Yeah gsxr is in my opinion really ordinary bike with a 4 in line engine like all the 1000cc 4 in Line. Lc8 engine breath the Power and sound really great.
I've had 3 gsxr's and now I'm looking at the superduke. Ticks all the boxes for me👍I fancy the power delivery from this monster V twin. Never had one before!
I'm not seling mine , i dont care about finance , that joy of riding it is simply .....well for that there is no price tag. I keep mine in living room man haha. This thing puts a smile on my face all day long,and the kids on petrol stations haha my god,other day i hear a kid : Mom,MOOOOM look a Tranformers are here...hahaha. Mine is fully loaded with Powerparts so it looks really aggressive, I LOVE IT. Cheers mate
Guys you miss the point ... This guy right here just loves his f**king bike, he's not trying to prove anything. Why do you feel the need to compare your bike to his? Each to their own bro.
There's a lot of faster bikes out there than the 1290. However... What bike is more comfortable? What bike pulls like a freight train in any gear?.. these dukes are a well sorted machine capable of breaking lap records around the world and still being sensible enough to go get bread and milk on.
I love KTM's and love the v-twin engine! Much more engaging than an inline 4 which basically you can leave in 3rd and go, dont get me wrong I love my CBR929rr to though. I like banging through the gears, the sound, and the torque of the big V-twins. Plan on keeping mine for a long time!
I've had my 14 Super Duke for 10 months now and I absolutely adore it. It's my every day ride, so i've put 5000 miles just over 15000 total. I've had a couple of minor issues, a dead dash which was expensive to replace but was due to damage by the previous owner so can't blame KTM there. The other thing was the oil temp sensor having a fault, which was about £100 to replace. I'm surprised you find it hard work to ride at low speeds as to me it's one of the easiest bikes I've ever owned. I couldn't go back to a sport bike at this point, naked all the way.
Why i own 6 bikes- they are all special, its not worth to sell, just keep and buy another new. I stopped giving my bikes away, love seeing and riding them anytime I want!!
Wow wish I could Do this but here in Québec Canada a non sport license for a motorcycle is 680$ per years and we got half year with snow llol. And a full sports motorcycle license is 1500$ a year
Now that it's been more than a year, do you miss it? I'm considering selling my 2015 and getting the 2020, but I want to wait for the reviews to come in first. I rode a 2018, and I prefer the "rawness" of my Gen1 SDR. It has the Rottweiler SAS, airbox, exhaust and PCV mods and it howls! Truly feels like a 175HP dirtbike
Lamb Chop has to be top of my list for 2019. I predict you’re a future RU-vid star! Honest talking, just the right detail, a bloke we’d all like to meet to talk bikes. You should do tech lessons mate because your no nonsense approach to mods is inspiring even tho you say the SDR is easy to work on, some of the stuff you do would scare the life out of me. Fantastic summary of the Super Duke, I own a Ducati Monster 1200 so love a bike with character (like you say, there are easier bikes to ride) the Super Duke seems a natural second bike. Almost caught up on all your videos. Keep up the amazing work, bravo!
Very reliable then unlike my s1000xr new camshafts, cam chain tensioner, water pump, speedo, rear shock and hot start issues. Absolute nightmare😵😵so Ktm sounds very reliable to me .
MUNRO music if they made a similar spec bike in a Japanese brand I’d buy it in a heart beat!! Had a vstrom before this for 5 years and had not one issue
Great review man! I had those 2 same problems with the kickstand & the tail light, but luckily I saw the kickstand bolt thing holding on with the last thread, so I put some Loctite on it! ...& the tail light was easily repaired with some Gorilla Glue to fix those 2 plastic posts! Also, I agree with you that it's more work to ride the 1290 compared to say a Duke 690, but I commute on mine & I've found that 'rain mode' really helps around town & still gives a good feel & response on the freeway! ...so I just leave it in rain mode all the time! Peace!
Ducati still manages to deliver engines that just blow up after 10.000 km. KTM might give you small troubles like electrical gremlins or problems with the clutch but they are generally reliable when it comes to the big stuff, most importantly the engine.
