KTM 1290 Super Duke GT (2019) - Long Term Review

Part 1 - First Impressions

First Published: 26th March 2019

The problem with a bike that handles this well...in the wet...in temperatures not that far above freezing, is that you get cocky. I’m thinking a less-cultured version of this as I approach the blind, bumpy left-hander that appears to be doubling back on itself. Braking as hard as I dare and still seeing a ‘seven’ at the front of the big number on the bright TFT speedo is not what a ‘professional rider, under controlled conditions’ should be doing, but hey, I’m invincible…it’ll all turn out right in the end.

KTM’s 2019 Super Duke GT makes light work of the curves and bends on Northamptonshire’s wet, bumpy B roads, in a way that few other big bikes manage. The problem comes when those curves turn into corners. The same thing happened about three miles back, but history taught me long ago that learning by your mistakes is something other people do better than me.

Thankfully, KTM spend a lot more money on their suspension, brakes and electronics team than they do on the styling and sidestand length analysts. The grumpy gearbox works a lot better on downshifts than it does going up and Super-duck uses all that tech to shed the necessary speed while only taking me marginally across the white line without bothering the cornering-ABS. it almost looks like I meant it.

New TFT display is easy to navigate and controls multiple electronic functions

So, is the 2019 KTM Super Duke GT really a sports tourer?

This KTM is certainly very good at being a Super Duke; huge amounts of accessible power, handling that belies its 235 kg fully fuelled weight and all the brash and brittle ‘this-ain’t-no-Honda’ feelings that Austria’s most mischievous company do so well. But what about the GT bit? Does fitting a taller screen, pannier mounts and extra gallon of fuel capacity really turn ‘The Beast’ (you have to say it in a Hollywood voiceover accent, it’s the law) into a sports tourer?

The simple answer is no, of course not. In the same way that putting a roof on a crocodile doesn’t make it a caravan. You can do pillions and sensible touring-type stuff on a Super Duke GT in the same way you can probably shave a lion with a Bic disposable razor. It’s just that there are better tools for the job.

If sports-tourer is stretching it, then how about we call the GT a proper 21st century sports bike? High performance lunacy for middle-aged, former hooligans who can’t or won’t stretch themselves into ‘that sportsbike position’ any longer. All the KTM’s numbers, attitude and equipment say sports bike, it’s only the handlebars that are different.

KTM’s latest fuel system and ignition mapping does a superb job of making its 175bhp, V-twin rocket launchers usable at low revs, easy to ride through town and economical too. The first tank on new cylinder bores averaged 38mpg, the second one did 45mpg and last year’s 1290 Adventure R averaged 50+mpg once run-in. That should mean a range of 200+ miles from a tank. One of my fellow BikeSocial testers returned from a ride having seen a top speed that included the numbers eight, six and one (he wouldn’t tell me in which order) and I suspect he was getting slightly fewer mpg because he also forgot to fill it up with petrol (again).

That tiny (by touring standards) screen and the GT’s broad plastic flanks ahead of my knees do a surprisingly good job of keeping the wind off at high speed. The screen raises and lowers manually in seconds and the hand guards plus heated grips (warm, but no ‘nuclear’ setting like BMW’s) keep the chill off my fingers. After 120 miles my pillion reported that the seat and footpegs were comfortable, windblast was tolerable and the rear-mounted grab-rail was more than up to the acceleration, braking and many missed gearchanges.

1301cc, 175bhp V-twin should be lumpy and grumpy at low revs but smart fuelling and ignition maps make it civilised

2019 KTM Super Duke GT power, torque, engine and transmission

KTM’s 1301cc LC8 motor claims 175bhp in the GT (two less than the Super Duke R and two bhp more than the previous GT) thanks to the new titanium inlet valves adding 500 extra rpm. Torque remains the same at 103lb-ft.  

On the road in ‘Street’ mode it pulls hard between 4000-7000rpm, but just when you expect it to tuck in its trousers and go loopy, the torque curve flattens off and the speed at which it builds revs slows slightly. Try the same thing in ‘Sport’ mode and you get the full sharpest throttle response and a whole lot more exciting experience as the TFT display lights up like a cartoon explosion of red against white – and not always because you’ve hit another false neutral.

Use the clutch and the gearchange is ok, if a little stiff. Use the quickshifter, which is definitely a good idea on a bike meant for pillions and it feels heavy, inaccurate and embarrassingly easy to find neutrals all over the place. Quickshifters are mostly designed for flat-out riding, shaving a few nanos off each gearchange to gain a tenth of a second a lap. On a tourer they should replace the closed throttle lurching and headbanging, which needs a different set-up, but many manufacturers (BMW’s system is no better) don’t seem to get this. Use the KTM system on part throttle – like you do when touring – and it gets confused, turning relaxed, reformed middle-aged wannabee tourers back into the clumsy, aggressive idiot they used to be because the KTM only really works when ridden (Hollywood voice…) Like. A. Beast.

