Well, on friday I handed over my Superduke R. Was pretty sad since it has been the single best ownership experience ever. Was very fond of the the big bonkers beast, took me on some stunning tours, never complained, and never failed to put a big silly grin on my face. Its been the best machine ever in every aspect and shrugged off all the abuse I could give it. Hands down the best bike of my life! Sad to see it go, I hope it finds a worthy owner and continues to wow. Now I have a new beast! already I can tell it has the same bonkers character as before but it feels quite different. This one drops into a corner and never have I felt anything so planted its uncanny! It devours corners so easily its like a cheat mode! I've had Daytona 675's and Street Triple RS's and Speed Triples and they were very good, but they didn't tip in and spit you out the other side the way this thing can. I'm smitten already
Nope, easy to ride as anything. I was a bit intimidated when I got the first one! Didn't take long for that feeling to disappear though.
Congrats, @andyc1! I find it's always hard to say goodbye to an outgoing bike--memory makers and trusted friends that they often become. But that pain is pretty much alleviated by a new bike. So....what are the differences between the two bikes?? I know you said the new one corners spectacularly but how are the specs different?
The engine has a few tweaks but not that different, its got 2 or 3 extra hp and is a bit smoother, smoother throttle too. The chassis, swing arm, suspension, bodywork and electronics are all new, lighter, stiffer etc. Seating position is a little more aggressive. Makes its torque a little lower down and now has a metal tank instead of the plastic one. I think thats about everything. Its more or less a completely new bike bar the tweaked engine
I love the Duke, I've always thought ktm is the lamborghini of the bike world. That's a beautiful ride!
Hi Andy, Happy for you and glad the new version is better than the previous one. Always good to feel the decision to switch is not a retrograde step, whenever we decide to update the two wheels we choose to own for a while. I'm now about to spoil the party but please don't take this personally. I have fought hard NOT to test ride the SuperDuke R and have a local dealer. Mostly because I know I would return with a fixed grin, gibbering madly, and would be slapping down a deposit on one quick smart. However, and this is a big problem for me, any bike has to pass the look back test. Because I can't ride as often as I would like, I therefore need to feel love every time I visit the freezer or tumble dryer that are also located in the garage. Unfortunately, there are angles from which I love the KTM but others from which I feel mild nausea. What is more, the showroom fit and finish and excess of plastic parts stop me from liking the bike even before I have ridden one, given the price point. Perhaps, this is slightly stupid but it's not a practical decision where looks don't matter when buying a bike. I have previously bought fantastic bikes that I found I could not love because of lack of aesthetic appeal. Ultimately they had to go because something wasn't right in the looks department. Yeah, I know, I am superficial. The SuperDuke R is a marmite bike for me, I really want to like it but I just don't like marmite. Hopefully, you like marmite spread thickly on your toast because the KTM certainly is a fabulous choice. Enjoy every minute of it and let us all know what it is that works for you and why this is 'the one' (at least for the time being). Best Wishes Cooky
Your dead right! It does have love or hate looks. That thruxton on the other hand, you'd be hard pushed to find anybody who says its an ugly bike. It's a thing of beauty
I'd still love to try one Andy but I'm weak and would end up having trouble not getting a rush of blood and placing hard earned cash on the dealers desk!
It looks a bit of a bruiser doesn't it? Not that that's a bad thing I do wonder if I'd get on with the riding position.
