RideFast June 2020

2020 KTM 1290
SUPERDUKE R
“It looks just like the old
one?” That’s the first thing
most people ask me about
the new 1290 SD R, and yes,
to the naked eye it does very
much resemble the previous
gen model, but when you
look closer the changes are
actually very evident.
Having shed some skin,
the new 1290 SD R is now
a leaner, meaner and even
more menacing hyper-naked
bike than ever before. At least
that’s what the marketing
guys at KTM say…
The first big change that
the eye will/should spot is
the new exhaust system.
Now Euro 5 compliant, it’s
also had a complete redesign
and looks a lot neater and
more refined. This is not just
a case of “bark being worse
than bite” - this BEAST roars!
Up to 60 mm of drainpipelike
dimensions at the
headers optimize gas flow,
while 2 catalytic converters
control emissions, without
compromising the V-twin
engine note or horsepower.
The next big change I
noticed was the wheels. The
big beautiful wheel at the
back now looks so much
more aggressive, and fits in
much better with the bikes
overall design. These wheels
didn’t just happen by the
grace of a designer’s pen
- they are the product of a
sophisticated CAD system,
which determines the best
shape in terms of strength
and lightness. What that
means is that these wheels
are engineered down to the
finest detail, they are lighter
than before and look great.
The new 1290 SD R now
also gets updated WP Apex
suspension, which is now
more adjustable than ever.
This was a very nessasary
update in the eyes on the
R&D team, who heard the
cries from previous owners
asking for improvement to
An all-new
TFT dashboard
with increased
functionality has
been added as well
as a more robust and
intuitive motorcycle
switchgear, which
we found a big
improvement.
The new LED headlight doubles as a ram air
intake, with air being channelled between the
lights, keeping them cool, and directly into the
airbox, making for a more efficient burn.
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