THE KING OF TORQUE

KTM claim that the significantly updated 1390 Super Duke R is 60 per cent new, with new cam-shift technology for the first time, plus the obvious increase in capacity. But it is not all about the grunt: KTM have tweaked the suspension and rider aids, which will, hopefully, control the increase in power and torque. We headed to the Almeria circuit in Spain to spin some laps on the KTM's biggest bruiser

- Adam Child 'Chad'

SLIGHTLY UNUSUALLY FOR A TRACK-ONLY launch of power-mad hyper-naked, KTM opted to run standard Michelin Power GP rubber (without tyre warmers) and not slick tyres, which would be the norm.

This meant I took the first few laps a little gingerly, which gave the 1390 R the chance to demonstrate that, despite the immense hype surrounding its performance (190 hp at 10,000 rpm), it can be ridden sensibly. The throttle connection and power delivery have been much improved.

In the standard Street mode, you could almost describe the KTM as mild. I also rode as gently as possible in an attempt to feel or hear the new shift-cam system working, but it is not obvious as in an old Honda. It is a smooth system for KTM first time out.

Of course, the big Duke has always been the king of the torque figures, churning out more grunt than the larger capacity V4 Ducati Streetfighter and even Kawasaki's Supercharged Z H2. Now KTM have given their flagship hyper-naked even more of the stuff (145 Nm at 8,000 rpm) and, as the tyres came up to temperature, I began to use the bike's ace card: its mind-twisting, tyre-torturing stomp.

Almeria is a track I know well but I do not think I have ever ridden it at a quickish pace with so few gear-changes. For a fast lap, the 1390 only needs third and fourth gears (plus a couple more for the long back straight). In fact, it could easily do a decent lap-time using fourth gear only. Second-gear corners became third-gear corners and still the bike drove like crazy from the exit, still punishing its long-suffering Michelins.