Riding
Running in a new bike isn’t what it used to be, especially when it comes to KTM’S 1290R
Technically I’m running in Bike’s new 1290R, but it feels like the other way round. The KTM has more torque at 4500rpm than a Panigale V4 has at 10,000, and is mind-boggling fast even if you stick to the 6500rpm running-in limit. After nine weeks on my lockdown sofa the first ride on the
Super Duke is alternately hilarious and unsettling.
I remember the days when running in a bike involved 600 miles of tedium but I suspect a decent rider could win the fast group at Cadwell on this without breaching KTM’S break-in rules. The way it drives off a part throttle is intoxicating, picking up smoothly – delicately almost – before an avalanche of thrust propels you forward. And that’s running in. It’s a remarkably civilised engine too though. The old 1290 was unashamedly dicult to ride, working best when being thrashed. It was all a bit tricky, its harsh throttle response waiting to catch you out mid-corner if you let the revs drop. It chuntered unhappily at low speed too. By contrast, the new one potters along contentedly, mooching through town like a 390 Duke. Keep it in city limits and you’d never guess its outlandish potential. With only a few hundred miles done, I’m still experimenting with suspension settings, but so far they seem to range from very firm to firm. I wound off the compression and rebound at both ends to the manual’s
‘comfort’ settings and it didn’t feel very comfortable at all. Maybe I just need more running in.