Which is fine for a while, until you remember that you bought the GT because these days you ride as a couple and your lovely partner, freed from the shackles of kids and dullsville daily life, has agreed that you’ll do biking together to help relight your respective fires. And they are currently being flung around like a rag doll on the surprisingly comfortable pillion seat as you miss another gear on the sopping-wet B660.

Handling in the wet is sublime, but don’t forget to check how fast you are approaching that wet corner.

How much does the 2019 KTM Super Duke GT cost?

First, let’s talk about the goodies. If you’ve read this far and are still thinking ‘This is clearly the bike for me’ then you should know that for 2019 the Super Duke GT gets a beautiful new TFT dash with Bluetooth connectivity, heated grips, KTM’s latest semi-active WP suspension, up-and-down quickshifter, LED lights and cornering lights too. The dash works superbly and setting-up pretty much anything is simple and intuitive because someone has thought very carefully about the user-experience.

Look closer and you’ll see the twin pockets in the fairing, a 12v socket behind the headlight, cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control plus tyre pressure monitors, keyless ignition and fuel filler. Yours for £16,799. Which is where the decision to buy one becomes slightly harder.

There are a lot of good bikes for that kind of money and all of them are considerably less ugly than the Super Duke GT. And that matters. ‘I just couldn’t take my eyes off that beautiful styling that only the Austrians do so well,’ said no one ever. Ever. Some bikes get the styling right and everyone agrees. Others divide opinion and take a little longer to accept, while some are just plain ugly. KTM’s early road bikes, up to and including the RC8 were distinctive and attractive too and the original Super Duke family was lovely. Their Husqvarna subsidiary has made an absolutely beautiful 21st century take on the café racer, which demonstrates that there is some significant talent in KTM’s design facility.

But KTM’s current big-bike family appears to have been designed by an 11 year-old demonically-possessed psychopath who’s eaten all the crayons except the orange and black ones and has an unhealthy obsession with the backsides of primates. Sorry KTM but I can only assume that in a bizarre ‘Emperor’s new clothes’ scenario that no one has dared to mention this. So please, allow me to be the one.

‘Your styling is hideous, the bikes are ugly in a way that makes every other ugly bike in the history of motorcycling (we’re looking at you Morbidelli V8, original Ducati Multistrada, BMW R1200ST and R1200CL) look almost desirable and you need to address it...now.’

There, that should do it.

Austria; famous for mountains, leather shorts and definitely not motorcycle styling.

KTM Super Duke chassis and handling

KTMs always handle well – it’s in their DNA. Very different to anything else – put a blindfolded rider on a KTM and, once he’s crashed into the nearest tree you’ll realise the blindfold was a mistake. But they’ll still know it was a KTM they crashed on. There’s something about the way that the chassis feels taut and responsive, with that special ‘KTM-flex’ if you ask too much. Not afraid to waggle a front wheel and always with enough in reserve to get you out of trouble. The spirit of the whole flipping company is somehow welded into every KTM frame tube.

It’s been 15 years now since the first electronically-adjusted suspension systems arrived and they are definitely improving. I’m not so sure about the words ‘semi-active’. In my world, semi-active is another word for ‘not-as-active-as-I’d-like-it-to-be’, which, if describing my dog would also come under the heading ‘lethargic’ and that seems a weird concept to hang your marketing on.

‘Reactive’ would be a better way to describe it because that’s exactly what the system does – it measures the movement it detects and adjusts the damping accordingly. On most roads the change in settings happens without you noticing. Only when you hit a really bumpy stretch do the limitations appear. I took the GT down my regular cratered test road three times in each direction and there was no noticeable change in the WP system’s damping characteristics on the last run from the first one.

It might be that, as on other lethargic suspension systems the range of damping in each mode isn’t that great (on the Ohlins’ system you have a broader spread in ‘user’ mode, but then you don’t get the automatic adjustment when the surface changes) but I was expecting to feel some difference.

KTM 1290 Super Duke GT - Owner Review

Chris from Marlow
Owned it for: 4 years
Riding for: 29 years
Any modifications? Exhaust end can, Bodywork sticker kit, Tinted screen, Engine crash bars
Annual mileage: 3,000 miles

I came from a Honda Fireblade and this is just as quick with real character and far more comfortable while touring, one or two up. Ride quality & brakes are amazing, With the semi active suspension and 3 adjustable modes, you can always find one of them to suit your mood or the terrain. Engine has Bags of grunt from low down to help you fire out of corners, love it. I tried a couple of BMWs, but the 1000XR had no soul and everyone and his mum has a GS, the Multistrada was good but pricey. The OE luggage panniers blend in nicely with the sporty stance of the bike. Changed the exhaust can for something a bit more fruity. The Motoworx factory approved sticker kit on my bike looks awesome and makes it stand out from the crowd. Heated grips come in useful in the British weather. I could go on all day it’s such a great bike.