For anyone who has been able to stand 5 minutes of this video. This bike isn't hard to ride in town. It's just a bike. There is no such thing as a spongy clutch. Just poetry shite talk with a few words thrown in to make it sound relevant and insightful. I have a 1290 full akra and commute though the city and rip it on the weekend. This man is just looking for things to say to produce some content. If you have to lie... You've got a shitty point mate.
@@mjonji1281 The clutch is a magura clutch with a steel branded line to a clutch pack that actually gets tighter the more torque that fed through it. There's nothing wrong with the clutch.
Your videos on this bike are one of the reasons I bought my Duke 2.0 4 months ago. I don't see myself selling mine any time in the future. It's such a characterful bike compared to the big inline 4s and the v4 of the Tuono, it has a personality. A personality that is continually willing you to twist that right grip further and further. Good luck with the sale though, the next owner is getting a great motorcycle and you enjoy your next bike.
I’m so grateful for you channel after experiencing a motorcycle accident and not being able to ride watching your videos during the recovery makes me feel like I’m back on the bike again as we ride similar ha ha so I’d like to say thank you to you and just to say keep doing this your amazing 🙌
Nice review LCR …. Sold mine 1290SDR (2015) after 3 months owning it…. I should have paid more attention on what is actually coming out more & more, on forums, FB pages, etc, from desappointed owners, absolutely everywhere…. That bike is not reliable at all & I've been owning KTM's for more than 15 years now….. Have no regrets.
It's 8:30am here in the USA. Just woke and saw your video. I am surprised you're getting rid of it. I have an Orange 2015 and love it! I haven't ridden a newer version but I don't like the looks/color schemes as much as original version. I Hate that split headlight but that's just me. Anyway, I agree about needing the suspension mods. The only thing else that I could possibly want but can't find are different/lower handlebars. I'll be disappointed to not have any more SDR videos. Whatever you decide to get, enjoy!
My thoughts on the GSXR1000R, awesome brakes, awesome handling, very easy to ride. I found in mode A the throttle response didn't seem connected to the engine response, maybe it's better in B but couldn't work out how to change the mode. I found low down there wasn't much punch, but top end was great, almost 2 stroke like. I got back on my Honda VTR1000SP1 and had a big grin on my face, so whatever bike does that for you buy it. My 2012 R1 felt better to me as it has instant power for road use.
I was going to buy one. I bought a Speed Triple because it seemed more "sensible". You know somethings messed up when a Speed Triple is considered the sensible choice.........
Lamb Chop Rides just chopped my 2018 factory v4 in for a 2018 superduke . Really starting to fall for the duke , better all round road bike The tuono is always poking you with a very sharp stick to go faster
@@darrenbutler160 though decision, but yeah, the ktm is way more daily because of the seating position. I always thought, that people with this kind of top class dream bikes are totally happy.. But they also start switching bikes.. So it's just normal. Or you can hold them if you own the money gun :).
@@Max-dj5qj Sold my Superduke after just 1 year ownership. It was very fast and very good as a daily. But somehow it was not the beast with soul i expected. Hard to say about such a great bike, but it got boring very quick. Rented a 701 SM and a Ducati Desert Sled this year, so much more fun even with much less power. Especialy the DS. The ability to blast down a fireroad gives me so much more fun than outright speed. But in the end everything seems to get boring, even a Lamborghini.
@@Max-dj5qj I own a gen 2 Superduke. You would be amazed how quickly you get used to even a top of the line motorcycle. It spoils you with the superb level of build quality everywhere. Before you know it, Superduke motorcycle quality is the new normal. Having said that, I love mine every single time I take it out. It's such a fantastic and entertaining machine even if you don't ride it superfast everywhere. It can do everything. Don't get complacent, just appreciate your purchase.
All i can focus on when i watch vlogs from the UK is how tiny and terrible your guy's roads are! Theyre like the size of a bicycle path with potholes and cars parked the wrong way in the middle of the road, and everyone seems to just use the entire road for some reason even on corners... Looks like nice country roads to ride on but i can't imagine actually using those daily! My truck would take up 3/4 of that road haha. Good video btw!
