VOLUME 59 ISSUE 12 MARCH 22, 2022 P103
This kind of looniness is
available in every gear
except sixth. Let that sink
in for a moment.
I
remember the first time I rode a
KTM Super Duke. We'd just been
delivered one from KTM Australia
in 2014 and after about five minutes
on board, I stopped and yelled at
my riding partner and good mate,
Simon.
"Man, this thing's nuts!" I blurted
out to a very jealous looking Simon.
The Beast, as it was christened,
made every other twin-cylinder
sportbike motor—except for those
found in the very highest end of
Ducati superbikes of the time—instant
also-rans. This thing had so much
torque, so much performance,
it really was difficult to believe. It
reminded me how I felt the first time
I rode the BMW S 1000 RR at Phillip
Island. KTM, like BMW, had moved
the game substantially forward.
Over the years the Super Duke
has evolved but stayed very true
to that original hooligan ethos.
It's effectively a 1301cc V-twin
supermoto, which explains why it
was so easy for supermoto hero
Chris Fillmore to obliterate the
course record on one at the Pikes
Peak Hill Climb in 2017.
AWESOME
