KTM 1290 SUPERDUKE GT (2016 - on) Review

Staunch brakes, big petrol tank, comfortable seating ergos, and WP semi active suspension make this bike the ultimate all rounder for eating large gulps if road. I can easily ride an entire 200 mile range fill up, to the next fill up, and keep going for 5-7 hours. (Range, depending on how 'sporting' the throttle was handled, canyon-carving tends to sip gas faster).

Best VTwin engine on the market, for mind bending performance.

Fit and finish are mostly premium, as the price tag suggests. I gave it a 4/4 for minor ghost dashboard warnings, and a personal preference of using vinyl decals vs painted accents. The dash warnings were rare, (2x for a brake issue, and once, for a general failure warning- I'd almost snubbed the engine on my third stoplight of the bike's maiden voyage home) and all warning messages resolved themselves with turning the ignition off/on. Something not unexpected, however, as with any sensitive electronics, faults can be triggered by a temporary sensor misreading, so, not a huge concern, but, for this price range, electronic bugs should've been sorted. The orange vinyl accents felt a tad cheap, compared to, say, the painted pinstripes of my less expensive Ducati SS950. Not a deal breaker for me, but, can serve as an annoying reminder of the whopping price tag of the SDGT, to some. Overall, KTM made a solid bike, with some livable nitpicks.

I've rated this a 3/5, for having a higher first-year ownership cost than average of a premium brand, like Ducati, and BMW. The 1st break in service, at 610 miles was $600, USD, mostly checking fluids, changing oil, and checking for recalls (recommend doing this, despite expertise level, if nothing else to have a KTM stamp of roadworthyness). Additionally, I chose to have front and read sliders, KTM Powersport factory heated seats, a SW Motech crash bar and belly protection added, which brings my first year cost to $1800 USD, roughly, compared to yearly ownership cost of a BMW K12S, of $400, and Ducati SS of $1150.

This (USA optioned) bike is loaded with standard options- saddlebags, cruise control, auto-shift blipper, some of the very best track-derived anti-wheelie, anti-slip and traction control safety assistance electronics on the market. Some of the optional software additions, like hill hold, and track mode can later be purchased, or as I had, negotiated into the buying price. The hill hold gives me an extra 5 seconds of rear brake, while transitioning front an uphill inclined stop- nice feature, especially on uneven surfaces! Track mode opens up a snazzy minimalistic, yet customizable display, plus a plethora of hoonery options, like adjusting wheel slip, and wheelie control. A quick 1/4 turn stab of the throttle in 2nd, or 3rd gear, after disabling the assists, and this bike becomes a wheelie loving, powersliding grinning ape- you really want to be sure of your throttle control without assists turned on- just be ready to handle a slightly less beastly KTM 1290 SuperDuke Evo.

Great all rounder. Perfect for scratching with mates on sports bikes or touring big miles with pillion and luggage and is thin enough to be a very capable commuter / filtering. Comfort is not an issue and riding position is pretty kind on the wrists. I genuinely dont think there is another bike on the market that compares to this in terms of it’s all round ability.

Masses of grunt, very fast and great fun right across the rev range. I think older ones were a bit lumpy at low speed requiring a bit of clutch work but this one is absolutely fine.

Too many issues to list, ECU programming issues, rattling mirrors replaced, faulty gear position sensor replaced, faulty suspension ECU replaced, phantom fault messages in dash unresolved, faulty light control unit replaced, faulty cornering lights replaced, side stand bolts rattled themselves off causing the side stand to fall off, faulty pannier replaced, signs of corrosion and wear on fixings and tank, and lots and lots of time wasted getting these things diagnosed and repaired.

Running costs are reasonable. Probably go through tyres a little quicker than normal but with amount of power available, I feel that’s fair enough..

Is pretty well equipped with many features incl quick shifter, cruise control, rider modes, heated grips etc etc unfortunately the full beam switch is annoyingly easy to switch by accident and KTM and haven’t quite managed to master the phone connectivity thing (I don’t connect my phone to the bike now) also disappointingly KTM can’t get the top box to use the same key as the panniers thus requiring you to carry two keys around all the time, and the fixings and opening mechanism of panniers are not great.