That's a rural back road, there are plenty of motorways and dual carriageways but they aren't any test of a bike and are boring to watch, I drive and ride in both the UK and Europe and it's pretty easy to adapt after you've done it a few times.
I laughed out loud this is so true. I am always envious when I see the beautiful roads you have in the US and most other countries, while we have squiggly little tarmac-covered paths with massive craters every meter or so. It's a disgrace.
Hi Lamb Chop....I'm the guy that lives in France, so your going to sell the 1290. I bought my gen 2 1290 last summer after having 2 gen 1s. I told you I prefer the look of the gen1 but the gen 2 has a much better electronics package....more control & fab shifter & blipper. Anyway about a month ago I walked into my local ktm dealer & they had a special offer to give you 2000€ on the list price of your bike against a 2018 1290. I had done 20,000km & was having some front brake issues so I did the deal & I find this one even nicer than the first. The dealer explained to me they changed the throttle response on the 2018 to make it smoother & the whole bike feels really feels nice. So this is my 4th 1290 but what else is there. Tuono lovely but too many issues for me. Good luck deciding.
Mate, that's why you need version 2.0 they've really done a great job in refining the engine. Don't get wrong, you will be subjected to whiplash when you push it but it's much manageable in City now.
I loved mine so much, I bought it twice. Only reason I sold it was to put money down on a house. Had the same issue with the tail light. Now I’m going to check side stand, haha. I’ve had no issues reliability wise, 13k miles. Now triumph, don’t get me started!!!
I really wonder if you had purchased the Tuono v4 would you have been looking for another bike just yet. Who knows! Surely that's right in the gap between the two bikes. Keep up the great work Chops 👍🏼
These big-bore KTMs are impossible to ride slowly and, sadly, with the traffic and the road policing in this wonderful country of ours, they just can't be enjoyed to the full. Recently had to sell my beloved RC8R for the aforementioned reason. Bought an R1200RS instead which, being a boxer, is much better in traffic but I still can't ride the bloody thing slowly! Good vid; thanks for posting, Mate.
I owned a 2017 SDR from October last year to April this year. I loved it to bits and used it all through the winter. And therein lay my problem with it. The electronics on that bike don’t do well in the humid and salty winter months. In the few months I owned it, I had to send it back to the dealership 4 TIMES on the back of a flatbed truck. The starter switch would either not start the bike, or when started would keep cutting out. On one occasion it came on by itself (the key fob was nowhere near the bike), and drained the battery at my work place. Worse still the dealership (which is the ONLY ONE in Scotland where I am), had really poor customer service. I really still love the bike, and am tempted to get another, but I remember the issues I had and decide not to. Oh and the nuts/bolts and drive chain were all corroded after a few months even though I washed the bike after every ride and was liberal with ACF50.
Love the duke and it's because of watching your videos chops I'm wanting one next year , being 6,2" I don't feel like I fit properly on sports bikes Sat on a duke in a dealers and it fitted so well 👍🏻 Shame your chopping it in mate , will miss it .
You're crazy Chops to sell that bike. You will miss it more every day. I have a 2016 and ride it as a daily commuter and have had zero issues. It's an absolute pussy cat in slow town traffic. I'm not having any of the issues you described in your vid. Riding my Super Duke is the highlight of my day. My son used to ride my Super Duke then decided to buy a Ducati Monster. His Duc sat parked for two months awaiting warranty. Good luck with your inline 4 though. Look forward to more Chops vids.
Mr. Chops I've been watching all your videos, can't wait till you do review on the 2020 1290 Super Duke R. I think this may just be the one I'll be purchasing, after sitting on it was so comfortable compared to zH2. The zH2 is such a bargain. KTM made big mistake, with so much competition should have all the electronics package as standard. 🇨🇦
So Mr Chops any chance you'll try the 3.0 SDR soon? I'm curious would it suffer from the same slow speed in town issues you already mentioned. Nice review, keep it up.
@@LambChopRides Looking forward to it! I'm really considering to get one, being tall myself, I'm limited with sport bikes in general, but even with nakeds.