2019 KTM 1290 Super Duke GT - Verdict

The Super Duke GT has become KTM’s signature bike. If BMW owns adventure (and that must really hurt KTM), Triumph own the super-naked thing and Ducati are kings of the luxury sports bike, then KTM’s barmy upright road warrior for the arthritic ‘Ooligans deserves its place at the top table.

Judged on solo riding, the Super Duke GT is a blast. The engine is more than fast enough, easy to use in town and has the low-down flexibility and sense-of-fun that Ducati’s 1260 Multistrada is missing. The handling is sharp and dependable, the gizmos and gadgets are easy to use (and access) because someone thought hard about the menus and switchgear and it has all the required rider aids for a £17k bike in 2019.

Load on a pillion and the experience changes. The gearchange is awful, the handling gets a bit light at the front and it feels very top heavy at a standstill.

Styling aside, the biggest issue I have with the GT is that a 1301cc, 175bhp, chain-driven tourer costing almost £17k really should have a centrestand (and a sidestand that doesn’t sit the bike as upright as this one does, making it a little precarious on some cambers). Let’s reserve judgement on the gearbox until we have a few more miles showing.

And if anyone knows how to fix the electronic steering lock so it works consistently can you please tell me? It engages first time, every time, but can take up to 20 attempts to release, even after the KTM technician showed me the approved technique. On one occasion it took almost five minutes to release it.

You might counter the above by reminding me just how much high-tech you’re getting for your money (and that the switchgear is backlit too, unlike many other bikes) and you’d probably be right. It’s early days with our long-term test KTM Super Duke GT and first impressions are that we’re going to have a lot of fun together.

Likes & Dislikes

Part 2 - A lap of the Isle of Man

Updated 17th April 2019

Being an employer on the Isle of Man must be a nightmare. Every morning at 9am your workplace is still a deserted wasteland. By 9.30 a few people start trickling in, wide-eyed, fly-splattered helmets in hand, mumbling excuses about lateness caused by errant dogs, children, wallabies (there are around 160 wild wallabies on the island, descendants of a pair that escaped from a wildlife park in 1965) and needing a touch more rebound damping. By 10am everyone is there, but still discussing the best line through Glen Helen or whether you should do the Gooseneck in second or third gear on a CBR600RR.

When your daily commute includes the world’s greatest racetrack and the ring road goes past the planet’s most famous scoreboard it must be hard not to get distracted.

Part of the schedule when BikeSocial has a bike on long term test is to see how it fares in everyday situations, away from the glamour of a typical road test. And part of that is stuff like commuting. Since moving house last year my daily commute is a bit dull so I decided to challenge BikeSocial’s KTM Super Duke GT to something a little more lively, like the 37.73 mile long-way-round between the car park at my hotel in Douglas and the coffee shop in the same hotel where I was meeting some industry people. I could have taken the lift, but where’s the fun in that?

I would have done the big Ballaugh jump but…(insert pathetic excuse here)

Two miles into the first lap, 6.34am and we’ve already done Bray Hill, Ago’s Leap and Quarterbridge. Three of the planet’s most emotional places to ride a motorcycle and I’m still picking toast from my teeth. Obviously, me and SooperDuc are going slower than our heroes, but somehow, the mundane normality of it all - watching out for side roads, dodging the bumps and reading the slippiness of the still-damp tarmac - makes the location all the more potent.

By Crosby I’m settled-in. The bike’s warmed up, I’m warmed up and the biggest challenge is sticking to the speed limits. There’s almost no traffic in my direction, but the queue of commuters heading into Douglas is forming. The KTM makes this easy, even in the wet with the electronics in loopy mode. There’s plenty of feedback, enough in reserve to manage bumps, manhole (can we still call them that?) covers and multi-coloured farm coatings. As ever at road speeds, it’s the Sooperduc’s flexibility that stands out most. Chugging along at 4000rpm in top in a lazy, civilised manner, like a Honda Transalp designed by Tim Burton. No transmission lash, no wonky fuelling and the clever suspension doing what it needs to, keeping me comfy and confident. I like this bike a lot.

About an hour too early for breakfast, but the plus-point is the empty road

There are occasional unrestricted speed sections on this first part of the course, but somehow it feels rude to go nuts before Ballacraine. So Greeba, Gorse Lea and Appledean are more about rolling through bends than attacking the course.

