KTM 1290 Super Duke R first ride review

They call it ‘the beast’ and it certainly looks the part but then you hear the numbers - 180+PS, 195kg and 2.6s (claimed) to 100kmph. Sitting in a room knowing that I’d be riding the menacing KTM 1290 Super Duke shod with slick tyres, in less than 24 hours, I could feel a tingle of anticipation mixed with a healthy dose of fear welling up inside my stomach. And no, it wasn’t the noodles I’d had for lunch. It doesn’t help matters when veteran MotoGP rider Jeremy McWilliams adds, at the end of the product presentation, that the biggest problem he has with racing it, is keeping the front wheel down in practically every gear. It’s easy to see why I didn’t get much sleep that night.

KTM is very proud of their naked motorcycles and the success of the Duke series has opened up a massive street motorcycle market for the …