Great video Chops, love the look of the 1290, I reckon your regret getting rid of it, let's face it we have all regretted getting rid of certain bikes, but your replacing it with the right bike love the new gsxr's, look forward to the next video 👌🏻
Not a fan of the hydraulic clutch either, swapped to the oberon clutch slave as well and it deff helped but I still prefer cable clutches. Zero complaints in that department out of my STR and Tuono. Love all three of these bikes for their own reasons but if I HAD to sell one it would be the STR. As much as I love it and how niggle free it is, it does not offer anywhere near the smiles per mile the SD/Tuono do unfortunately. Sad to see you let it go after all those tasty mods but under reasons described I understand. I’m sure once you find a good deal on a used 2.0 down the road(pun intended) you’ll be back on it! Cheers!
I have a 2011 990 SMT, which has all the same handling characteristics, i.e. very snatchy throttle, engine doesn't like going below 3k, i.e. typical KTM but it has an incredibly beautiful suspension which gives fantastic feedback and I've slowly learned to love the throttle and improve my throttle control by leaps and bounds along the way. I will ride this bike until it dies, then possibly resurrect it if I can. That's how much fun it is. The only bike I could see being anywhere near it in terms of fun factor is KTM's upcoming 790 Adventure S. We'll see.
I love mine; however, one issue is the cooling system, it’s completely inadequate. I live in a warm climate and the fan is on constantly. I have had to add a second fan to control it.
That rear-light thing has been fixed for the 2.0 atleast. I am considering selling my 17 2.0, got shitloads of gear on it, similar to yours. Might get an R1, MT10, RSV4 or TUONO.
I got an KTM adventure 1190 2015 with 48000km and no issue at all only pleasure. But I am a maintenance freak so my bike is always at top shape. I have never ride a bike that good if my KTM.
Just admit it - you spent all the money you could on it, and now you're bored. There's nothing wrong with the bike itself, really. You're just ready for another project ;)
Well, reliability and KTM...here are my two cents. I did a testride with a Super Duke 2.0 with 1k miles on it and there were already oil pressing out the cylinder head gasket. No spilling tho but for 1k miles it is just not acceptable. I do not hate KTM but that was keeping me off to buy one.
No no. I had that with my SDR 18. It is because in the factory they grease the head gasket screws. When breaking it in the excess grease leaks out. It stops after wiping it a couple of times So it is actually a sign a quality and attention.
Hi Chops, could tell me what gimbal setup u have on the duke 12:33 and how have you attached it to the bike. Gutted ur selling it. My 1290 has just passed 18k and heres to another 18k!
Life is too short to worry about what if’s. Buy what you want. If you want boring, reliable point A-B transportation, buy a Honda. Expensive bikes are more exclusive but expensive to repair. Even if you buy it used, the parts are for a $20,000 bike. If you cash short go for the Honda but otherwise buy something that makes you feel good.
Fair play to you for recognising when it's the right time to sell it & move on, LC. Having so many different bikes to try is clearly a curse as well as a privilege (!), but your appraisals are, I'm sure, muchly appreciated by both those who are looking to buy & those what ain't. I'd love to see you going back to developing a new & bespoke project bike (naked/streetfighter?). Your skill & ingenuity could open up a whole host of new (& expensive) possibilities! ;-)
I know the feeling! I've been wanting to buy a garage which I can dedicate to bike building: but they're so bloody expensive down South, I wouldn't have any money left to build owt. I should've known that these days an up & over is seen as 'an investment opportunity' FFS!! Have a great weekend bab & enjoy this glorious sunshine. A blatt to Loomies is beckoning methinks. 😎
Best engine and frame you can have as a cafe racer. If i had one I would sleep with it then I would buy a KTM adventure which has a frame out of this world it almost drives itself on bends, actually I used to straighten it only with my legs after a curve thats how good it is, then i would buy a 990 SMR for the fun of it. Joy and charisma and ready to race what more do we need.....
8 months on and until recently I was still taking counselling as a result of you selling this bike🥺. However, my life coach (wife) suggested I buy one to aid my rehab and now I’m in full recovery😎😜🤘😈👍
He's right the Kato does look better than a Gixxer but come on the most Important thing is how the bikes ride & if KTM can't get the valving right on the forks of this bike after owning the bloody Company WP 'White Power' then something is seriously wrong.
