The KTM 1290 Super Duke has been one of the Austrian brand’s standout models in recent years, with bonkers power and similarly ridiculous looks. The new 2024 KTM 1390 Super Duke and 1390 Super Duke R Evo simply exaggerate the crazy, as well as the price - there's no figure for the standard Super Duke just yet, but the Evo is £19,599, an increase of £1,100 compared to the outgoing 1290 R Evo.
The new models arrive for 2024 as a mark of 30 years of the KTM Duke name, and brings a new specification of KTM’s LC8 V-twin engine to the game.
As with the KTM 990 Duke that was recently unveiled, the 2024 Super Duke R increases the displacement over the previous generation of its engine. The LC8 is now a round 1,350cc, and with that increase in displacement comes, as you might expect, an increase in power. 190bhp is now the figure from the twin-cylinder motor, and there is 107lb ft to go with it.
Aesthetically, the Super Duke “has undergone a striking aposematic evolution,” KTM says, with a new LED headlight unit (which facilitates the Coming Home function that keeps the light on after turning the bike off), tank spoilers, aero wings, and a smaller cover for the subframe. Generally speaking, it's aesthetic for 2024 is similar to the aforementioned 990 Duke, and this send “a clear warning message to anyone brave enough to take it on.” Ducati Streetfighter V4 S owners, you have been warned.
Technically, the air intake and airbox have both been redesigned, and a new fuel tank measures a 17.5-litre capacity which KTM says allows the new bike to reach a 186-mile, range - a lot for a super naked, but it opens up the possibility for KTM to create a longer distance GT version further down the line. The engine also sees changes - beyond the increased capacity - including “an all-new cam shift integrated on the cylinder heads,” KTM says, which helps the engine meet the Euro5+ emissions standard.
Third parties provide the tyres and suspension (naturally), as Michelin’s dual-compound Power GP hoops are fitted, as well as WP suspension at both ends. The units from WP are a split function open cartridge Apex front fork, and a fully adjustable Apex shock.
There are also electronic updates, with revised settings for the Performance and Track ride modes.
For anyone wanting to take things further, there's the option of the 1390 Super Duke R Evo. It seems that the technical bases for both bikes will be the same, as you’d expect, but the Evo gets WP’s semi-active fork and a Suspension Control Unit (SCU) to go with it, as well as an updated Suspension Pro module.
The 2024 KTM 1390 Super Duke R and 2024 KTM 1390 Super Duke R Evo will be available in an orange paint scheme which KTM says is reminiscent of its 2005 990 Super Duke, as well as a black colour with an orange frame and an orange frame.