Laurel Bank is the first of many sections that prompt the ‘Oh, I remember now, this is my favourite bit.’ Until the next one…and the one after that. The whole circuit is special and you have to think of it as a whole to understand it properly. This stretch, from Laurel Bank through Glen Helen and up Cregwillys Hill is where the KTM gets to stretch its legs. I do the whole section in fourth gear, like some crazy 175bhp twist and go, but it could have just as easily done it in third…or top probably, such is the flexibility and quality of fuelling.

None of these corners are difficult, even when wet. But they are a chance to enjoy the bike’s easy steering, ability to change line mid-corner and make the most of the Pirelli Angel GTs’ wet-weather confidence. The temptation to celebrate cresting the hill by running flat-out down Cron-y-voddy is resisted…and then not…and then tempered…and then not, in a pathetic display of non-committal. Instead the local wildlife is treated to a Super Duke GT running through the gears to flat out in fourth and then braking…and accelerating again before lolloping through Handleys on the wrong line, too slowly because the rider can’t remember where the dodgy bit of Barregarrow is.

‘Call that foggy ya’ great mainland Jessie, it’s just a bit of Manxmosphere’

One of the problems I have with modern sports bikes is they demand more of my riding, more of the time than I am able to provide. This big KTM is much more forgiving, allowing me to ride like an over-ambitious half-wit and get away with it. The roles are reversed when it comes to changing gear. I’m much better at it than the bike, although the more miles we do, the fewer missed changes, screaming false neutrals and insults are thrown at the ‘definitely-not-a’ quickshifter. Maybe the gearbox is bedding in or maybe I’m just riding around it, who knows, but it’s less of an issue than it was (stopping using the quickshifter made the biggest difference).

Rhencullen through Ballaugh and Quarry Bends has at least three more favourite sections, ridden quickly enough for the KTM to feel very lively changing direction. The section from Ginger Hall to Ramsey is a lot more bumpy than the rest of the circuit. If its like this at my speed, I can only imagine how terrifying it must be at race pace (which is maybe four or even five times faster than I’m currently going).

Climbing out of Ramsey there’s a lot more traffic. Partly because I’m heading back for Douglas, but also because it’s now 7am and more people are out and about. For now, I’m happy to sit in the queue and take the chances to pick off the traffic one-by-one.

7am, climbing out of Ramsey. Starting to get busy.

In the crazy way of weather that only the IoM ever does, the sun is now out, the Mountain Mile is dry and me and SooperDuc are using as many lines as we can and feeling like heroes. Forget what I said before, this is my favourite section. Oh, and this one too. Approaching the Verandah it looks like fog and then, suddenly, WHAM… like someone pulled the curtains. From blazing sunshine to full-on pea-souper in an instant. Visibility is down to about a car-length. I know this because I just nearly ran up the back of a Peugeot.

Game over. At least through the Bungalow, Brandywell and down to Windy Corner, where the fog starts to lift and the run Keppel down to the Creg is clear, but crowded with dawdling commuters being as careful as you should be on this road in these conditions. I’m dicking about for a website, but they are on their way to work.

Back at the grandstand 38 minutes after leaving – average speed around 61mph. That would have been just about enough to push 1924 Senior TT winner Alec Bennett and his 500cc Norton single back into second place. His bike made about 30bhp, ran crossply tyres made of granite, had brakes that would barely stop a bicycle and almost certainly needed a top-end rebuild by Sulby Crossroads. My 2019 KTM makes six times the horsepower, runs on super-sticky radial tyres and has suspension that Alec couldn’t even dream of. He might not have had to stop at the traffic lights at Ninians, Ballecraine and Ramsey, or the temporary road works at Greeba. He didn’t have to stop and take photos either. But he did probably stop for a fag, a pie and a kickabout with some Germans at some point. Plus, with life expectancy being so low in those days he probably died a couple times during the four-hour race too.

We’ll call it a draw then shall we?

Ok, that’s proper fog. Game over

So, what did we learn? KTM’s 1290 Super Duke GT can take a sleepy, hungover rider and guide them easily through everything the world’s most exciting commute can throw at them. The powerful-but-flexible engine makes dealing with troublesome traffic easy and the second-storey riding position gives you the view to plan well ahead. Clever reactive suspension helps to soak up the pot-holes and stay controlled in corners should your commute include a section of 180mph mountain roads with no speed restrictions. And it has the brakes and electronic safety aids to keep you orange-side-up should you meet someone still painting their nails or finishing their breakfast on the go.

At £16,799 it’s more expensive than catching the bus, and even on a PCP deal you’ll be need a £4k deposit and £259 per month. But commuting is just part of the deal. Will your Southern Rail season ticket help you embarrass Fireblades on a track day or take you and a pillion through Europe this summer? Having a bike that commutes this well means you don’t have to spend extra money on commuting and therefore it actually saves you money. Which clearly, makes buying one even more of a no-brainer than before.

