BEN KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R
THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… “At the usual antics that this naughty beast encourages!”
Although the weather has been far from perfect this last month, it’s not stopped me from enjoying every wee ride out on the Austrian manufacturer’s crème de la crème. In fact, even the ContiRace Attacks have done a sterling job of establishing enough grip to propel me in the right direction in even the most moist of conditions. It’s when riding in these less than favourable conditions that you really appreciate just how mint the fuelling is. The ride by wire system provides a superior level of feel, which is key to building rider confidence – especially when being in command of such a beast like the SDR.
Unlike on some – if not the vast majority – of bikes that I’ve ridden of late, that’re laden to the hilt with the latest tech, yet I don’t feel the need to head straight for the switchgear to start toggling through the menu to disable all the tosh; that to me hinders the raw performance of the motorcycle. KTM has clearly developed a very sophisticated package that doesn’t just tick the boxes in the sales brochure, it all actually works beautifully; not to restrict, but to assist you, the rider, making the ride that bit safer while ensuring the experience isn’t compromised like so many other systems I’ve experienced of late, and yet all the while being so bloomin’ brilliantly simple to operate with the bonus of being able to activate/ disengage and toggle while on the fly.
One other thing that I notice time and time again is just how smooth the airflow is, which was further emphasised having spent two days tearing round the countryside on the middleweight naked test earlier this month with the boys whereby at times it felt like my bonce was going to be torn from my shoulders. I’m genuinely amazed by how you can feel so exposed when perched on the big Super D, seemingly vulnerable to all the elements and yet the airflow that hits you feels as smooth as butter on a bald monkey, meaning I feel more comfortable and less fatigued when riding this than I have in the past when riding some of the most luxurious of cruisers – it’s mad, but you’ll know what I’m getting at if you test ride one to see for yourself (and trust me, you need to – you won’t be disappointed).
This month has also seen the addition of a few more goodies – which are largely of the carbon fibre variety – in the form of some engine casing covers, front fender, rear hugger and tank cover, which in a matt finish look proper attraente! The carbon items do come at a premium price but I’ve gotta stress, it’s some of the nicest finished carbon I’ve ever known and is far from the flimsy, rough edge sort that you may find from some other aftermarket part suppliers. On top of that, just to complete the look, it also appears that she’s been hard on the squats, shaping that rear end with a Power Parts tailtidy, which totally transforms the arse end, and further enhances the bike’s aggressive, minimalistic demeanour. I like it, I like it a lot, but then again, all of us red-blooded males appreciate a tidy rear end, don’t we? However I’ve since noticed my textiles getting caked in all sorts of shite since ditching the ‘pelican beak’ at the rear but hey, we’re not ones to opt for sensibility over sexibility!