Ride quality and handling is really good, the electronic suspension is a doddle to adjust for pillion and luggage. Would have got 5 stars apart from the front discs getting an MOT advisory for slight warping last year, strangely no issue this year at the same test centre.

As much power as most would ever need. Only complaint is yhe gearing is too high, 6th is only any use above 70mph so no use in UK, honest officer.

No issues apart from the battery which failed in warranty, KTM were not interested and it cost £300 at a KTM dealer to replace it. The replacement is now 4 years old with no problems.

I don't bother with the annual services but have been quoted £600 for the 18000 mile one which is due soon.

The engine makes the bike. Mine has the tech pack and heated seats, lovely in winter. Just use Pirelli Angel GTs, never had a problem with these including riding in Northern France in Storm Eileen in 2017.

Rear brake not fantastic but does the job once warmed up…. Both are Brembos , need I say more?

Brilliant V Twin block. Just a powerhouse.

Small issue with the KTM my ride app as it’s not supported anymore and the replacement app is just useless.

Long time between services so not as heavy as you would think.

Costly for things that should come as standard ie track pack and other stuff that require a laptop and 2 mins work from a technician cost a lot and should come as part of the package. You are paying a lot for the bike and to have your pants down for a couple of grand to get the all singing performance that essentially the bike was designed for.

4 hrs easily in the saddle. Suspension isn't the best but put it in comfort for the ride on those boring roads, set to sport when you get to the twistiness. Brakes are Brembo M50's so, yeah, work as you'd expect.

Thumping, strong, potent. Really is a beast. Bit thirsty and 6th is useless unless your doing over 80. Pulls like a Bavarian train.

Needed a new battery after 7000 miles but think my old optimate killed it (& short journeys to work). Finish is a bit rough in places like bolt heads or exposed aluminium on the LC8 motor.

Got mine from JD Racing (John Deacon, you know they guy, google it) in Saltash. Amazing, brilliant, friendly and professional place. Highly recommend!

Heated grips, tyre monitors, cornering lights, cruise, LED lights & dash. Not much missing. OK the new one will have radar, more to go wrong though

What a great ride! Other than it’s propensity to feeling somewhat like a big trailie, it still handles so well, really flickable and neutral in corners. The brakes are first rate. The seat is too hard, so I used an air pad for long distances. I could never go the distance of a tank though, because at six gallons one can go over 200 miles before the reserve light comes on. And I have to say the bike vibrates a good bit, so that limited its effectiveness for me. Results may differ for others, I’m pretty susceptible to vibration.

What a hoot. The first ride I took on my friend’s was the first time I laughed out loud when riding someone else’s bike! It has so much stomp you’re always wanting to get serious.

I’ve read horror stories, but my bike, and my friend’s bike, have gone up to 50,000 miles with no serious problems. Never left me stranded.

There’s a big, expensive service at 18,000 miles which I didn’t make on my bike, my friend declined to perform his, still kept going and going. KTM is a great bike maker for DIYers, the service manual is well written, and the engineers built the bike so that things for the most part are easy to get to. Parts are expensive though: an oil change filter kit is $75 USD! Plus the oil!

KTM has a lot going for it with this bike, but they didn’t really nail the needs of the long distance tourer. The panniers are weirdly shaped, and even though they hold a full-face helmet, their pointy shape to accomplish this makes it so you’re packing things within in ways you never thought about before. And they don’t hold near enough. I got a rack and top case, but even with that it was tough to pack enough just for me for a two week trip, I have no idea how a rider and passenger could manage it. Maybe with the next generation they’ll lose their uncompromising stand and realize they don’t need to rewrite the touring guidebook, just follow along: the engine and handling is enough to distinguish it from the pack.