Seriously, what’s stopping you... apart from the styling, the gearbox, the precarious sidestand and the stupid electronic steering lock that only disengages when it decides you have been humiliated enough?

Part 3 - When it all starts to come together

Updated 22nd May 2019

No longer just ‘The KTM’, Steve’s started calling it ‘My KTM’. Ah, bless. A sort of ‘Brokeback Bonkers’.

It’s been a busy year riding other test bikes on BikeSocial meaning I’ve only managed a relatively low 2000 miles in two months on KTM’s 1290 Super Duke GT. In that time it’s gone from being referred to in the office as ‘the KTM’ to ‘my KTM’ which probably tells you all you need to know.

In my simple world of road testing I now judge a bike on the giggles and the niggles.

With miles comes familiarity and with that comes acceptance that the niggles will always be niggles, but almost all are easily overcome by the giggles. In the case of the Super Duke the engine, riding position, suspension, brakes and absurdly easy way it covers distance in any weather and puts a smile on my face make it first choice for pretty much any journey. Last week was a really good example. Suzuki were holding a riding event for the press on the new Katana in the Cotswolds. Despite the torrential rain, I left my house half an hour earlier than necessary for the two-hour ride to Warwickshire just so I could go the backroad route. Even with the Duke’s electronics in full-on ‘loopy mode’ the round-the-midlands-rush-hour-yacht-race was enjoyable, invigorating, stupidly quick for the conditions while never, ever feeling dangerous.

How wet? Five minutes after pulling up there is still water running off the radiator

There’s a huge amount of feel and feedback from the KTM’s throttle and that alone is enough to make riding quickly on what-should-be miserable roads enjoyable, involving and still feeling like you have plenty in reserve. Heated grips and handguards keep my pinkies warm and relatively dry even in thin summer gloves and Pirelli’s Angel GT tyres seem like a very good match for the Super Duke GT’s chassis.

Fuel consumption has settled down now the bike is run-in, averaging high-40s mpg – pretty good for a 172bhp sports bike in disguise being ridden by a mid-life idiot.

Today is the wettest of what’s been a month of very wet riding. Every time I’ve been out it’s chucked it down, but despite that a couple of weeks back I still set my fastest ever time from home to the Stafford classic bike show. Childish? Yes. But an early-in-the-year time trial tradition in which the two quickest times in the last ten years have both been set on KTMs (the last one was an 1190 Adventure).

Racers put cable ties around their forks to measure sag. Road riders just wait for the rain

What I’ll learn today though is something about the quality of the KTM’s semi-active suspension. As riders we tend not to notice when suspension is good – we just enjoy the ride and assume the easy speed, confidence and composure are all down to our riding abilities. But you don’t-half notice when suspension is bad and Suzuki’s Katana has a set-up that really challenges my confidence and ability to ride as quickly as I want to in some very tricky conditions.

The contrast is stunning. Where the KTM was so easy to ride faster-than-I-ought-to, the Suzuki is a sphincter-clenching battle of resolve over maladjusted physics. In the end I get the better of it but only because I’m thinking about little else. KTM has recently announced that owners of the 2016-18 Super Duke GT can have the software in their suspension system upgraded to the latest spec…for free. That’s a terrific offer. If you have a mate with an older bike, let them know – they’d be crazy to miss out.

Back on the KTM for the ride home. It’s still raining, I’m still on the back roads and enjoying being back on a bike that responds to every teeny rider input like we’re connected. Because it’s a KTM the niggles are never far away and when I stop for fuel the filler cap won’t shut. More than ten minutes of trying fail to overcome the problem (it feels like the keyless system has operated the filler cap’s lock while the cap is open). The bodger in me thinks ‘tape it shut and ride slowly home’ but that’s as stupid an idea as it sounds and thankfully, the garage doesn’t sell tape.

So I resort to brute force and… actually I won’t tell you how I did it – I’m not proud of my actions. When I next tried to open the filler it was stuck in the locked position and required as much force to open it. Since then it’s been perfect – like nothing ever happened.

Tank badge came off the first time it was washed. That’s not good enough on a £17k bike

Other silly KTM-ness includes the metal tank badge coming off when I washed it, the swing-arm design making it almost impossible to lube the chain and the electronic steering lock continuing to be so inconsistent in releasing the handlebars that I’ve stopped using it and resigned myself to carrying a disc lock everywhere.

The other thing I was hoping to report on was the KTM ‘My Ride’ navigation app. A simple idea that connects the bike to your phone via Bluetooth, which then transmits turn-by-turn navigation instructions via the bike’s TFT display.

The app costs £7.99 and it’s only when you’ve downloaded it that you realise that your phone won’t connect to the bike. In fairness, my shiny new iPhone XR is a fussy connector and, despite following the tips and tricks recommended online it doesn’t always connect to my other stuff either.

