Motorcycle specifications KTMSuperduke 1290 GT 2021 A walk in a hurry

"Guys, I've got two cartons of Tariquet to pick up? Anyone got a grindstone for me, one that can cross the valley and its detours at the speed of sound?
- Really? Here, take my Superduke ;-)
- Cool, but I've got two hundred kilometers to go... and my two boxes to carry.
- Ah yes! Here, take my Superduke GT.
- YES. But how long have you had this? When it came out in 2016, you hesitated....
- Since they released a new version; with what I wanted more.
- Tell me about it!!!"

The white wine will wait. So will the KTM. For everyone will be keen to discover what has changed between two generations of this "tourime" roadster. All heart and soul? Not all of it. A bit of heart, a bit of body, and enough watts to scream.
He's changed his shoulders, cutting them even sharper and as muscular as ever. Its look, too, borrowed from the intrepid Superduke R. A particularly expressive LED headlamp unit, sharp, menacing... worthy of the bite the bike wants to inflict on the asphalt.

a task it will never cease to beg for. In 2019, the 1301 cm3 twin-cylinder has received a few modifications to celebrate its new chapter. New resonance chambers, titanium intake valves and revised injection mapping enable the engine to spit out 175 hp and 14.3 mkg. A gain of two horses, but a loss of 0.4 mkg. An infinitesimal difference, given the Austrian twin's overflowing vigor. The 4 kilos added to the bike are easily digested, as if it only existed on paper.

Touring with a Superduke is possible. Small efforts are made in this direction with a new bubble, still manually adjustable but now with 8 positions. Handguards are even fitted as standard. Luggage, however, is still not given the same attention, and will have to make do with the option rank.
Well, it doesn't look good for bottles. On the other hand, you'll be able to stash your house keys, a bit of change, your laptop and a few other odds and ends in the storage compartments built into the inner fork-head panels. One of these is equipped with a USB socket, a must-have accessory these days. Once on board, the surprises continue with the addition of Race On keyless ignition and an imposing 6.5" TFT screen. No less than 165 mm diagonal of image to inform the rider about the life of the machine, the ride, and the smartphone if applicable. Coupled via Bluetooth with the MyRide app, the dashboard can provide step-by-step navigation, both vocal and visual.

a KTM is technologically rich, especially when it comes to assistants.the 1290 Superduke GT is equipped with a good number of the solutions available on the market: traction control, ABS and tilt-sensitive lighting, several riding modes (including the new Track mode for fine-tuning electronic parameters), Up & Down shifter, tire pressure monitoring, turn signal auto-off and cruise control. The controls have been moved to the left for greater convenience. WP suspensions continue to be semi-active, reacting automatically to road and driving conditions according to three settings: Comfort, Street or Sport. Their control software has been updated.

Digital fans will be delighted. Others, or most users, will praise the tubular steel trellis frame, heavy-duty monobars, large 48 mm WP inverted forks and muscular Brembo M50 brake calipers. All equipment capable of withstanding many a virile assault. The Superduke knows how to show its grunt; the GT side also shows its good riding conscience with a big 23-liter fuel tank, heated grips and a revised seat. On the other hand, Katoche still hasn't managed to fit a center stand, either as standard or as an option.

The evening has fallen, after much debate on the evolution of this roadster-sport-GT.
And still nothing on the table for the aperitif. The overpowered twin is just waiting for a joyful start-up, however, to provide both solid emotions and a whole host of pretexts for torturing the rear tire. Underneath this evolution, the KTM Supeduke 1290 GT retains all its personality - above all, it fulfills a desire for overall refreshment.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos