THE MCN TEST
●THE HOTTEST BIKES ● EVERY WEEK
New KTM 1390 Super Duke REvo battles rivals on twisty Peak District roads
£16,700
● 1077cc liquid-cooled V4 DOHC 16v
● 159.9bhp/82.3lb.ft (measured)
● 211.8kg kerb weight (measured)
● £154 a month on PCP
£19,599
● 1350cc liquid-cooled V-twin DOHC 8v
● 177.8bhp/98.5lb.ft (measured)
● 212.2kg kerb weight (measured)
● £241.51 a month on PCP
How will the KTM tackle UK roads?
£23,495
● 1103cc liquid-cooled V4 DOHC 16v
● 181bhp/79.9lb.ft (measured)
● 203.9kg kerb weight (measured)
● £292.74 a month on PCP
Last month we got the chance to ride KTM’s new 1390 Super Duke R at its world launch. In an intense, testosterone-fuelled track frenzy at the Almeria circuit in southern Spain, we squeezed five 20-minute sessions into a single morning with barely a chance to catch our breath. An assault on the senses and muscles, the orange super-naked is beyond rapid, rails through corners like a superbike, pulls fourth-gear wheelies off the clutch and has more braking power than your muscles can stand within a few laps.
That’s all well and good but riding flat-out doesn’t reveal a road bike’s true character. That’s why our test today is less frantic track action and wild KTM brochure shots and more how you ride when you’re out with your mates. On our trip to the Peaks, we want to see what’s really changed in the KTM’s switch from 1290 to 1390 Super Duke R. The bike we have today is the Evo version with semi-active WP suspension costing £1600 more than the standard model.
Super-naked rivals
We also want to find out how it stacks up against the cream of the super-naked crop: the Aprilia Tuono V4 Factory 1100 and Ducati Streetfighter V4 S. If you’re wondering where the KTM’s other top-spec rivals are, consider this – forget lap times, because a great super-naked needs two things: sublime handling and a motor that’s interesting, fun and involving at road speeds. The Aprilia, Ducati and KTM tick these boxes in style.
A Yamaha MT-10SP, meanwhile, has a sublime crossplane crank engine in an OK chassis. Despite a dyno-verified 196bhp at the rear wheel, BMW M1000R’s inline four power delivery is forgettable and its chassis too stiff and Triumph’s Speed Triple 1200RS is a filling-shaker on bumpy roads.
Supermoto genes
You could never accuse the KTM of being forgettable. It feels like a giant motocrosser and positively encourages you to play the fool with clever electronics that facilitate perfectly-balanced skids, wheelies and stoppies on track.
Super Dukes h
