2017 KTM 1290 Super Duke R Spy Shots
A legend gets an update
One of our favorite motorcycles is getting a facelift, as spy photos reveal an updated KTM 1290 Super Duke R with revised bodywork and a new LED headlight design.
2014 Motorcycle of the Year: KTM 1290 Super Duke R
We’ve actually got two sets of spy shots here, one captured near KTM’s headquarters in Austria and another from Spain where the test mule was being tested alongside the current SDR.
Overlaying the 2016 Super Duke on one of the spy photos, we can see the steel tubular trellis frame and subframe appear unchanged. From the exterior, the engine also appears identical, though we can’t rule out any internal changes. The Super Duke GT engine new for 2016 already meets stringent Euro 4 regulations. Presumably there will be electronic updates in addition to the Cornering-ABS added to the 2016 SDR. Our mole tells us to expect new ride-mode settings.
The test bike’s side panels thrust forward aggressively, looking more like the Super Duke GT than the current model. Like the GT, the bodywork also offers more protection for the radiator.
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Up front, the new split headlight design is a departure from the stacked design on the current 1290 models. Based on the compact shape, we expect a full LED lighting system. In some of these photos, the headlight is missing a side cover, suggesting KTM is continuing to tinker with it.
Though we can’t get a clear look at the display, we can see a rectangular instrument panel we’re expecting to be a new full-color TFT instrument cluster replacing the current model’s two LCD screens and analog tach, one of our few complaints about the existing model.
Given the extent of the changes, we expect KTM to reveal the updated 1290 Super Duke R in the fall at either the Intermot or EICMA shows as a 2017 model. Stay tuned for more information as it emerges.
Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.
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You guys have a bunch of photos, but they are a pian to look at, at least on an android. In the future could you create a gallery that was high res, that one could swipe left and right to browse?
The cornering ABS is going to be great and hopefully available for earlier Dukes. Just like stability control in cars has saved thousands of lives so will this in motorcycles, especially novice riders! It will virtually eliminate low or high side crashes and is always lurking in the background waiting to save you. It will definitely increase lap times as how can slam on the brakes at the apex and then full throttle out. Plus if you are in trouble in the corner, slam the brakes, no crash.