KTM recently provided the audience that attended the EICMA show in Milan recently a look at their Super Duke R and has announced that they’re now hard at work in making it a reality with a 1,290cc motor by boring out the RC8R’s motor and equipping it with ride-by-wire throttle control, ABS and Traction control, WP suspension and a single-sided swing-arm.
There’s not much details having been revealed, except KTM has indicated that their upcoming Super Duke R will have “very, very much” torque and top speed will “depend on the rider’s courage and figure”, which promises to be quite excessive in terms of fun.
If all that seems rather vague, we’re pretty confident that KTM will be infusing their Super Duke R with the usual DNA of being extremely agile and muscular with an aggressive sound, more power – and certainly more fans for this naked bike.
So far the Duke’s got displacements for virtually everybody starting off from the lowly 125 and continuing on with the 200, 390, 690 and 990cc bikes. But heck, there’s no replacement for displacement is the best rationale we could come up with for KTM to be building 1,290cc naked that’s sure to be nothing but enjoyment with such power in abundance and crazy acceleration from the engineers within Mattighofen.
This is going to be one engineering feat to perform just to allow the RC9 R’s 2-cylinder motor the ability to displace 1,290cc and some steel pipes to allow those gasses to flow well. The chassis will have a single-sided swing arm and the finest suspension components from the WP Suspension prototype development, as well as racing wheels, racing brakes and racing tyres. Not to mention, there will be carbon fibre parts to be slapped on to provide some cover before rolling it out in Milan once more.
