched into the seat, a new carbon undertray, a ‘distinctive headlight mask’ and Brabus stripes. Black or grey this Edition 23 might be, but you aren’t going to miss it. Not least with the exhaust for the 180hp v-twin promising a ‘massive sound’…
Brabus is promising the same 1-Second-Wow effect from this bike as it reckons the cars deliver, which feels like a tagline only Bottrop could get away with; clearly something chimed with customers last time with that astonishingly short period of time on sale. You wouldn’t bet against similar for this one. There isn’t a price yet, though neither a KTM nor a Brabus ever comes cheap. Tellingly, there’s a presale site already, and orders will open on February 16th at 2pm. Best get your calendar clear now…
motorcycling in a nutshell. The latest Brabus Mercedes do absolutely nothing for me, but I don’t mind this, definitely less marmite than the KTM styling.
How can this - or any bike - ever be called luxurious? Does it have reclining seats, a decent sound system, excellent weather protection? Or is it still about hanging onto a stick for dear life?
- heated seats
- an excellent Bluetooth sound system, compatible with both Android and with Apple CarPlay, with automatic volume adjustment
- Weather protection - on a motorbike, you wear a helmet and bike gear (which is waterproof). But the tall (electrically-adjustable) windscreen (with settings memory) and over-leg fairings means that even your waterproof gear will rarely have to contend with rain. Once up and rolling, you're effectively in a heated bubble. I've usually been more wet in a Caterham than on a 'Wing.
- Phone - you can make or answer phone calls without taking off your helmet.
- Hill start assist
- Sat nav comes equipped with a gyrocompass so that it even functions inside a tunnel.
- Tyre pressure monitor; loading configuration monitor; air temperature monitor, etc
- Homelink to automatically open gates and garage door
- Tour, Sport, Rain, and Economy riding modes
- Shaft-drive (no chain to look after)
- Cruise control
- Walking mode (bike creeps forward or in reverse automatically), making it v easy to do 3-point turns as necessary
- Automatic, double-clutch, 7-speed gearbox (manual option available, with slipper clutch)
- Etc
The 'Wing is the thing! Much better complement to a luxury car than any re-branded sportsbike special, imho:
https://dmolcustoms.com/
But if you want a real-world elegant little well-made custom for not too much £, the lads at Twin Thing are really good - can personally recommend:
https://www.twinthing.co.uk/
And if, like me, your taste runs to beautifully-made Meriden Triumphs, speak to The Baron:
https://www.1000londoners.com/londoners/dick-smith...
I am not a Ducati fan but if my motorcycle budget stretched to £40K I'd get a Diavel V4 and a 1290 Super Duke.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_bQnDkNNFY
Comparing a motorbike with car luxury ? Why?
How can this - or any bike - ever be called luxurious? Does it have reclining seats, a decent sound system, excellent weather protection? Or is it still about hanging onto a stick for dear life?
The Super Duke 1290 is a like a top of the pile Super Duke, KTM have cheaper, quite affordable lower powered models called Duke. The 1290 Super Duke is a halo model top end Duke.
To me it's like the top end KTM Duke has had it's brand diminished by being the basis of some trinket for Brabus collectors.
Brabus cars and the brand doesn't do anything for me. I like orange wheels. I like how I feel while I am riding KTMs. So there's a brand that I have experience of and like being sullied by being the basis for something with the Brabus B on it.
To me it seems it's all that brand, marketing 'synergy' b*ll*cks.
Is a Brabus version of a 1290 Super Duke any worse than a high end Ferrari being used as the basis of a Maserati MCXX supercar?
If I won a Euromillions rollover and money was no object I wouldn't get one of these as the Brabus brand says to me Mercs. with plastic bodykits, colour coded alloy wheels and overly blinged up Gelandewagons.
I like the looks of the Super Duke 1290 particularly the Second gen with the 6 LED with heatsink headlamp. Spending more money on a less good looking version of the same thing doesn't work for me.
If I was after Supernaked in this category, there's no walking past an MV Agusta Rush or Brutale RR..... Phwoarrrr!!
And for those who posted up that electric thing? Yeah, a 'bike' for someone who has zero interest in bikes!
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