KTM 1290 Super Duke R and 890 Duke R first look

I’ll start with the Super Duke R, then get into the new 890. If you’ve ever wanted to be on a first-name basis with your local tire guy, get one of these bikes.

KTM 1290 Super Duke R

KTM’s press materials say they’ve “re-Beasted” the Beast. That might be the first recorded use of the word “re-Beasted,” and looking over the specs, I think it’s justified. We’re looking at a 1301 cc, 75-degree V-twin, not unlike the previous 1290 Super Duke R’s LC8. But the Beast-Beast boasts an all-new chassis and updated electronics that should reduce your chances of being launched into orbit. Ride modes (Rain/Street/Sport, plus optional Track/Performance), cornering-sensitive traction control, and an optional Motor Slip Regulation feature help manage the Super Duke R. You also get normal-people stuff like cruise control, smartphone connectivity, and TPMS. 

The revised engine is nearly two pounds lighter, with new injectors and a refined gearbox. A new ram-air intake feeds the whole operation. The 1290 Super Duke R is putting out 180 horsepower at 9,500 rip-'ems.. (And that's through a 525 chain! My poky ‘70s commuter made 35 horsepower and wore a 530… Times have changed.)

The bigger story is the Super Duke R’s new frame. Claiming triple the stiffness of the 2019 model, the fresh design also chops four pounds. The swingarm is slightly longer, with a pivot closer to the output shaft. At the back of the bike, the subframe uses an all-new composite design that shaves additional weight. Speaking of which, the bike’s down to 417 pounds dry. Impressive as that is, I’d rather see the wet numbers.

In the suspension department, the Super Duke R wears a fully adjustable WP APEX fork, with a rear shock from the same line. No surprises here.

Braking is handled by two beefy 320 mm discs and four-pot Brembo Stylema monoblocks. The ABS system is Bosch’s two-channel 9.1 MP, which includes cornering ABS and disengagement via “Supermoto mode.”

U.S. MSRP for the Super Duke R is $18,699.

If any bike in KTM's street line embodies their ridiculousness, it's the 1290 Super Duke R. But if you want to talk about their obsession with new iterations, have a look at this.

2021 KTM 890 Duke R "Super Scalpel"

Super Scalpel, huh? Well, the new 890 Duke R exists between the 790 Duke, aka the Scalpel and the 1290 Super Duke, so Super Scalpel it is. "Beast-Duke with a Scalpel" probably wouldn't fit on the tank, anyway.

You’re not remembering wrong, they did just introduce the all-new 790 Duke a couple years ago. So why produce an upgrade this soon? The answer, I think, is that this isn’t a replacement. The meaner 890 R will be sold alongside the 790. They’re just expanding their range.

First things first: North America won’t have this bike until fall of 2020. Here’s what we know so far.

The 890 Duke R uses an upgraded 790 parallel twin, now making 121 horsepower! That’s 15 more than the 790, and yet the 890 weighs almost seven pounds less at 366 pounds (dry).

Just like the Super Duke R, the 890 R gets WP Apex suspension front and back, plus those Stylema calipers and 320 mm brakes. Most of the 790’s electronics package will carry over to this model. In fact, their spec sheets look identical for everything but the engine, suspension, brakes, and some little differences in geometry.

I see this as KTM challenging some of Triumph’s more aggressive triples, as well as a few of the other mean upper-middleweights out there. No word yet on pricing for North America when the bike finally arrives a year from now. We’ll keep you posted on this story, and all the others coming out of EICMA today.