KTM's Made the Beast Even More Aggressive, but Despite the Pound's Struggle, the Price Is Unchanged... Is This the Ultimate Naked?
KTM’s decision to hold the launch of its revamped Super Duke R at Losail was revealing. The Qatari circuit hosts MotoGP and World Superbikes, and is a popular launch venue for sports bikes. But the fast, featureless desert racetrack is not somewhere you’d expect to see a gang of naked roadsters glinting in the pit lane sunshine, their fat tyres sticky to the sidewalls.
Then again, this latest version of the 1290 Super Duke R is not your typical naked roadster. And by launching it with the emphasis on the racetrack (plus a relatively short street ride the previous day), KTM was emphasising that with this update it’s going sportier and more aggressive; sharpening the teeth of the bike it’s calling Beast 2.0. That thinking is easy to understand.
Following last year’s introduction of the closely-related and more versatile 1290 Super Duke GT, the Austrians reckoned they had the sensible side of super-naked performance sewn up. So why not sharpen the R-model’s styling still further, add some power, and tweak the riding position and chassis to create an even more serious unfaired hooligan machine?
Bu hikaye Motorcycle Sport & Leisure dergisinin March 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Motorcycle Sport & Leisure dergisinin March 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Mossy's Knowledge
Spec sheet terminology - chassis
Test fleet: Suzuki GSX-S1000GX
Out with the old and in with the new, as Stu picks up a GSX-S1000GX
Test fleet: Suzuki V-Strom 800RE
I've only had it a few days, but I've liked it since mile one. Hopefully my affection for the Suzuki will continue well into the future
Test fleet: Yamaha Ténéré World Raid
A lack of a daily commute doesn't mean that mileage is kept to a minimum
The Longest Day Teapot
While it would've been truly wonderful to have spent time preparing myself and the bike for that one long day of riding in June, there's rather more preliminary work than hoped...
Premier peninsula perambulations
Riding locally is all well and good, but Helen wanted some adventure and to get some miles under her wheels
Around Gran Canaria in three days
What better way to expand your riding CV than with some winter riding in the sunshine of the Canary Islands, and some dramatic mountainous roads
Pass-ing the time of day
Three of Europe's most well-known mountain passes, all covered in day of mind-bending scenery and nerve-wrenching hairpins one
Troubleshooting common 12V battery problems
Diagnosing and tracing faults with a motorcycle's electrical charging system can be a daunting prospect, but with a basic understanding of the bike's charging system you can usually get to the nub of what's wrong. We asked the battery-saving experts at OptiMate to outline the main components of the charging system, and the symptoms of the most common problems encountered with them
Worth Waiting For?
Moto Guzzi is Italy's oldest bike manufacturer in continuous production since its birth in 1921, though Covid forced the postponement by a year of its 100th birthday celebrations held at its Mandello del Lario factory on the shores of Lake Como
