KTM 1290 Super Duke R Review: Beast Or Overkill? 

Got my 2021 beast last June and put 10000 km on it in 7 months. So in love with that bike that I couldn’t help but evolving to the Evo last March. When you can eventually open the throttle it’s nothing short of an orgasm on wheels. Thanks for the fair review, I’m in on the channel ✌️

Nice and honest review. I own a 2021 SDr and I do really like it without any real regrets. Things I don't like though, the cooling system on this bike, and KTM customer service.

Excellent review very well done I really love my SDR

Maybe a few years back when getting somewhere fast was Important! Nice one Angus!

I've been on a quest for "my" perfect bike for quite the while, many have come and gone and my 1290SDr is still my favorite, 44K miles later. The 990 SMT was a great intro, but the 1290SDr is much more hiughly evolved.

Excellent review, been waiting for this one. MT10 next?

Got mine last year and fitted an Austin racing exhaust. Great road bike and used it in a few track days and great fun bike, handles a lot better than the version one and two which could be pretty agricultural

Great video just subscribed stay safe 🇬🇧👍

I got a 2023 evo with the full tech pack a couple of months ago. I love the bike. I drove it halfway home in street mode and very quickly went to sport mode. Sport gives you hard acceleration, manageable power wheelies, no tire spinning or skidding or stoppies. It is kinda incredible. I have yet to turn it all off... I know it is going to be... a lot...

Totally agree I keep it in street mode more controllable , only thing I don’t agreed with i think the turning circle is good , better than sport bikes and my street triple 675 . The triumph speed rs has seems to have more mid range just no way near as much bottom end pinch .

Great review, I would love to try one but at 5'10" and very short in the leg 27" I struggle to get on and reach the ground on such bikes. 800mm seat height is about my limit. I liked the 790 Duke, very much.

Got one of these in the garage to keep my Speedy company👍👍

Interesting test ride.

Get video I am curious on the mount you have on the bike for your phone I have been looking for something like that would you have a link thanks in advance

Hi mate, I actually like the look of this bike, so much so that I purchased one......... Unfortunately it's only 6 inches long like most of my collection, oh well, dream on. Yet another fine video, thank you 👍

I like where you were very humble. Not being a super rider on a super bike. Because I am the same. And I like that you're on the base model. Nobody reviews that one

Can you put dirt tyres on the super duke 1290r for off road riding? Or should I focus on the super adventure 1290r?

❤ the Super Duke ❤ Must be my favourite bike. 🎉

I'm new to all of this but how do you know when your new tires have achieved maximum side grip? I'm affraid of leaning over too much on new tires.

its the wide handlebars brother, the absolutely smallest push on the handlebars at 100 ish makes it feel wobbly like you are on motorcross tyres, of course if you keep the front end light it won't skip. trading my S1000r for the Superduke very soon

I just bought mine 3 weeks ago and daily commute to work with it. I love the bike and I've ran 500km so far. The only downside: the Neutral can be hard to find. I ride in Street mode all the time as there is a lot congestion where I live. I tried the Sports Mode for a few days. It is lovely but a bit brutal in traffic and too tempting to go crazy! I have not yet tried the Track and Performance modes. I will when I find an empty road (hard to find here in Qatar). Apparently the Track mode is something else: the front wheel hardly stays on the floor. I'm quite scared by that...

Hi Angus How on earth can this weigh the same as my SV650! Do Suzuki use lead for the frame. That weight figure is amazing considering the engine. Are you on a bet or something? Recently you are riding some of the biggest, baddest bikes out there😲

Hey, please tell me what handlebar bag you use. i like it

Planning on trading my MT-09 for one of these guys soon. Kinda wild that rain mode still has more power than my 09. XD

Honestly I ride my SDR in street 90% of the time mainly due to the bike in sport mode is very rough on the rear tire. Just stepping down into street mode for street riding makes the rear tire last alot longer

Nice jacket. Name brand?

