RideFast Magazine March 2020

class. For taller riders, it offers a
tremendous amount of legroom.
New for this year are adjustable
rearsets that allow riders to
raise or push the footpegs back.
You can also switch to GP-shift
by moving one bolt, and choose
from a long or short stroke
on the shift lever. I never once
found myself dragging toes, as
I did on the previous bike. The
4.2-gallon tank is redesigned
and offers more support when
braking, which genuinely helps
reduce fatigue.
13. Fresh suspension is
aboard the Beast 3.0. A newly
designed, fully adjustable
43mm WP Apex fork can
be tailored to your needs,
and for the first time on a
Super Duke R, it features
adjustable spring-preload.
On the street, the damping is
controlled and supple enough
to hide most of the rough
stuff. On the track, it’s more
than up to some hard-braking
zones, while also keeping
front end confidence high. A
physically larger cartridge sits
in those fork tubes, while a
new machined recess in the
fork caps prevents the springs
from jostling around, improving
the actuation. The all-new
fully adjustable WP shock has
separate damping reservoirs
and circuits to ensure consist
behavior as the shock heats
up. It also comes with a remote
spring-preload adjuster. In
practice, the shock performed
admirably, helping keep the
Super Duke R nice and tidy on
and off the circuit.
14. The Beast hits the
gym and cuts the fat. KTM
engineers made it a goal to
shave weight where they
could. It wasn’t achieved by
dropping weight from one part
in particular; a few grams here
and there all add up. It’s done
in some smart ways, with the
bodywork being thicker at
stress points and thinner in less
critical areas. Borrowing a page
from the 790 Duke playbook,
the Super Duke R’s subframe
is now one lightweight unit
of aluminum and composite
materials, as opposed to the
streel trellis subframe. The
fuel tank also lost a half-gallon
of capacity, further reducing
the curb weight. Virtually all
components from the frame,
engine, suspension, wheels,
have dropped a few grams. The
result is a curb weight of 462
pounds, about 10 pounds lighter
than last year.
15. Brembo delivers the
goods once again. Up front,
we have the coveted Brembo
Stylema four-piston monoblock
calipers clamping onto dual
320mm floating rotors. In the
rear, a dual-piston caliper
seizes upon a 240mm rotor. In
practice, the feel at the Brembo
lever is impressive and offers
more than enough stopping
power to halt The Beast in its
tracks. The rear, which you’ll use
on this bike, has great feel and
can be used to tighten up lines
or as wheel control.
16. The 2020 KTM 1290 Super
Duke R gets some fresh kicks—
it’s all-new wheels and tyres for
the orange machine. Redesigned
alloy wheels are lighter and
stronger, and have 120/70 and
200/55 Bridgestone Battlax
Hypersport S22 tyres mounted.
While they are Bridgestone
S22s, Bridgestone developed
the OEM rear tyre specifically for
this model, utilizing the same
carcass construction from its
race rubber to improve grip and
feel. As far as street tyres go, they
communicate the information
well and performed admirably on
the track, session after session.
17. The Beast is still one
of the comfiest in the class.
In 2020, the sub-33-inch
seat height returns, with the
handlebar lowered and pushed
forward slightly to put even
more weight over the front
wheel. The handlebar can be
adjusted forward nearly an
inch. Even with those changes,
it’s still easily one of the most
comfortable machines in its
18. A fresh five-inch TFT
display and new hand controls
await. The last Super Duke R’s
TFT display certainly wasn’t
bad, but this is clearer and
displays information more
thoughtfully. Importantly,
new hand controls are much
easier to use while riding, and
KTM wisely included paddle
buttons to adjust TC settings
while in track mode. When
in standard modes, those
paddle buttons control your
cruise control speed. There is
Bluetooth connectivity and,
when coupled with the KTM
My Ride navigation app, riders
will be able to see turn-by-turn
navigation displayed, as well as
answer phone calls, should they
be utilizing an in-helmet audio
system from Sena or Cardo.
19. The 2020 KTM 1290 Super
Duke R is a serious evolutionary
step, and a welcome one at
that. KTM engineers should
pop the sekt, because the 2020
Super Duke R is now equally
at home on the street or track.
Previously, I lamented about the
Super Duke’s softer chassis when
pushed on the circuit and now,
you won’t hear me say such a
thing. It feels sportier, fiercer, and
far more pointed than previous
generations while retaining the
streetable mannerisms that
make it suitable for a weekend
getaway, quick canyon rip, or
track day. Beyond that, the
updated TC is stellar. Do you like
insane amounts of torque and
power wheelies? Get yourself in
the saddle of a 2020 KTM 1290
Super Duke R as soon as possible.
For more info regarding price
and availability contact your
nearest KTM dealer.
58 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE MARCH 2020