I ❤ my KTM 1290SDR. I’ve had a lot of bikes but this is on a different level. There’s a lot of KTM hatred out there but they offer the best riding experience in each segment. If KTM had doubts about the reliability of the 1290 then they wouldn’t be giving a 4year warranty. Most of the negative comments on here are from people who couldn’t dare to wish to owning one of these bikes.
I’m the former owner of two gen 3, standard and the Evo : only got one issue with latter, due to a valve that had to be replaced. Cumulated, I put 32000 km on them and that was the only issue I got. I’m posting that because I know rumours out there say Ktm is not reliable. It may be less reliable than Japanese brands but, statistically, that would mean having 10 bikes out of 100 that have issues instead of 3. Nevertheless, the way the Superduke made me fell is, by now unparalleled. I only moved away from her due to age and to the huge mileage I was doing, needed a more sport touring oriented bike. Thanks ✌️
I commute 40k miles per year, been doing it on a 2010 Ducati streetfighter, just started doing it on a 2017 SDR. I don't know how much more of a "sport touring oriented bike" you could get. The rearsets are too low, the bars are too high, and the seating position is too upright. My '22 Evo is a little less so in all 3 issues, but still that way. I would consider the SDR to be the people's choice for best sport tourer.
@@MyHandleHereAtRU-vidman, I hope you're wrong. Only got 28k miles (not km) on my 2016 SDR before I got hit. Only 3k miles on my '22 Evo currently, and just picked up a' 17 SDR with 10k miles to start commuting on (3 days per week) rather than all 5 days on my Ducati streetfighter 1098.
@@Sanisani9that's a stupid idea. You'd lose less money fixing any issue. And you'd be totally screwed when you had a 1290, then they replace it with the ugliest bike ever built, the 1390.
The 1290 does concern me. If we have too many of them in the world accelerating at the same time then we will end up with 23hrs days as the world spins quicker 😮 🤣🤣🤣
I’m more amazed how you kept your speedo showing 63 or under , can’t seem to do that on mine 😁 I know some people have stories of problems they’ve experienced, but I’m on my 2nd superduke now,and have had no problems at all, love love love mine , and can’t wait for the Rumoured 1390 gen4 😁👌👍🏼
I'm on my second SD, the first being a gen 2. I gave the first one up very shortly due to a persistent issue and here I am back again. This newer model has had problems from the start too but it's such a joy to ride and, I ride daily here in southern California. I'll hang on while I can 'cuz I've figured out I'm just a a fool for love . . . a romantic at heart. If we part I expect it will feel a good bit like characters do in the film, "The Way We Were." Look it up some day. It will make you hurt but sometimes one can be glad for the sweetness of the overall experience.
Awesome video Kate! Where were you riding? Incredible scenery. At 17: 15 or so, the cloud on your shoulder was a Kodak moment foe sure. Frame that one, it's a classic! Best!
I traded up from a 990 almost 2 months ago and absolutely love my 1290.. the 4 year warranty helps as a safeguard, too.. It's all about that torque.. you could spin the earth backward 😂 its just the best of everything ...
@UsernameKate it wouldn't surprise me, its a fair challenge... now where did the summer go ? Looks like it's enduro fun months ahead now... 😎 Well until this rain pauses at least
Where are you getting a 4 year warranty? Mine was 1 year, unless you buy each additional year at each year's end, having paid the dealership for your services. Which, you could save the money and do the services yourself, and still save money when you'd have to perform your own "warranty services."
