Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/581686
PROTOTYPE KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE GT FIRST RIDE P80 now been overtaken in perfor- mance by its forthcoming sport tourer sibling—complete with more power, more torque, and a wider spread of each, as well as more accessibility low down. All I can say after covering around 75 miles aboard it on this taster of a test, is that I can't wait to be let loose on the finished product, preferably for an extended ride through some serious mountain passes where the new KTM's agile handling coupled with its meaty torque would spring to the fore. The more upright riding fitted to the prototype GT I was riding seemed seriously outdat- ed compared to the extremely good-looking light-sensitive TFT dash mounted on the prototype 690 Duke single I'd been riding earlier that day. This will be fit- ted to the GT when it reaches production, and is very easy to read even in bright sunlight, as well as ultra-effective in dark- ness—watching the screen switch back and forth between day and night settings as I rode along forest roads in and out of dark shaded areas confirmed S P E C I F I C A T I O N S K T M 12 9 0 S U P E R D U K E G T ENGINE: ........................................................... Water-cooled DOHC 75-degree V-twin 4-stroke, 4 valves per cylinder and chain camshaft drive BORE X STROKE: ......................................108 x 71mm DISPLACEMENT: .....................................................1301cc MAX POWER/TORQUE: .......180+ bhp @ 8,600 rpm/TBA FUELING/IGNITION: ..............................EFI and engine management system, with Keihin ECU and 2 x 56mm Keihin throttle bodies with single injector per cylinder/RBW digital throttle and choice of three riding modes (Sport, Street & Rain) TRANSMISSION: .......6-speed with quickshifter CLUTCH: ..................... Multiplate hydraulic oil-bath slipper clutch CHASSIS: ...................... Chrome-moly tubular-steel trellis frame FRONT SUSPENSION: ..................... Fully adjustable 48mm WP inverted telescopic fork offering semi-active suspension with four different riding modes and anti-dive REAR SUSPENSION: ......................... Cast aluminum swingarm with fully adjustable WP monoshock and Pro-Lever variable-rate link offering semi-active suspension with four different riding modes FRONT BRAKE: .................... Dual 320mm Brembo stainless steel disc with 2 x radially mount- ed 4-piston Brembo Monoblock calipers and switchable Bosch ABS with 4 modes REAR BRAKE: ............... Single, 240mm steel disc with single-piston Brembo floating caliper FRONT TIRE: ............ 120/70R17 Pirelli Angel GT (3.50 in. cast aluminum wheel) REAR TIRE: ............190/55ZR17 Pirelli Angel GT (6.00 in. cast aluminum wheel) RAKE & TRAIL: ............................................24.9°/4.6 in. WHEELBASE: ............................................................. 58.3 in. WEIGHT: .................................................................................TBD SEAT HEIGHT: ............................................................. 32.9 in FUEL CAPACITY: .......................................................6.5 gal. THIS IS MADE FOR TOURING THE KTM WAY! stance with plenty of legroom for taller riders, coupled with the wider, flatter taper-section alumi- num handlebar makes the GT a brilliant bike to hustle from side to side through a succession of hairpin bends—but not at the ex- pense of super stability through flat out fourth gear sweeping turns. Clutch engagement is smooth and light with no hint of snatchiness, and the ramp-type slipper clutch not only smooths out downshifts but also uses engine torque to increase clutch plate pressure under power. The GT's new bigger and plusher seat is really comfort- able, and I could well imagine covering serious distance on it—it isn't too narrow or slanted, either. But the old-style dash how well it works. KTM's previ- ous stock digital dash as used on everything from its Indian- made 125 Duke single right up to many of its maxi-twin models already set the industry stan- dard for function and clarity, and now this ultra-rational easy-to- use TFT upgrade which is both aesthetically pleasing as well as functionally effective, promises a similar level of standout excel- lence as it's adopted across the Austrian company's entire range of models in coming years. High mileage customers for the GT model will especially like it. Stefan Pierer's men have delivered to their boss what he wanted—a bike that offers his customers the chance to go touring the KTM way! CN