KTM 1390 SUPER DUKE R

The KTM is one of those bikes that you really do need to try at least once in your lifetime, but with the caveat that you absolutely must give it a chance and some time to make sense.

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I'm willing to bet a lot of money that anyone who's ever taken a Super Duke R for a test ride has probably thought to themselves, "What have I done? This is terrible!" And here we have one of life's most common mistakes to believe that because something is different, it must therefore be bad.

The Super Duke R is one of a kind, because KTM, as it often does, didn't hold back when it came to not sticking to the conventional formula for its contribution to the supernaked class. For a start, it's by far the most naked of all the bikes, in so much as when you're sitting on it, the feeling of being exposed to every single available windblast is massive. However, that feeling of exposure to the elements doesn't really translate when you get going. After a day buzzing around on the KTM, and even a hefty stretch on the motorway, there's no more strain on the neck muscles than any of the other bikes. This contrast of perception versus reality is a theme that runs right through the bike.

The engine has no business being a smooth as it is. To say that it's a 1350cc V-twin motor with pistons that are 110mm in diameter, and that it produces by far the largest amount of torque in this test as well at 187bhp, you would be forgiven for assuming that it should have a lumpy power delivery that shakes you to your core and is a pig to ride at low speed. Not so. The Super Duke R is the epitome of refinement and makes the four-cylinder BMW's vibe-fest engine feel like a bit of a lash-up.

On the road, this means you have quite possibly the perfect engine for doing everything you would want to do. Want to go mad and pull low-speed wheelies? Or even high-speed wheelies? No problem. Feeling a bit

It's been a long time coming, but I've finally had my first ride on the 1390 SDR.