Superbly comfy considering the performance. All-day comfy and the missus likes the (optional) heated seats on cold days. Adjustable suspension works very well - just remember to dismount before adjusting (can break the shock if you’re sat on it).It’s at its best on fast, sweeping A-roads. The insane torque and sweet handling make it an absolute joy to ride.

Absolute monster. Extremely powerful and torquey. Giving it full throttle in Sport mode never gets old. Laugh-out-loud fun.

Generally it’s been fine. It does eat batteries if you don’t keep it on a conditioner, and if the battery weakens it can cause electrical gremlins. The one fault I had was the starter sprag clutch failed. Easily replaced though.

Annual service is reasonable at around £300. The 17k is more because of valve clearance checks.

Lots of great electronic features to tinker with. Highly adjustable and easy to configure. Recommend a rad guard, they are vulnerable to stones and not cheap!

The bike loves technical routes with speeds between 20mph to 80mph …..it will of course get into license losing speeds very, very quickly and feel like you are doing 50mph but you are actually already doing 120mph. It is rock solid and does not get upset with rubbish surfaces - just switch from sport to comfort for an easier ride.

Awesome, so much grunt always available in any gear at any speed! So much engine braking I rarely touch the brakes. It has never missed a beat and is always looking for a bit more speed …..,very naughty!

A well built bike, no corrosion, very reliable.

Not cheap but you get what you pay for as the service personnel are very dedicated and thorough.

More toys than I really need, quick shifter handy when carrying a pillion otherwise rarely used in anger. Semi-auto suspension is great a real plus it having the faff of adjusting stuff for different loads and riding styles, the main reason I bought a GT instead of the straight Superduke.

I had a 2014 MT-09 before this, and convinced myself to trade it in partly because I figured the SDGT's ABS would eventually come in very handy. The brakes are mad powerful, at least the front ones. Ergonomics are fine, I have an R12GSA, and the SDGT is not quite that comfortable, but it's also ludicriously faster. I've done 400 mile days on it, no issues really. Phoenix to LA, no sweat (except for the sweat!). The best part about this bike, in addition to the ridiculous acceleration across the entire rev range, is its lovely top end (the tall 6th gear is a godsend). I absolutely carve up traffic on the freeway... I am constantly laughing/screaming inside of my helmet. It's absolutely priceless.

Yeah. What can I say about the LC8 engine that hasn't already been said. Sure, it rumbles a bit cruising low speed below 4,000rpm. So don't run it below 4,000rpm, problem solved! Everything you've ever read about this engine lauding its performance is, in my experience, justified. It's highly gratifying.

OK, here is where I'll take a couple of points off. I had the classic MTC failure (exhaust servo problem) that nearly paralyzed me on a trip, but it's fixed now. Still having a minor electric warning ("FrontBrak Switch") I need to get attended to, but man this thing is way too much fun and too good to let that be a deal-killer.

I bought mine with 11,000 miles on it, I'm at 16,000 now, so I'm due for a major service pretty soon, we'll see how that goes. I've changed the oil twice and-- mostly for peace of mind on a 175bhp, 108ft-lb torque bike I bought used and daily exceed 100mph on-- I just changed out the chain and sprockets, but I did that stuff myself so it wasn't super expensive. If you don't encounter any electronic demons, you should be all set!

KTM brilliantly designed these hard bags to fit a L full face helmet almost perfectly, but still look totally badass and cut the wind nicely at 100mph+. My Schubert C4 Pro (size L, and a large L at that) snugly fits in either one. It sounds trivial, but having those bags makes this thing both a commuting-shopping-daily-driving tool, not just a fun toy (which it also is.) Heated grips, cruise control, and another big big deal: that 6 gallon gas tank! It truly is a Gran Turismo, 250 mile range if you push it. I keep thinking to myself: isn't there something else? What is next? Do I want to sell this before it gets even more miles on it? But I keep looking and looking for what would be next (S1000XR, an H2)... it would have to have the luggage and touring capability, but also be as fast or faster than this 173HP, 108ft-lb behemoth. Even Ducati's new V4 Multi doesn't necessarily best the SDGT, though I should probably ride one of those before I say too much more. Anyway, I feel like I've struck gold with this, especially for the price (used).

