KTM might be an absolute dominating force in the Dakar Rally but when it comes to its road-going motorcycles, the Duke series of naked motorcycles is what makes them immensely popular. Known for naked aggression, cutting-edge tech and not to forget, explosive performance… the Dukes are the ultimate badasses in their respective segments. But this time around, the Austrian giant has turned the dial to 11 with the 2021 1290 Superduke RR!
More details
Before you get your hopes high and run to the bank to either withdraw money or loot one, we would like to put it out there that it is a limited edition model with only 500 units available worldwide.
It is public knowledge that something was cooking in KTM’s camp for quite some time now and the previously surfaced spy shots revealed that KTM is indeed working on an angrier version of its already ferocious supernaked!
Now, it has officially shown its face to the world and needless to say, it does look like it will eat all of its rivals for breakfast and won’t even flinch about it!
The numbers
Talking about the numbers now, the 1290 Superduke RR is powered by a 1,301cc LC8 V-twin engine which puts down 180hp of max power and 140Nm of peak torque. KTM says that it is the most powerful V-twin engine to be ever used in a naked motorcycle. Combine these output figures with the 180kg weight of the Super Duke RR and it results in a power-to-weight ratio of 1:1.
Updated suspension setup
The main star of the party is the suspension setup though. If you buy one, you’ll get a fully adjustable WP APEX PRO 7548 close cartridge fork, along with an adjustable WP APEX PRO 7117 steering damper. The rear shock is an APEX PRO 7746 unit, made to spec just for this application.
Weight saving measures
The R model weighs around 9 kgs more than this limited-edition beast and the weight saving is achieved by incorporating several weight-saving measures such as its lightweight carbon fibre bodywork. The bike also lost 1.5 kilograms of unsprung weight thanks to its newly lightened, forged wheels, which come shod in nicely sticky Michelin Power Cup 2 rubber.
To make sure that it sounds as angry as it looks, it also gets a titanium Akrapovič slip-on, with a carbon fibre end cap. You can also purchase a full Akrapovič Evolution Line exhaust system to fit this bike, for a bit extra. Finally, in the ride modes, you get new Track and Performance modes as standard.