Correct about the exhaust noise LCR. Sounds flat as a fart tbh. The Tuono does sound a million times better than the Duke. I have a full Akropovic evolution on my Tuono, and its ridiculous, beautiful and so linear with the race map. By the way, i am not disrespecting your Duke, its fact, as you know.
I wonder what the average ownership time of a 1290 super duke r is? It's nothing to do with the gen 1. I had mine 1yr (2017 gen 2) and got fed up with the compromise. Reliability was 100%. No faults at all, just not for me. In my opinion, in the bikes perfect environment, it is the best, bar non. But we don't live in the beasts perfect environment and therefore it doesn't work. I'd still not betray the KTM brand though, you traitor!!! 😂
Hi my English bro it was a pleassure to see your shit on this bike . i have done a lot in watching u a lil by myself so i have the Rott air box with 2 tune velocity stacks of 40mm , PC5 with custom Akra map, Dual Autotune, lithium battery, sas kit , BST rapid tek carbon wheels ( only the back is missing) N it's not finish... Damn i wanted to see that bike on the dyno with this wheels... Bro please come back with the Beast 2.0 N do the same shit u will see with the packs Performance N Track it will be another dimension. kind regads from Paris .
I think you'll reget it. I went from a Ducati Hypermotard 821 too a 2017 BMW S1000 R and found it to clinical and a bit boring. It did everything too well. Now on a 2018 1290 R and the fun is back.
I still like the RC8. Wish KTM would fit the 1290 lump to that bike, with all the fancy electrics. Think it been done by private owners but a official bike from KTM would be awesome 😎
End of an era, test rode the SDR after watching Chops vids but honestly thought the 790 was more fun,orderd one last week, can't wait.Had a 950 Adventure in the past, took it round Norway with no reliability issues.Why do KTM get so much flak for reliability gremlins?
Wish some company would make an absolutely bonkers stupid crazy big-cc triple lightweight naked. Something about 1300-1400 cc, short stroke, high compression monster. The way I figure, a 1300cc triple with an over-square bore/stroke ratio would be less wide than your ubiquitous S1000RR inline-4 block, but still provide pancake-flat torque and a great soundtrack.
@@LambChopRides There's only so much torque to be had in an inline-4 without doing giant displacement or going V4 (expensive and complex). Companies such like KTM have done the bonkers twin cylinder bikes. Outside Triumph's rather safe, mild 1050cc triple (funny, they defined the streetfighter category years ago), there's nothing. Take Yamaha's bonkers MT-09 and scale it up to 1300cc.
I think I've asked this previously - but what kind of mic setup are you using? I think the sound of the engine and speech is perfect! The wind noise is killing my GoPro7 Black videos... :(
I use the hero 4 for helmet camera with a Sony mic. Can't remember the model but it's in the video description. Mic mounted just poking out of cheek pad with small foam wind blocker on 👍
Q. How did you Shield the Seat from the Heat of the Engine.? It's a Pain in the Arrs after about an hour. Tried the Aluminum Heat 'Roofing' Insulation but that didn't work. Love the Bike but definitely not the Engine Heating up the Seat...
Must be the mk1...coz my mk2 is now more comfortable than damn near any bike I've owned..fits like a glove and it's smiles per miles..this is my experience as a 5 day a week London commuter..
I think deep down you know you need an aprilia tuono 1100 Ive rewatched your video review a couple time cause it looked so damn fun and im a 4 year aprilia shiver owner
Tuono is a smaller package, not as comfortable for bigger dudes. And there's the issue of the lower 2/3 of the revs..... www.motorcycle.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/2016-aprilia-tuono-v4-1100-factory-vs-ktm-1290-super-duke-r-hp-torque-dyno-547x389.jpg
I have a 2016 SDR Gen 1. Bloody amazing bike. And ZERO issues. KTMs built in Austria, no worries about reliability. Its the Indian made bikes I worry about.
