KTM 1290 Super Duke tourer spied
Successor to 990 SMT spotted testing in Spain
HERE’S a new touring version of KTM’s 1290 Super Duke R, spied testing in Spain this week.
The camouflaged test bike has been given a bigger sub-frame and seat unit to hold those new full-sized touring panniers, which are also supported by the pillion peg hangers.
It’s been given a screen, a new headlight assembly and higher, wider bars for a more upright riding position.
Otherwise it looks identical to the 1290 Super Duke R, with a 1301cc V-twin engine making a claimed 180hp and 106lbft.
Despite being marketed as ‘The Beast’ by KTM, the 1290 Super Duke R was received by journalists as a highly useable road bike, with a sophisticated electronics package including Bosch traction control and anti-wheelie.
That should mean KTM won’t face too much development work to get the touring version in production by 2016.
It will effectively make a successor to the 990 SMT, a touring version of the discontinued 990 Supermoto.
The spy shot suggests there's work left to do on the suspension, with signs the exhaust collector has been grounding under the extra weight of those panniers.
Updated versions of the near-identical looking Duke 125 and 390 were also spotted, featuring revised rider rear-sets and a different sub-frame, number plate hanger and indicators. The 390 had a side-mounted exhaust instead of the current model's underbelly silencer.
