VOLUME 57 ISSUE 7 FEBRUARY 19, 2020 P83
catalytic convertor, but the boffins
who charge out Euro 5 rules have
dictated a second cat needed to
be fitted if the 2020 bike was to
pass regulations. Despite this,
the now 54mm front and 60mm
rear header pipe system weighs
a claimed 2.2 pounds less than in
2017, for a total weight of 22.49
pounds.
THE CHASSIS
By far the biggest difference
between the 2017 Super Duke and
the one you see before you is the
chassis—it's orange and made from
steel, but that's about where the
similarities end.
Stiffness, or rather, an increase
in stiffness was the name of the
game for 2020. The motor sits
38mm higher and is used as a
stressed member of the chassis as
usual but features a new downtube
either side the front of the motor to
help increase stiffness three times
over the 2017 model.
The engineers have raised the
center of gravity and reduced
the fork offset by 3mm thanks to
the new, 800-gram lighter triple
clamps, giving a sharper feel from
the front-end under braking and
cornering.
At the rear, the lighter single-
sided swingarm has been retained
but is now 15 percent stiffer than
before, again in the aid of better
Mission control for the Super Duke. The bar is now a touch
lower than before, helping put more weight on the front.
front and center, wrapping itself
either side of the steering head,
and KTM has used the same
split-down-the-middle headlight,
allowing as much air as possible
into the chamber and thus the
more compact cylinder heads.
Inside the airbox sits new fixed
intake resonators, designed to
help smooth out the initial kick
below 5000 rpm. The dual spark
ignition remains, with new coils
fitted for a cleaner spark.
With the heads being squished
down, the overall piston size has
been slightly reduced, all help-
ing to decrease oscillating mass
within the motor. The crank itself
has been slightly beefed up on
the generator side for better
stability, although the engineers
have been able to trim a very
respectable 800 grams off the
crank mass.
The gearbox has been given
an overhaul for a shorter and
lighter shift via a machined
splined shaft and new bronze
and copper coating on the shift
forks. Plus, the gearshift (now
reversible for race or road)
shifts easily, and you can get a
quickshifter from the PowerParts
catalog.
Externally, one of the biggest
changes for the motor has been
the new exhaust. The previous
generation SD had only a single