Now. Where to start here?The ride is so impressive on the bike, my front tyre chicken strips are about 10mm riding 2-up. More? All of the expense in this bike really is in the electronic systems that run the show. The electronic suspension is bloomin' good - perhaps not the best out there in 2021 but then again it is 5 years old now. A simple 30 min dongle-plug-in will update the systems to the Gen 2 bike which is excellent value and will be doing that this year.Stopping power is pretty good, again, usually 2-up will push the limits of what you can do but this bike performs amazingly well and one-up you will never stretch the limits of the electronics (which, I guess is what you want really).The rider modes are decent, although "Comfort" mode is fairly pointless, however the rain mode is a decent balance and Street mode is good for fuel economy for me at least. Sport mode is aggressive as heck.

If the electronics are one half of this bikes story, then the engine is the other. That mega 1301cc lump is anything but the traditional "Sports Tourer" from the 90's. It spins up quick, lays down massive power supported by clever electronics and will drive forever. First gear feels very short but you realistically wont be using much of it, getting onto a motorway from a slip road is effortless, composure in fast A/B road is bizarrely easy as well. I've managed some very tidy power slides and I have yet to think "that was too close" when I've opened the throttle. There is little different on the Gen 2 other than having a 2-way quick shifter, which being a traditionalist, have not got much use out of.

Build quality is superb on these bikes, all the materials are very very nice. Some small bug bears aside (who puts a cruise control set button on the right hand side???) There is little I'd change on the bike. I usually use a fair bit of ACF50 on my bikes and even though I've been caught out a few times in the wet its not shown rust or oxidizing yet. The thickness of the painted surfaces is excellent and I feel will last a long time. Some of the electronic parts of the bike have had niggles from other riders but I have not encountered any (yet?) on my Gen 1 bike. Although the stock battery is risk and you should keep the bike regularly charged up to avoid flattening it.

The biggest downside (although it is shared by almost all of its competition) is the service costs as to do a simple oil & filter changes requires the complex tank set up to be removed to access. A pain in comparison to older bikes I've ridden which would be simple and easy. However with a good set of Torx keys, a semi-able person will still be able to do it. The major service intervals are nicely spaced apart and should manage 2 years on most average riders mileage. I never take bikes to a "dealership" for servicing as £80 an hour labour is ridiculous! Find a good quality place and you wont pay any more than £400/500 for a major service.

Its easier to say what needs changing, which is very little. I wouldn't recommend the "Ergo" seat sets as they genuinely are harder and not much fun on longer rides. They are heated, however if you would want any more heat, I'd say there's something wrong! The engine will give you plenty to keep warm over.The Heated grips are 3 positions when used - Off - Low, Med, Max. If I liken them to how well you like a steak, then it would be; Blue, Rare, Well Done. If they had a 4th for "Medium rare" I would prefer that.The Panniers are a little tricky on some helmets (Suomy's, some Shoei, some AGV's) and they are not fully able to stop rain for getting in if it is a proper deluge.Other than that - everything is the best I've ever experienced.

Really disappointed with KTM attitude when the shock dumped it oil a month out of warranty. They messed me about for a couple of weeks then said they weren’t interested. The dealer was much better and looked after me pretty well.

Prefer Michelin Road tyre to OE

With the semi active suspension and 3 adjustable modes, you can always find one of them to suit your mood or the terrain.

Bags of grunt from low down to help you fire out of corners, love it.

All good so far.

The OE luggage panniers blend in nicely with the sporty stance of the bike. Changed the exhaust can for something a bit more fruity. The Motowrox factory approved sticker kit on my bike looks awesome and makes it stand out from the crowd. Heated grips come in useful, along with the 3 riding modes. I could go on all day it’s such a great bike.

