KTM has officially revealed its second motorcycle in collaboration with Brabus, with the 2023 1300 R.
KTM and Brabus first collaborated last year to create the first, limited edition, KTM Brabus 1300 R, and this year’s motorcycle is an evolution of the original.
The KTM Brabus 1300 R Edition 2023 is again based on the platform of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R Evo, with added exclusivity thanks to Brabus, who are well-known for their work tuning Mercedes’.
We wrote recently about the 2023 KTM Brabus 1300 R being featured in a showcase in Vietnam, but it is only now that the bike has been officially uncovered.
KTM says the bike will be built in no more than 290 units - which is an almost-100% increase on the 154 units of last year’s bike - and will be available, like last year, in two colour options: “Superblack” and “Stealth Grey” (there will be 145 bikes for each colour). Additionally, the bike will feature forged Brabus Monoblock Z wheels, carbon body components and a bespoke seat. Other aesthetic elements include a headlight mask, ‘Brabus Signature Stripes’ in the air scoop, redesigned side panels and air ducts, and new handlebar end mirrors.
As for performance, it remains the same as last year with 140Nm and 180 horsepower from the 1,301cc engine, the sound of which is enhanced by a dual-pipe slip-on from Brabus. The engine character can be adjusted via the choice of one of five riding modes: ‘Street’, ‘Sport’, ‘Rain’, ‘Performance’, and ‘Track’; while the suspension remains WP Apex semi-active at both ends.
Pre-orders for the KTM Brabus 1300 R Edition 2023 will open 16 February 2023 on the dedicated pre-order page.
This article was originally published on 13 February 2023, and was updated on 14 February 2023 with the above text. The original article can be read below.
The 2023 KTM Brabus 1300 R is back for 2023, and has been showcased in Hanoi, according to KTM Vietnam.
KTM began its partnership with German tuner Brabus - well-known for its work with car manufacturer Mercedes - last year when the first edition of the KTM Brabus 1300 R was launched in 154 units split evenly between two colour options.
For the 2023 edition of the KTM Brabus 1300 R, KTM has held a seven-day showcase of the motorcycle in Hanoi, Vietnam, which began on 9 February 2023 and will end this coming Wednesday, 15 February.
No images have emerged from the Hanoi showcase, but there are details on the bike thanks to KTM Romania. Here we find the specs of the 2023 bike to be essentially identical to those of the 2022 version, with 180 horsepower and 140Nm being produced from the 1,301cc engine derived from that which powers the KTM 1290 range.
Additionally, the brakes remain the same with 320mm front discs and a 240mm rear, while the suspension is semi-active from WP, with a 48mm USD front fork and a second-generation rear shock.
The extensive similarity between the 2022 bike and what the Romanian KTM site is labelling as the 2023 bike suggests that either KTM is not updating the bike at all for the new release or that the Romanian site has updated only the page name and title for the Brabus 1300 R page. The second possibility is supported by the images used, which are no different from those used for the 2022 bike.
However, the (minor) 2023 update on the KTM Romania site would suggest that the 2023 KTM Brabus 1300 R will come to Europe, something that the Vietnam showcase, of course, did not confirm.
Official details on the 2023 creation between KTM and Brabus remain essentially non-existent, but perhaps by the end of the Hanoi showcase of the bike on Wednesday more will be revealed.
