FEATURE KTM 1390 SUPER DUKE
Regular viewers of our Naked Sportsbike of the Year videos will know that the outgoing 1290 Super Duke is one of our favourite bikes, and for good reason. For all it's available performance and technical features, the Super Duke absolutely nails the one thing any motorbike must deliver on above all else – fun. In the company of bikes with more power, greater tech features and, in some cases, smaller price tags, the 1290 Super Duke R has been able to rise to the top of the pile every time by pulling off one of motorcycling's hardest tricks – to be a riot to ride and all kinds of naughty, but not at all intimidating or difficult to get along with.
On paper, the 1290’s engine, which is actually 1301cc, should be lumpy and a bit of a handful thanks to the two massive 108mm diameter pistons that thrash around inside it, but the reality is the total opposite. The motor delivers huge torque numbers in all the right places while being as mechanically smooth as a V4. It also has a set of throttle maps which make for a connection between twist grip and butterfly valves that can only be achieved by very clever and very patient people who are prepared to go round and round the development cycle until the test riders are completely happy. It's clear that KTM works extremely hard on fuel injection to get it right; it obviously understands the value of a nice, easy throttle connection. This dedication to the fuel injection cause is confirmed when after only five minutes into the technical presentation of the new 1390 Super Duke, the subject comes up. The 1390 has had to have every single throttle map for every single rider mode – at every single throttle opening, and every