@@josiahwright7114 @josiahwright7114 the 4 year warranty was part of the deal, UK dealers were offering it late last year to clear stocks...if you took any of the finance with the bike which if i recall correctly was 3.9%
Wonderful, this test ride with all your comments 🏆🫶💪👏👏!!! I own a 2015 1290 Super Duke R too, never had a problem with this bike during the 8 years. It‘s so phantastic, absolutely addictive !!! I‘m thinking about an upgrade to the 2023-evo-version … 🤔😍 … Best greetings from Germany and stay healthy ✊✊
Even after having problem with almost every KTM I’ve owned (six in the last ten years) I purchased a 2022 SD-R EVO, before I could get it out of the dealership parking lot it threw a code and the electronic suspension stopped working. Once that was fixed I made it just over 500 miles and it threw another code and went into “limp home mode”, dealer found three random codes; ABS fault, couldn’t communicate with the remote key, and one engine sensor. Got the bike back and it made it exactly 64 miles before it threw mother code and went into limp home mode. I decided to cut my losses and got rid of it. (PS: Just this weekend I found out the KTM dealership still had the bike, seems every time someone takes it for a test ride it throws a new handful of codes. KTM builds a fabulous engine, and the manually adjustable suspension is just magic, but their electronics are utter crap.
Way to go Kate! Raced KTM's in the 70's (motocross). Now at 73yo, ride an RC390. Most fun you can have under 100 mph. The new 1390 has adjustable wheelie control! 😊
Torque is IT Kate, always. As a road rider, very high bhp just ain't useable... safely or legally 😁😁 but torque is IT and most useful tool for day to day road riding !
Kate just spat my tea out 😂got your video on and in and out! Just sat down with cuppa and you said (all the fun is low down! That’s where I have it) teas gone everywhere 😂😂😂😂😂
I love mine. One of, if not the best bike I've ever ridden. You can adjust those bars closer or further away, by the way. It could make a real difference for you.
I've got the 390 duke , I've had it nearly 3 years, I never thought I'd enjoy a ktm after so many other bikes. Its been the best. The mid range is beautiful and a rush, so I can only imagine how insane the 1290 is. Jeez. 😅
I owned a 390 duke for 6 years in the UK and loved it. I have a new hornet now but to be honest the 390 is all you need on B roads if you ride within the law(ish) Bikes like the 1290 are expensive and kind of pointless in the UK really. I do find the Hornet a step up from the 390 but both are a blast to ride for 10k less than a Superduke and you're a bit more likely to keep your licence on a smaller bike. If I was you I'd upgrade to a 790 it'll be almost as much fun but nowhere near the cost
The 390 is a cool little bike. More funny than fun to ride, but if you're riding busy city streets, always full of traffic, that thing would be the best bike around. Needs narrower, lower, further forward bars, but still solid. Incomparable to a 1290 SDR in track mode AWM off. It'd be like comparing how good an orange tastes in comparison to a dinner of filet mignon and fettuccine alfredo with garlic bread.
I bought a brand new gen 2 1290 Super Duke R in 2018. I bought a load of power parts for it and it totalled £17.5k. It did give lots of joy. I have ridden the gen 3 bike and it is a step up from the gen 2. Not sure I like the feel or the look of the gen 3 over the gen 2 though. The gen 2 felt awesome to ride even though the gen 3 was a better bike. It makes sense to me anyway 😂
I have been a KTM owner for 10+ years on three bikes, (and lucky to have several others too). All the KTM's have broken down but they do seem to be "the one to beat" in each segment, which is why I keep coming back. Due to the reliability issues, I am contemplating a M1000R but I will probably get another KTM. That v2 torque hey Kate..
@@mustdriveslower with the caveat that I'm just a single data point with my anecdotes, I've owned 6 BMW's from new, and I loved them all, but 4 of them were put out of action and had to be fixed under warranty. I've owned well over 30 bikes and almost none of them ever had warranty issues. Apart from both the ktms 😁 ... and I did manage to break a zzr1100 engine once on a trip back up from Cornwall...
4 BMW's since 1993 and all have had warranty recalls and part failures including 2 front brake issues. #1 master cyclinder failed - K1100RS #2 ABS pump not primed resulting loss of pressure when ABS pump kick in. The fact the ABS pump had engaged suggested I was needing to stop which didn't happen. Result, new folks please... That was an R1200GS. Have recently switched to a KTM1290SAR with 4 year warranty. All good so far, fingers crossed it continues. Finally that 1290 engine is just on another level to anything I've ever ridden, lovin the KTM.
