New KTM 1290 Super Duke R spied testing

KTM is developing a completely new 1290 Super Duke R. A prototype of this naked motorcycle was spied testing. 

The Austrian maker is readying this powerful naked before the Euro 5 emission norms kick in in January 2020. This upcoming norm demands a reduction of a whopping 30 per cent in emissions and that’s what made KTM develop a new motorcycle. 

While there are hardly any changes on the engine exterior, inside there will be a lot new additions. The spied bike sports a larger radiator grill making us believe that the new Super Duke R will tend to get hotter. There’s also a new catalytic converter hiding beneath the sump. KTM has tinkered with the chassis of the bike too. The main frame has a different shape and the sub-frame is now box section aluminium instead of trellis. The other major change is the new single-sided swingarm and suspension. The current model x has a direct mount shock but the spied bike sports a suspension linkage.

We’re expecting KTM to unveil this bike sometime next year, maybe at the 2019 EICMA, followed by launch in early 2020. Unfortunately, this bike won’t make it to India anytime soon as Bajaj isn’t focused on offering bigger Dukes in the country.