But my old iPhone 8 is like a randy Jack Russell – it continually wants to connect to anything and everything. So I downloaded the app onto that too, but even that couldn’t connect with the KTM.

So it’s back to old-school pap-nav sticking a piece of paper to the tank with a map in my rucksack. I was disappointed it didn’t work because I want to use this tech, but the beauty of this bike is that it covers ground so quickly and safely I can afford to get lost because I always seem to have a spare half hour in the bag.

Check that your phone pairs with the bike before downloading KTM’s My Ride app or you’ll be back on pap-nav too

Whether a bike costing this much money should have so many niggles is a question I can’t answer – I’ve never spent anything like that on anything that doesn’t have a kitchen and stairs. Other than the filler cap I can live with the issues, but then, I didn’t pay £17k to be stuck in a bike park, looking suspiciously like someone who is trying to break a steering lock.

Anyone else out there having the same problems?

Part 4 - Super Duke R vs Super Duke GT

Updated 25th July 2019

Ok, time for a sweeping statement. After three months, 2500 miles, some highs, some lows and a few weeks riding many other bikes and not the Super Duke GT, I jumped on the KTM for a 120 mile blast and remembered that this bike could be that ‘why doesn’t someone build a bike that genuinely does everything…brilliantly’ machine that we’ve all been waiting for.

As happens so often it’s the seemingly mundane rides that turn out to be the most memorable. In my case it’s because I’m always late setting off.  I talk too much and like to listen. Which means even though I’ve been in this particular meeting for two hours already and even though I know I have to leave at 1.45 to be back in the office, 65 miles away for a 3pm conference call, it’s 2.01 and I’m only just putting my ear plugs in.

Wet or dry, this bike on these (Pirelli Angel GT) tyres covers ground indecently fast

If this were a just a Mediocre-Duke I’d never have made it. But it’s a Super Duke…baby, and so, fifty-nine minutes later I pull into the BikeSocial car park, run up the stairs and sit in the meeting wide-eyed, buzzing and feeling remorseful and adrenalised when I should be dissecting spreadsheets.

KTM’s Super Duke GT makes this kind of malarkey simple because it genuinely does have the power and speed of a sports bike, the comfort, visibility and ride quality of an adventure bike and the attitude and aggression of a super-naked. Oh, and it averages high-40s mpg too. It’s rare for a bike to live up to the claims manufacturers make, but this one does them all, with knobs on.

The manner in which it just covered some very challenging roads and traffic without feeling out of control or anywhere near its limits of acceleration, handling, braking or traction makes even half-baked riders like me feel invincible. Is that a good thing? Yes. Rather that than vulnerable. 

Build quality on the big lumps is brilliant, not so good on the peripherals

BikeSocial’s lightly-obsessive punctuation professor had been riding it last and so, not only was it immaculately clean (including a freshly adjusted and oiled chain), but the switchgear and menu functions have been set-up so things like the heated grips are now just one click away. Plus, the Russian-roulette ‘not-quite-quick-enough’ shifter has been turned off. Now we’ve got past the ‘clumsy-first-dates’ stage, the electronics have been set as I like them and left alone. Typically I have it in sport mode for everything because I prefer the sharper throttle response and the semi-active suspension works well on pretty much every road in this mode.

It took a couple of miles to re-acquaint with the KTM’s clutch action, gearchange and steering, but after that it just felt great to be back on board. When the ride is as good as this it doesn’t matter how ugly the styling is, how over-long the sidestand is or how unpredictable the electronic steering lock is (and in truth it’s been much better recently). Right now, this is a bike I would happily get on to do any journey to anywhere knowing that I’d get there as quickly as anything else in much more comfort than most. Even riding slowly is easy – and that’s probably even more of an achievement for a 175bhp V-twin as any of the above. A few weeks back I went for a day out with a mate that hasn’t ridden for a while. They were cautious and careful in what turned out to be a round trip of 140 miles of which around 100 miles was filtering past queuing traffic. The Super Duke trundles as well as it annihilates, purring along at 45mph, gliding through mile after mile of traffic jams.

KTM’s My Ride app gives turn by turn navigation from your phone to the TFT dash

And I finally worked out how to make my phone connect to the bike (my fault, not the KTM as it turned out) so I can now use the KTM My Ride Navigation app. Although since getting it to work I haven’t been anywhere that I don’t already know how to get to. Some in the office are outraged that KTM charge for the app – no other manufacturers do apparently. I get that, but it’s £7.99, which is a lot cheaper than any sat-nav I’ve come across and it works well. If you’ve already spent the best part of £17k on a Super Duke GT, I’m guessing £7.99 is affordable.