It’s so obvious that KTM have reliability issues, social media is awash with many tales that have been going on forever. When will KTM get to grips with this issue? Surely they must be aware just how damaging it is for their brand. They remind me of the car company TVR at the turn of the century, fantastic cool cars with great raw V8 and straight 6 engines but with such shocking build quality you would have to be a brave man or women to own one. Either that or have very deep pockets and a 2nd car to drive when it was being fixed! Which was a lot. Come on KTM, sort your quality control out and give your customers bikes they can be proud of.
Something very strange with KTM UK because here in Belgium i only read&hear positive stories. I am on my second 1290 SA S and after 26000 km in total no problems so far.
You can find stories like this for any manufacturer, Ducati, BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, Harley Davidson. It’s unfortunate but a result of fast pace technology change and role out that means the customer can be the tester and show up fault’s the manufacturer hasn’t had time to find. Its the same for cars.
Love the videos. I got a super duke evo 2023. Love it so far. Awesome bike. Has bucket loads of torque. But handles so well and does everything else well too.
I had a gen 1 2016 special edition from brand new my first ever new bike, any way got t-boned by a BMW year before last, taken ages to get better with hospital , titanium rods etc, anyway bought a 2015 gen 1 1290 Super Duke R with full Boddis exhaust and mopped to over 190bhp, basically a track bike for the road had new front discs and Brembo sintered pads on , plus it came with full service new tyres battery and chain and sprockets, waiting until spring to ride it, but had to buy it when I did as it was too good an opertunity to miss, just love the looks of the gen 1 SDR. Great vid btw, most enjoyable. 👍👍👍👍👍
The 1290 Super Duke R has the potential to get RU-vid Age Restricted due to the powerful, full body trembling, and soul moving emotional release that it causes Moto-vloggers to go through with every ride!
wow, I love you take it down the single track ( my favourite), there were bits that were quite sensual... best review of a bike I have ever seen, keep it up.
What a bike ! Have wanted one of those for sometime, nice to see it ridden well, apart from the bullying of sheep of course :) It would leave my Blackbird standing, but then mine is 24 years old now ! Dream on :)
I felt the same about my 890 Duke R. Nothing rides as well as a KTM in their respective segments, but the reliability kills it. I had issues literally from the first day, and had to wait almost an entire year for parts.
Never wanted one its a bike that I've not been interested in , You buy a bike to ride at your convenience unfortunately these bikes are not reliable enough, and you have to pay extra for some of the electronics to be turned on , That is an absolute rip off
I had an ‘05 990 SD and regret getting rid of it to this day. Had a go on my mates ‘16 1290 SD and it’s a great bike but less character in my opinion. Currently have a ‘22 890 duke gp and I’m sorry to say overall i prefer it to the SD. All the best bits handling etc at the cost of a bit of top speed which being honest I never used anyway 😂
Anecdotal I know, but a mate bought an RC8C and has literally never been able to do a single lap with it because it keeps breaking down. To be fair, KTM is sending someone out from Austria to try and see what's up, but even something uber-premium doesn't get by unscathed (I think he has number 41 or something...don't quote me on that though).
I know exactly what you mean by having all that torque at your wrist. Though less, my Goldwing's 125 lb ft of torque always gets a grin out of me. That's some spectacular countryside but the left side riding would take some getting used to.
Not my type of bike at all but still loved your video around the beautiful Trough of Bowland. 17 grand + is far to rich for me but the bike does look awesome.
Ooh, a Cow! (Hahaha!). The sheep are usually ladies only. I think you need a job on a farm really… The KTM sounds and probably feels thrilling… exciting review as usual Kate - cheers!
The best suspension (WP) setup I’ve ridden. Great engine, no heat felt, tall gearing, very comfy ergos, smooth engine & nice handling. I just can’t get past the looks & build quality.