Most people comment about "reliability" of whatever bike theyre buying almost like looking for a reason not to.....one of my bikes is an old pre APRC rsv4 factories which i think is marked as "one of the most unreliable bikes ever" - mine goes to the TT every year, gets caned - does a thousand miles for that trip along with daily mountain section spankings....in 8 years one tps sensor has failed in the garage while i was servicing it....thats it....everything breaks eventually - most people seem to expect the stuff theyre buying to last for ever!!
Your correct sir, there probably are Friday afternoon bikes but plenty of trouble free bikes out there. Think Aprilia sorted it's shit out about when they introduced the RSV4
Hi lamb chop Love your vidz my bab, I got a 701 enduro, loads of bits and Bob's on the slag, it's my first bike and maybe the last to be with me😁 sentimental I think 😁. My best mate got the sumo 701 and he can't keep with me up through cheddar gorge, not saying he's slow by any means but two totally different bikes to ride, on the enduro you drop it round the corners like a crosser👌, no counter steer what so ever,😂, Interesting how wheel size can make that much difference on basically the same bikes, Anyway back to your 1290 twin slag! lovely bike insane amount of money spent on her, how much are you asking for the wheelie machine window maker???
Your right they are much more lively in enduro spec the 500 is the same. Brilliant bikes I don't understand why more manufacturers don't make a big single. I'm looking for 10k ish for the Duke with all the kit on, well apart from the Dymags taking those off
Speaking of brakes. I was interested in another 2015 SuperDuke with the stock brakes and as you, I wasn't impressed. They worked but not much feel and you needed to squeeeeeze... The bike I bought from this awesome guy (he forced me to test drive his straight piped Lamborghin - check my profile for the vid) - had Braking Wave discs on it and new Motul Braking fluid. That transforms the front brake from "meh" to "OMG! An eyeball just fell out of it's socket" - kind of brakes. One finger is all you need... Suprised you didn't do that to yours actually... I will do most of your mods execept for the carbon wheels - they're just too pricey... LED conversion headlights and maybe Ohlins rear shock.. We'll see...
You’re Lucky. I have a 2010 smt 990. my oil tank got stripped by the dealer, my instrument cluster and ecu both shorted, my bottom steering bearings rusted out and literally seized on the freeway, my exhaust system lost 2 bolts, my center stand snapped off bolts and fell apart irreparably, my clutch master and slave cylinders went out twice each, my ecu is out of tune (haven’t touched it), the fuel pump went out and my fuel pump wiring broke separately, the gear position sensor went out, all with zero crashes.... later on my tank tore a hole in a low speed slide out. Hell of a fun time this bike is but it’s a garbage build.
I have a 2015. It seems to puke out when rolling away from a gas pump or slowly moving. Then starts kinda slow? Battery is good. Putting out good voltage. Idk if the emission restrictions are causing problems? I have around 4500 miles. Also, my brake reservoir cap seeps fluid....I lost the kickstand feeler too
Wow. Selling for a sportbike. I get it, you must still be big on track days and high speed turns. I have the 14 SDR too. I also still have my 02 R1. The reason I bought the super duke was my bad knees’s well and that motor. Come on it’s a beast. But now when I get back on the R1. It’s fast and stable all right in its boring way. But dam I’m going 100mph when I think I’m going 60mph on the street. The duke I’m doing 60 and I feel like I’m doing 60. What’s that mean? I have no idea. All I know is your going to miss that raw big v twin a lot. Most of the roads I travel are tight and twisty. We did a four day ride recently with mixed roads. The bike was perfect on tight to medium twisty roads. That being said me and a Ducati, a late model multi Strada went all out on this medium twisty back road pushing the limits of the Ktm’s suspension. It didn’t like 140mph turns. It was just to lose. It’s better off in the 60 to 100 turns. But take a sportbike in 100 plus turns and it still carves like a knife.
Your right there but I also find the GSXR better on tighter twisty roads too. If I could afford to keep both I would but just one out of the two it's the GSXR.. can always get another later and variety is the spice of life 😁😁
Yes it is. Sportbikes can carve too. But your going to miss those third gear crossed up wheely out of the turns. 😀Keep those entertaining videos coming. Take care.