Super Duke 1290 R vs S1000RR on track

YOUTUBE user BMWS1000RRider has posted an on-board video from a session at the Red Bull Ring in Austria where he spent a couple of laps following a prototype for KTM’s forthcoming Super Duke 1290 R.

When KTM showed the Super Duke 1290 R concept last year there was talk of 200bhp, which to be honest sounded like the usual concept bike waffle, sure to be neutered by the time an emissions-friendly, mass-produced version hit showrooms. But the way this bike leaps out of corners, even from the perspective of one of the fastest superbikes on the market, suggests that maybe there’s some truth in it.

Sure, the fully-faired BMW has the edge when it comes to high-speed performance, but the KTM is clearly hitting 230kmh-plus down the straights (143mph) before the BMW begins to reel it back in. Of course, we don’t know quite how hard the BMW rider was trying, but he isn’t hanging about; both bikes make the few other track users look like they’re standing still.

Of course, we don’t want to forget the possibility that the video is all part of KTM’s marketing strategy. What better way to show your new bike’s performance than with a ‘chance’ video taken from the perspective of a deadly rival? The user only has one video and is brand new to YouTube.

Bear in mind that the Austrian machine’s biggest rival in the crazy-fast-naked-bikes class of 2014 could well be the upcoming naked BMW S1000R.

Still, whether the video is faked or not, it still gives you a real-world view of the 1290 Super Duke in action.