It’s the 200 back tyre that slows the turn in . Not sure if could fit 190 I like Michelin pilot road 5 but only make up to 190

doesnt seem crazy in rain mode.......street probably ok too....sport probably starts to get fun, and track is mental......just rode my duke 890 r in track mode today for first time and it has quite a bit more than sport....sport in 890 isnt that bad......i would bet sport would be liveable if just shortshifting......nice torque in bottom revs that the 890 lacks......track mode is livable on street with 890 r idk if it would be for 1290 though......very delicate throttle hand required am sure

Snap. I rode the Speed Triple 1200 RS and this pretty much back to back two years ago now I think and have to say like you, I much preferred The Beast. The Speed Triple RR wasn't out when I rode the SDR 3.0. Tbf the SDR Evo is the direct competitor of the Speed Triple RR not the std Beast. Yeah I loved it. Why didn't I buy it over the Speed Triple 1200 RS? Well it was a bit more of a stretch on my budget, but could have done it as at the time my local KTM dealer was offering The Beast 3.0 with Tech pack - QS, track pack/modes etc all thrown in for £15,500. But in the end I went for a pretty much new Speed Triple RS 1050 with around 1k miles on it as I value my license, whilst the 1050RS is not a slow bike either, it is nicer than the 1200RS for road riding. Like the Beast lots of instant low down torque. I just didn't get on with the Speed Triple 1200 RS and the deal on the 1050RS was just so good and it was fully loaded with pretty much all of Triumph's goodies plus a full Triumph approved 12 months warranty as any new bike would be sold with. But I still loved the SDR 3.0 The Beast. Love the looks and the orange and blue tank. The Beast is the next step up into another time warp of hyper performance. As you say the suspension and brakes were fantastic, the ride, the intuitive TFT dash, everything was good except maybe the seat was a little hard but honestly like you say it feels premium. Maybe some time in the future I get one, but first I still have to get a Speedmaster ;@) Thanks for riding and reviewing the Beast. Like you say all bikers at some time in their biking lives should try and ride a top super naked or hyper naked bike providing they have the necessary skill and riding capability that won't get themselves killed. I would like to ride The Beast again perhaps back to back against the MT-10 which I have not ridden which I should imagine is a great riding experience as well. The Tuono and Ducati Streetfighter don't do anything for me. Sorry. I know they are great bikes and what I say is heresy but I have just never gelled with the looks of the Tuono and Ducatis really aren't my thing. Got my fingers burned, wallet emptied and heart broken with Italian cars so don't want to do it again with their bikes. ATB Angus.

What phone bag is that on your handlebars?

What do you do with it over a 100

Just got the ‘22 1290 Super Duke R EVO. It’s a very impressive motorcycle - by far the fastest ‘scooter’ I’ve ever owned. Edit: forgot to add I bought the full tech package.

One of the fairest reviews of this bike that I've seen so far. Quite how some of the other reviewers failed to notice (or if I were to be cynical, chose to not mention) the skittish front end when travelling at speed in a straight line is beyond me. The common solution seems to be fitting a decent quality steering damper - not the one KTM offer, but one such as the progressive damper kit from HyperPro. Hopefully KTM will remedy the issue next year with the 1390 SDR.

The one and only thing keeping me from having one is the price

I find myself interested in this one the looks of KTM's for me aren't the best and I do not like orange 😁 but I would like to try one but it probably would not fit me . Also it is a lot of money to pay for a bike to me maybe a test would change that and make me sell my soul who knows 😄👍good one .

They are for normal humans too. Interesting, would never have thought of it that way.

Not a bad looking bike but the colours are terrible...l get it that its the ktm thing but more colour options would appeal to more. A full black versions would look amazing...l just couldn't live with that damn orange.

😃👍👍👍😃

Overkill?? Never heard of her...

Very cool bike, but not my cup of tea. The front end reminds me of a wasp or hornet, looks mean.

Ride mine faster than this whilst running it in. Come on, full throttle and stop shifting at 6k... things go wild after 7k!

Mate it’s got 180 bhp not 130

Can I get my 2 min back?

Late to the convo, but after 30 years of riding and over 30 bikes, my gen 2 SDR has been in my garage for 4 years -- I've never owned a single bike this long, and I have no plans to sell it. My Streetfighter V4S didn't last a year. The SDR is simply the best, all-around, bike I've ever had.