MILAN SHOW: 2017 KTM Super Duke R gets more extreme

Published: 08 November 2016

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With the full effect of 177bhp arriving like a tornado at just 9750rpm, there’s no point trying to pretend that the new Super Duke R is anything other than a force of nature.

The current bike already delivers one of the most visceral experiences you can buy, and those fourth gear power wheelies aren’t going to have been subdued by adding more horses – although it has also managed to gain a somewhat porky 6kg – even if it’s impossible to see where.

Highlights

Updated LC8 engine with 177bhp
New 48mm WP fork & shock
New body panels
LED headlamp and running lights
Keyless ignition

The facts

177bhp
195kg
Seat height 835mm

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Just like the rest of KTM’s 2017 range, the headlamp is treated to LEDs and a clever ventilation system that enables the lights to run without bulky and heavy heat sinks – the only downside, especially in orange R trim, is that they resemble a baboon’s posterior.

That aside, the new R has clearly been on the steroids over the summer, emerging now with a more muscular and brutally aggressive stance. The bodywork is pared back to almost nothing, showing off the trellis frame like a ghoulish exoskeleton.

There’s now keyless ignition, a full TFT dash, and KTM’s optional MY RIDE multimedia system that offers hands-free connectivity for smartphones and media players.

Also on the options list are a series of upgrade packs. The Performance option packs in Motor Slip Regulation, a quickshifter+, and MY RIDE. The Track option gives you selectable engine mapping, switchable anti-wheelie, MTC slip control and launch control.

MSC (stability control) is standard fare, as is MTC traction control, the latest Bosch Cornering ABS, a supermoto mode that allows the rear wheel to lock, and three rider modes.

The 48mm WP fork is new and has heavier spring rates. Also new is the WP shock, which gets a heavier spring (10N/mm) – both are fully adjustable.

As KTM say, this 2017 Super Duke R is ‘The Beast 2.0’.

Looking for the perfect two-wheeled companion? Visit MCN Bikes For Sale website or use MCN’s Bikes For Sale App.

By Richard Newland

Group Editor - With over 40 years of riding experience and 21 years as a bike journalist, Rich has ridden nearly every new bike of the past two decades and many historical models dating back to the 1930s. He is particularly passionate about sportsbikes from the 1990s and early 2000s, and he loves big bikes that handle well and are suited for long-distance travel. Rich enjoys challenging rides, such as a non-stop 1703.5-mile trip from Land’s End to John O’Groats and back. In his personal collection, Rich owns a 2007 Honda VTR1000 SP-2, a 1998 Ducati 996, a 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 ‘Slabby’, a 1998 VFR800FiW, and a 1975 Honda CB750 SOHC Dunstall.