The price is important because KTM has a history of inconsistency for pricing. All the 2019 Super Duke GTs they brought into the UK are sold, apparently, but there are plenty of unsold 2018 models still in dealers, on sale right now for around £12,500. There’s not that much difference between the 2018 and 2019 models especially since the suspension upgrade on the later model is now available for free for owners of the 2018 bike. If KTM get the numbers wrong for 2020 and don’t sell out of Super Duke GTs, the same thing will happen which will have a huge impact on the value of 2019 bikes. Most other manufacturers have got this sorted in the last few years (because PCP business depends on it), KTM have to get a grip quickly or they’ll lose long-term customers.

It doesn’t get any prettier

Of course I can’t predict what potential KTM customers want, but my hunch is that if you’re either a sports bike rider wanting something less focussed, but still sporty or an adventure bike rider wanting something more sporty, but still practical and both of you are looking to do some two-up riding, then this bike should be on your list of machines to get a test ride.

If I were either of the above, but only looking to ride solo then I’d wait for the almost-inevitable Super Duke 790 GT because KTM’s middleweight motor has all the punch and pizazz you could ever want and in a slightly shorter, considerably lighter and much less expensive package, it’ll be an even better proposition.

Significant differences in riding position, attitude, weight and comfort.

How does KTM’s Super Duke GT compare with the Super Duke R?

‘It’s always the quiet ones.’ As an introverted former biochemist I was fascinated to read a paper describing how dopamine - one of the many ‘pleasure hormones’ produced by humans is more prevalent in extroverts and maybe the reason us ‘quiet ones’ turn out to be thrill seekers as we chase a dopamine high. I’m thinking a lot about brain chemistry right now, attacking the grizzled, gnarly tarmac of a bumpy back road in Peterborough’s Fens. KTM’ Super Duke R is driving hard to the horizon as it does, but the horizon is obscured by a large, prickly hedge while the road turns back on itself to the right.

I brake too late...again, because I’m going faster than expected...again. In three seconds time I could be toast, this is serious, maybe mother was right etc. So why am I grinning like an eejut, completely calm in an almost trance-like state, waiting for the moment to flick 195kg of Austrian addiction on its side? The answer is endorphin, another brain chemical released when humans get extra-happy. Endorphin brings on a trance-like state. Hello trance.

Super Duke R has conventional suspension instead of the GT’s semi-active electronic units

Twenty four years ago I road tested KTM Duke 640. At the time it was KTMs only road bike, a single cylinder nutcase of a motorcycle that only made sense when you rode it like a race bike. Round the local back roads it was astonishing and as someone who got paid to describe a motorcycle I was embarrassingly lost for words on how to explain the experience adequately.

This afternoon, riding KTM’s 1290 Super Duke R and I’m having a similar problem to describe what this bike does. It makes three times the horsepower of that 640 single and weighs just half a pillion more despite having an extra cylinder, considerably more chassis and all the additional gubbins required for Euro 4 emissions (the original 640 wasn’t even Euro 1).

I’ve been curious about the other 1290 Super Duke since getting the GT. The R model weighs 15kg less, claims a couple more bhp, loses the fairing, screen and TFT dash. It also has lower bars, a narrower tank and seat and a much more aggressive, sporty attitude. KTM like to call it (best action-movie preview voice gents) ‘Thurrr Beast’ presumably to make it absolutely clear that it’s no beauty.

I like to call it the absolute opposite to Triumph’s Speed Triple. Where Triumph build easy to ride sensible bikes and then dress them up to look mean, KTM build challenging, aggressive, butt-ugly bruisers and then somehow make them incredibly easy to ride while still feeling wild and uncontrollable.

Narrow seat and tank, simple clocks are easy to use, menu functions on the left hand bar

The Super Duke isn’t about going fast as in you don’t see big numbers on the speedo. But while that part of the dashboard gets an easy time, the LCDs in the rev counter work bloody hard trying to keep up with an enormous pair of pistons knocking seven bells of hell out of a (presumably) enormous crankshaft.

The power comes at you like a turbocharged baritone buzzsaw, accelerating hard between 4-7000rpm and then tailing off to something a little more linear. With no screen and the rider hunched over the front everything feels even more brutal. Accelerate, brake, turn, repeat. That’s pretty much it. After 40 minutes your glands have squeezed out a summer’s worth of happy juice, life is perfect, I am invincible. Shall we do it again?

Without the GT’s electronic suspension the ride is a little bit harsher on a bumpy road. But without the bulk of the GT’s fat fuel tank the Super Duke R feels so much smaller, nimble and easy to control. If you keep the speed down it can be practical in the same way that if you put a frock on a road drill you could take it ballroom dancing.

£14,799 is a lot of money for such a single-minded motorcycle and I’d find it easier to justify that kind of cash on a discounted 2018 GT because I’d use it much more.

But there are plenty of people who spend a tenner a night on alcohol to have far less chemical enjoyment than this. In four years time drinky-bloke will have spent enough on nasty wine to have bought a Super Duke R and the resale value on his beer belly is a lot less than the equity you’ll have in a four year old KTM.