Good brakes. The chassis is ok. The suspension is excellent in sport mode. But it's not as stiff as a supersport bike. You cann feel the chassis get screwed by the engine in certain situation's

It's a V2 with inline four characteristic. The engine works from 4000 rpm on upwards. Below 3000 there is no working engine. Small speed range with long gears. The 5. and 6. gear are of no use.

I've driven it about 200 miles an had the first issue with the rev counter. That allways show plus 2.500 rpm.

As a used bike it is quite cheap to buy and the running costs are not that high in germany due to the 15000km intervals

Quickshifter, heated Grips, abs traction control with imu, Elektric supension. Everything comes standard. Except blipper.That comes with the new modell.

Sportsbike performance yet refined enough to be used in city traffic. A trackday brings out the best in this bike

Formidable power, somehow not intimidating

ridden all year round, 30k miles, nothing has fallen off. Some paint flaking on inner clutch cover

interval servicing yourself will save you loads. Tyres, chains, sprockets make it expensive

everything you need, heated grips, cruse control, suspension modes, power modes

semi active suspension is a must when pushing the bike hard as it allows you to compensate for different road types. For example, sport mode will make the ride difficult when the road surface becomes uneven at speed, so just changing to street makes her more stable. Comfort mode is a welcome option when on a very bumpy minor road. Brakes are faultless when required. Engine braking is so good and controllable using MSR. I don’t use the quick shifter as I prefer to do everything myself. I don’t really carry a passenger but can ride for up to 8 hours a day with 3 breaks, depending on the type of ride/road.

The V twin took me about 20 minutes to get used to. Love the torque and power once you rev it out. 6th gear is almost never used at less than 60 so 5th gear gets a lot of use. You need to keep the revs in the right torque range for most fun but acceleration in 5th or 6th is very good for touring at mid range speeds. Even at 13.1:1 compression ration, standard unleaded performs superbly. Some guys use super high octane but the engine performs better on standard.

Finish was superb with a blemish on the screen resulting in immediate replacement under warranty. No reliability issues however the battery sometimes seems to cause the starter to stall especially when the engine is hot. Optimate seems to help when garaged. No sign of corrosion any where however I am probably OTT with cleaning after the bike has been out and it lives in a heated garage.

This price includes a set of tyres, additional oil and filter change as my preference. It can be hard on tyres but the massive torque and my riding style are probably to blame.

I purchased a lot of luggage for touring and I have to say that maybe doesn’t beat BMW in quality but it just works the way it is meant to. The easiest luggage to fit and remove that I have ever seen. Looks good as well. I have only scored 4 here as some of the instrumentation is a bit awkward, headlight could be better, screen is a bit lacking in protection, but doesn’t spoil the bike too much.

This 1290 SD GT is awesome at highway speeds and winding roads because it is light and chassis is superb (please consider my past bikes are older BMW GSAs 2003 and 2009 models, I have not ridden other sport touring bikes other than in short test rides). Excellent riding quality, just a little bit of vibration from the engine, nothing too bad (engine likes living in the 2nd half of the tachometer) Top level workmanship, no complaints. M50 Brembo brakes are top of the shelf, hands down (OEM brake pads are cheaper than those of the BMW R1200GSA which are also Brembos and they are even a more upscale model) WP semi active suspension is excellent with all the different programs (1-2 passengers, with or without panniers, sport, comfort, street, etc) Seat is more on the sporty that the touring side (have ridden in 3-4 hour rides and can stand it no problem but consider I come from doing that since more than 12 years ago). Have not ridden with passenger, sorry cannot speak about that.

Easy to ride around town, tons of torque and power when accelerating hard. Just to put in perspective, the engine at 100 mph feels as sleepy as my 2009 R1200GSA at 60 mph, what I mean is that a 100mph is barely waking up and does not even sound, it seems it is still shut down. Does not like to cruise at less than 3,000 rpms, as long as you keep it above that it will be a happy engine. Again, cruising around town in my 2009 R1200GSA you can shift at 2,000 rpms and keep it cool, you can do the same with the SD GT but at 3,000 rpm; at the end this bike is more for open road ah...?

