RIDING a big burly motocross bike off-road is a physically demanding and exhilarating experience. In fact, riding off-road on one of these beasts is about as arduous as you can get one two wheels. All this makes the KTM 1290 Super Enduro R all the more incredible!
Built by long-time on and off-road racer, Jiří Heiník, the machine is built around the 177hp engine and frame from a 2015 KTM 1290 Super Duke R. The idea was to make an enduro bike that was as slim as any other 450 enduro machine but with the power and torque of KTM legendary LC8 engine.
There have had to be more than a few modifications to the machine to make it more mud-plugger than apex hunter. For this, Heiník, swapped out the track-biased WP units fitted to the Super Duke R and slotted in the 48mm fully adjustable forks from the Super Adventure.
To help complete the enduro-spec aesthetic, the standard cast alloy wheels were replaced with larger diameter Kimeo spoked rims, encased with extremely aggressively moulded knobbly tyres.
Alongside the performance mods, the bike was given a visual makeover, doing away with the aggressively styled front light cluster and instead, fitting a modified off-road number board with a single LED light placed in the centre. Gone is the low-level aerodynamic front mudguard, instead the Super Enduro R wears an off-road spec high-level beak.
Why would anyone want a KTM 1290 Super Duke dirt bike?
For most people the answer is simply ‘why not’, although for Jiří it was a bit more complex. He wanted to build the machine to try and take on what is widely regarded as the toughest enduro race on the planet, the Erzbergrodeo.
The event is one of the most famous of all the ‘hard enduro’ races, and regularly welcomes 1,500 riders to the event, with up to 500 starting the race together. The main event is the Hare Scramble, and features 35km which the fastest riders will complete in around one and half hours.