Surely that’s all the excuse you need.

One of these or drinking on the sofa for four years. You choose

Part 5 - Six things we learned about KTM’s 2019 1290 Super Duke GT

Updated 20th November 2019

BikeSocial were lucky enough this summer to run a KTM 1290 Super Duke GT for six months and 4000 miles. Here’s what we learned.

It’s fast, but not a beast

You can’t argue with the numbers. 175bhp and 106lb-ft of torque delivered at just 6750rpm means you’ll be meeting a lot more horizons a lot more quickly than on other bikes. Thing is though, even in the loopiest of loopy engine modes it doesn’t feel that quick. Maybe it’s because the revs run out so (relatively) quickly compared to a high-revving (and fast-revving) four-cylinder motor. Maybe its because none of us actually know what ‘power’ feels like because what we feel and describe as power is actually something called ‘thrust’ and that’s dependent on torque and gear ratios. Maybe it’s because all those clever electronics do one hell of a job of making the bike go forwards without fuss.

Whatever the explanation, KTM’s Super Duke GT is an immensely usable, very fast motorcycle and that’s a good thing.

The electronics are very good

That’s good as in ‘you know they are there and you trust that they’ll do the job’ while being totally unobtrusive. Multi-stage traction control, cornering ABS, hill start control and cruise control all work hard to make your life easier without distracting from the riding pleasure at all.

Electronics are superb, although we couldn’t find a ‘fog’ setting

The ease of use

All the above, plus the heated grips, Bluetooth integration and suspension settings are managed and accessed via a simple user interface on the left hand handlebar and TFT screen. Just a handful of buttons and a system so simple that techno-dunces like me can operate them in the dark.

Plus, there’s a ‘rightness’ to the GT’s ergonomics that isn’t apparent when you first get on it, but becomes very clear when you’re 380 miles from home at 3pm, it’s raining and you want to be stood at the bar (and be able to stand up straight) for last orders. The screen is effective, the handlebar:footrest position is perfect for covering distance at speed and the seat is firm, but very supportive. Oh, and it does an easy 200 miles to a tankful, getting on for 250 if you are cruising at motorway speeds.

From the handlebars back the KTM looks tough and purposeful. Forwards of that, we’re still not convinced

Electronic semi-active suspension is getting to the point of being worth having

Ten years ago electronic suspension was terrible. Three settings, none of them worked properly and when it went wrong the bill was horrendous. In 2019 it’s much, much better. KTM’s semi-active WP system monitors movement and adjusts the damping accordingly. It doesn’t alter spring rate like BMW’s latest system and it still feels a little remote occasionally because you never quite know how much damping it has decided you are getting.

At first this bothers you and then you forget about it and concentrate on just riding the bike and looking where you’re going. At that point you stop noticing until you ride a bike with typical, standard suspension fitted, which feels harsh and crudely damped.

And that’s the point. We rarely notice when suspension is good – we just enjoy the ride and assume it’s our talent making the difference. But when suspension is bad (or at least ‘less good’) we notice it. KTM’s system is very good and, for an all-round road bike it works.

The build quality is superb

The big bits – frame, engine, suspension, bodywork, clocks – are the equal or better than any other manufacturer. KTM still has some work to do on some of its bikes finishing touches, but on the whole the Super Duke GT lives up to its £17k price tag.

Every time we rode it we loved it, but £17k is a lot of money

We still can’t work out if it costs too much or is a bargain for the performance

Every time you ride the Super Duke GT you respect what KTM have achieved. There aren’t many bikes out there at any price that are as capable, comfortable and able to thrill in the summer, but also bring confidence and keep you safe when the weather turns horrific.

However, when you pay this much money for a chain-driven sporty tourer, you should expect it to come with luggage and a centrestand (especially because lubing the chain without one is such a faff).  And also, you shouldn’t expect the company who made it to suddenly dump a load of last year’s (almost-identical) bikes onto the market at a massive discount halfway through the year, destroying the residual value on your PCP plan (never mind the poor souls who paid full price for last year’s bike) overnight. If KTM really wants to attract and keep the same customers as Ducati and BMW, it has to get its pricing and stock control sorted because the annual price drop happens all-too-often on too many models. If you bought the discounted bike, congratulations, it’s a hell-of-a-machine for the less-than £13k you paid for it. If you paid full whack for the 2019 version, here’s hoping the dealer looks after you when the finance ends.

If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page.

2019 KTM 1290 Super Duke GT - Verdict

KTM 1290 Super Duke GT in summary

BikeSocial's Steves (Rose and Lamb) discuss the finer points of KTM's awesome 1290 Super Duke GT

2019 KTM 1290 Super Duke GT - Technical Specification