‘The idea of being sensible went out the window...’
“I’d always loved sportsbikes. I had loads of Fireblades and a BMW S1000RR, but my knees were really suffering. Then after a couple of operations, I thought it was time to start slowing down and being sensible, so that’s when I bought an R1200GS. My mate who I’ve ridden with for years said the same, only he then went out and bought a KTM 1290 Super Duke R! I spent two years chasing him around the lanes, me hanging off my GS like a monkey trying to keep with him, before I finally bought my own KTM as the GS was just so dull. That was the idea of being sensible well and truly out of the window... “I’ve owned two Dukes, the first one was the Special Edition, which I bought because they were basically giving them away in dealers, before I traded it in for the second generation in 2018, which again was heavily discounted. The updated bike is a step forward in terms of refinement and the motor is far smoother, the suspension much nicer and the electronics better – I especially love the quickshifter! The 2016 bike’s front end was also a touch vague, something I’ve not found on the 2018 bike. “I’ve covered nearly 8000 miles, using it for everything from touring to the occasional trackday. I did 640 miles in a day on it last year and it was no problem at all as it is a very comfortable bike. But it also has real spirit.
“The Duke R is a fantastic bike, so much fun to ride and the engine is the star of the show. You can ride it gently with no problem at all but when you want to up the pace it responds and is as fast as anything out there and very light and nimble in terms of its handling. It’s a sportsbike, just with flat bars! And it is also
‘I did 640 miles in one day on it last year’
reliable, I’ve had no issues to date and neither have any of my friends. Since I bought my Duke, there is now a gang of four of us on 2018 Super Duke Rs and no one has had any reliability problems with them.
“If anyone said they were considering buying a Super Duke R I’d definitely encourage them to do so. It’s a great bike, tremendous fun and also very versatile. In fact, I’m trying to stop myself buying a third generation model as I love them so much.”