Hey Kate, been watching and enjoying your vids lately! I would like to ask what is your opinion on the latest 1390 SDR Evo vs M1000R vs SF V4S. I'm coming from a 21 MT-09 SP and I would like to upgrade to something more fierce, refined, fun.. also at the same time would like it to keep it's resale value. The BMW sort of seems to tick the boxes, but it seems to have these terrible bar vibrations.. makes the mirrors unusable etc.. the steering dampener is weak - would need to be swapped out asap (I am planning on test riding one once the snows are gone.. so maybe in a few weeks) and lastly the BMW definitely has the best app. So I'm sort of looking for an all rounder.. The Ducati seems to be the most refined/desireable, but it lacks a fuel gauge and cruise control.. at that high end price range the BMW's vibrations and the Ducatis faults sort of are unacceptable in my point of view. That leaves the new KTM, I'm worried about it's resale value though and is it actually rideable on the streets? KTM offers only 2+2 of extra warranty aswell :D at first I was so sure of it. Even though it has loads of more torque and "fun", would I notice the lack of the 10+ bhp which the BMW and the Duc have? Been pondering on this for months now, I can't make up my mind. Every comment is appreciated :).
Love your reviews!! And your accent and sayings make me smile!! Question - if you were offered the keys to a new Super Duke 1290 R EVO or a new Speed Triple 1200 RS, which would you want and why??
It's a great bike for sure, so glad you liked it, if people are worried about price, just buy a second hand one, they are monsters. 20 years ago we all lived at full throttle, do that now and you'll be dead....If you disagree, crack on, I hope you have a good time.
Another great video Kate! Could you add some details of your routes in the description as I also enjoy the riding locations & would love to pop over from Yorkshire to ride them. I had a Superduke Gen3 & when the warranty was ending traded it for new Tuono V4 RR as the difference was only a couple of £K. With both bikes I've concluded they are too much for the road & leave you a little dissatisfied (if thats the right term?). I think in the future I'll be stepping down a peg or two to something like the Street Triple. The refinement of the smaller bike at lower speed limits is also much more pleasant.
I test rode this for 2hrs, its amazing. I got so close to buying one,,,after much research.......it breaks a lot, KTM service is bloody awful and repairs are very expensive. I joined the facebook page, saying i was looking for one, so many people messaged trying to sell. Theres a reason for this. Look how many are on ebay, etc.....i bought an MT-10.... what a bike....dont thint i dont love the Superduke, i do, but its a flawed genius.
I bought a brand new 2022 SDR Evo and was pissed. It was so slow, so lackluster, and wouldn't wheelie. Looked it up online, found out I had to buy the track pack to turn off antiwheelie mode. Begrudgingly paid the ~$300, turn AWM off, put it in track mode, and rode home with a smile. Power wheelies in 2nd gear, just twisting the throttle. Great in track mode, waste of money without it. Super dumb too, every bike I bought back in the day was already "track mode" and "anti wheelie mode off" from the showroom floor.
An informative and cool video; I could smell passion🥳. How this Superduke behaves in low traffic in town? Is it unrideable under 20-30 m/h like some old & big KTMs? I understand that the 1290 is enjoyable only if the revs are above 5,000, otherwise it is jerky in town. Is this true? Anyway, in general I wish more reviewers would inform us how their tested bike behaves with revs below 3000 or when riding in town in low traffic. Most tests focus on how the bike behaves in canyons or twisties; how the bike behaves when is pushed, or above the speed limit...which is wrong. Great video and scenery. Keep up🥳
I’ve literally JUST bought an ex-demo of this from my local bike shop, kitted out with the full titanium Akrapovic system and map…it’s absolute brutality to your eardrums! Have to wait two weeks to pick her up 😢
Heyup Kate,great video, I've ridden those roads lots of times.I am using my 2004 fjr over the winter ,my ktm 1290 super adventure s is resting until spring ,,I'm missing it badly . In my opinion there is no such thing as a 4 cylinder bike with character ( I'm 66 and I've owned about 40 bikes ) a v twin has said character and my ktm has it in spades.Yes one doesn't need 160 bhp but it's due to this that it has sooo much torque in the mid range ( horse power is how fast you hit a wall,torque is how far you push the wall🤤) anyroad keep up the good work , maybe we will bump into each other .TommyTickle
Honestly, i put the 1290 R in the mix with the 890 R along with the 765 RS After riding the RS it was enough. The 890 R on paper is a veritable bargain at the moment as is the 1290 R, however if it was an only bike, then perhaps the 1290 R would have pipped it, But being a mix of road and easy to ride and enjoy track, the Triumph 765 RS (Yellow) was the one i went for in the end. I was shunned by my peers for saying (and i quote) "i dont need that much power, it will be just too much" however once you overlook the bravado, the 765 will be plenty for track and road fun. I have other bikes better suited to either role. I have owned KTM's in the past and just sold a RS660 so feel a bit done with parallel twins for now.
