T
he Super Duke has grown
some cubes and will hence
be known as the 1390 Su-
per Duke R for 2024.
The increased
capacity is the
major talking point as the tradi-
tional 1301cc V-twin that made
its
debut in 2013 is now confined
to the history books, replaced by
a new 1350cc unit (not 1390cc
as one would hope) via a new
110mm bore, up 2mm over the
old one.
There's a new 0.4-gallon larger
gas tank at 4.6-gallons, a new
intake, and now 60mm throttle
bodies (up from 56mm), but the
big news is KTM's first variable
cam timing system within the
two cylinder heads.
KTM design allows for two sep
-
arate valve lifts depending on the
rpm
range, providing more power
and greater torque throughout the
rev range, like BMW's ShiftCam
system. It also allows more finite
control of the fuel mapping, so the
motor meets the various emission
standards across the globe.
The system kicks in at around
6700 rpm and is dependent on
rpm build-up (how quickly you're
going through the revs) and gear
position. At this point, the cam
shift allows for more aggressive
cam timing (likely higher lift and
longer duration, KTM won't dis
-
close exactly what), and different
fuel
mapping, thus giving greater
higher rpm performance.
Power has gone up 10 horse
-
power to 190 and torque is now
FIRST LOOK I 2024 KTM 1390 SUPER DUKE R
P48