Perfect so far, though only passed the 600 mile first service mark. I need to recognize that was a bit skeptical about KTM brand in general (no bad opinion only thoughtful) before I got this SD GT which was my first bike of the brand and so far, the brand´s quality, fit, finish, etc. has grown on me and at this moment with only 600 mile and zero issues I can say it is as premium as BMW bikes; I know time will tell. Also I have been investigating on long term 1190s/1290s but only found 50/60K miles bikes which have been impeccable but are still on the low mile side ah...?

This amount only reflects 1 year insurance (expensive from my point of view) because 600 mile revision was complimentary (see the note below) This 1290 SD GT 2017 was purchased 1 month ago (July 2019) with zero miles under a special promotion from local dealer (£ 12,300 including side panniers, 600 mile service, 1 Shark full face helmet)

Would add hand guards for wind protection; I think the 2019 model has them from factory already. The foot pegs could be larger (I am seeking to upgrade) because OEM are more on the sport type) The seat is not too bad, although more sporty than touring I ordered the touring comfort seat before the new bike was delivered and once I rode it I cancelled the touring comfort seat because I changed my mind and it is no need for the 3-4 hr rides I do.

Giving the bike a 4 because of the seat. But that is probably a relatively cheap and easy fix. Have not had a pillion on the bike yet.

Power delivery, engine torque, its sublime. Some people I have spoken to were horrified at the 175hp numbers. But unless I am mistaken, even with all the electronic aids, one still has control of the throttle. The engine is fantastic, pulling out of turns at low RPM has me grinning from ear to ear and the engine braking is so good going into corners that quite often I don't need to touch the brakes. Plus the booming engine sound on overrun is addictive.

So far so god. Early says yet

Not the cheapest bike out there but considering all the top of the line components, electronics and build quality the KTM Superduke GT is probably a decent value.

Heated grips Heated seat TFT dash / computer is awesome. Electronically set ride modes, suspension, miriad of options is exactly what I wanted. Engine Suspension Brakes

Ride all day with no complaints.

The bike never runs out of power or torque and sounds like it isn’t even working.

TFT, keyless ride, lean angle ABS, electronic suspension, TPMS, heat grips, bought optional heated comfort seats, cruise control. All functional and work as advertised.

The active suspension is great. Whatever situation it will master it. Brakes are pretty good and even after a long trackday they haven't changed in performance.

If you like two cylinders this is the most powerful and refined you can find. Coming from a big Ducati, this motor is sublime. It hits you out of the curve but you can also cruise without loosing your teeth. On trackdays it gets you out of curves a lot quicker than most four-cylinder bikes.

I've covered 2000km so far, with 500 of those trashing on a racetrack and I've had no faults whatsoever. Everything seems bolted on and stable. Even the side bags are sturdy and fit two helmets.

Until now it seems good value. On a racetrack it is less thirsty than other bikes.

Get the heated seats and track electronics and you have all what you need.

Brakes give good feel and confidence, handling is good for a bike this size. With the active suspension great 1 or 2 up, luggage or no luggage. At high speeds i found the screen and my helmet incompatible with significant turbulance. Seat height a bit on high side (inside leg 30")

Torque, Torque plus some more Torque Easy to ride in and out of town as smooth in low gears at low speeds and minimal changes required for overtaking

Panel fit is poor for a bike at this price point only failure light switch

Depreciation is by far the biggest cost when buying new as you might expect so insurance, service etc are irrelevant.

Bad standard exhaust looks terrible (fix akrapovic but expensive) Seat not up to long distances (comfort seat is better plus 1-2 hours extra) Headlight poor for fast bike the LED 790 and 390 are better. Good Clear display Good optional electronic add ons very wide range of luggage and power parts

Great all-round bike, you have to be shot to get off it especially with the optional heated gel seats.

State of art, a sweet bull with much less vibrations than Ducati's 1200 for example.

Fuel consumption is great for the engine it has.

Suspension and cruise control are great, maybe the panniers could be a little better when closed.