How was the RS660 - it was on my list but I went for a CBR650R as it was slighter larger for my 6'4 frame. 765RS was also on the list, but I needed to scratch the 4 cyl itch.
@@Otto-AutoPilot Really liked it. I ordered mine back in spring 2020 so got one of the first 12 in the UK and got lucky as it never had any recalls or wonky valve train or oil leaks. I wanted something modern with all the electronics and it was brilliant on track and road. Imagine a CBR600FX eith a bit more grunt and all the electronics. Oh and cruise control = brilliant
@@pleenc30 Good stuff - my 650R is not as advanced and a bit more analogue than the RS660, but a better fit for me. Looking for my next addition but want something bigger, more upright and comfy, but still with some visual presence.
I rode one of these a couple of years ago. Loved it but felt if I had bought one I would have lost my license by mid morning tea break and if not my life by midday. Too fast for the roads to properly use and enjoy. Great bike though. Every biker should ride one at some point.
Completely agree with your initial comments. I felt the same when I rode one, it was like the bike just wanted to ruin me! 😂😂 They are great machines but I just couldn’t see how usable all that power is on the road without loosing my license.
I had a Gen 2 and never had a problem with it; only traded it to get something better for loads of touring, although I did the NC500 on the Gen 2 SDR - possibly what persuaded me that I needed/wanted a tourer. Gen 3 is not as good looking, IMHO, but is a better handling bike.
KATES IN LURRVVE ME THINKS!! 😁😁 I think the KTM really got under your skin and into your heart. What an awesome bike, a fantastic review, and what truly beautiful roads you were riding. I really need to get back up north, as you have some of the best scenery and roads.
For those looking for a KTM 3k off is Christmas come early, I watch another channel the guy is British but lives in Germany ex military if I remember correctly he had the XR and was looking to change and he ended up buying the Top spec Triumph 1200 Tiger as their was a promotion on with 4k euros off the bike so if Ducati ever do a promotion on the Multistrada V4 RS and knock 17k off it I might be able to afford one
...and the turning signals are not integrated in the mirrow-cases kate "how do you feel the main emphasis at each motorbike?" wind attacks in the moment of lean angle at various speeds
I own 3 KTM’s 1290 super duke RR 2023 1290 super duke R 2017 1290 super adventure S 2023 The older one flawless the newer ones error after error. The 2 year warranty really scares me why only 2 when literally every other manufacturer gives 5 or even more, like they know the bikes wont last longer then 2 years.
Ive wanted one these for years well I thought I did untill I saw the bike then the price 20000 I said I will just keep the MT-10 it might be a better bike but not that much better I think the Tuono Factory maybe
@@UsernameKate What is the reason for your choice of Super Duke? Could you elaborate a bit more? I'm going to buy a new motorcycle. I have tried Super Duke 1390, Bmw M1000R, Mv Agusta Brutale 1000RR, Kawasaki ZH2 and Ducati Streetfighter V4S. I'm still very doubtful 🤔🤔
I just love the torque of the SD. It's just the feeling I get when I ride it. I go off feeling and happiness levels. Which put the biggest smile on your face?
Too many problems with KTM for my liking (Dealer) support warranty issues I could go on one day. Hopefully they rectify these issues and then maybe I will consider one.
Not with the LC8 and Superduke R line. Edit: I have a legit KTM dealer/garage about 45min away from my house. I trust those guys(Graham KTM), and my bike has had 0 issues after 1yr of very sprited riding so far.
I have the Gen2 GT and it’s ace. Nearly all the performance but more comfortable, better protection from weather and overall a better bike. Looks just as cool but the practicality is awesome.
