The digital dash display has no fuel gauge. An erratic low-fuel light and poor fuel mileag
What this means on the road is that any time you want to really rip, just kick it down a gear using the light-action, clean-shifting gearbox--truly one of the few European transmissions built to Japanese standards--and be prepared for intense acceleration that keeps you hanging firmly onto the tapered, one-piece Renthal handlebar. The thing is fast!
Chassis geometry remains unchanged from the prototype's, with a 23.5-degree head angle for the beefy 48mm inverted WP fork matched to a relatively conservative 103mm of trail to deliver quick, nimble steering coupled with above-average stability. Although I saw 145 mph on the digital speedometer, this really isn't a bike for high-speed mile-eating; the intense windblast at higher speeds will make your shoulders and arms ache on extended rides. Still, cruising at 100 mph with the engine turning 6000 rpm is no problem; the tiny cockpit fairing diverts quite a bit of windblast.
Four-pot Brembo front calipers use conventionial mounts, but the bike stops just fine.
The reason the Super Duke doesn't score a perfect 10 for me is the still-bothersome vibration coming through the rubber-clad footpegs under full load. You don't notice it so much under part- or trailing throttle; the vibes start at exactly 5800 rpm--though only through the pegs--then fade away 500 revs later before returning strongly at 7000 rpm. Then, at exactly 9200 rpm, they disappear as suddenly as if someone flicked a switch, leaving another 1000 revs before you hit the limiter. KTM tried to iron this out with lighter pistons on the jumbo 999cc engine and by rephasing the counterbalancer shaft, but the slight vibe problem remains.
As on the Austrian firm's dirtbikes, this WP shock is linkless.
But while KTM's V-twin now has the midrange grunt it lacked in 950cc prototype form, it's also retained an appetite for revs. The key to this is the LC8 engine's lack of reciprocating mass in the engine, which has at least two spinoff benefits in terms of handling. One is that you can use plenty of engine braking to slow hard for a turn. And two, the almost unreal manner in which the Super Duke flicks so effortlessly side to side along a winding road or steers so quickly into tighter bends. An added bonus is tons of cornering clearance due to the bike's slimness and the fact that everything's tucked in. No other bike of any kind with an engine this large--and especially not with this much power--handles so quickly or steers this easily, and the reduced engine inertia is surely a factor. The Super Duke feels extremely short and compact for a V-twin sportbike, as well as nicely balanced front to rear. Feet-up U-turns at little more than a walking pace are child's play.
A track-only Akrapovic exhaust is already in the KTM accessory catalog.
In fact, the Super Duke feels nearly as lithe, slim and nimble as a single. Look at the Super Duke from directly behind: It's so narrow you'd swear it could only have one cylinder, being hardly any wider anywhere except at the handlebar than the 180/55 Pirelli Diablo rear tire. And the relaxed yet commanding riding position offered by the surprisingly comfy seat and plushly damped WP suspension will make you think you're riding an enduro single rather than a V-twin sport-rod.
Actually, the riding position is a key factor in making the KTM so much fun to ride. The way in which designer Gerald Kiska's sharp styling has your knees tucked tightly to the fuel tank's flanks helps make the bike extremely maneuverable. And the fork didn't compress unduly under heavy braking from the big 320mm front Brembos, whose conventionally mounted four-pad calipers deliver excellent stopping power. Softish fork springs and a linkage-free cantilever rear shock offer surprisingly good ride quality for such a hard-nosed machine.
Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!