When the flagship Super Duke was released in 2014, it blew us away and reigned supreme in the super naked market. It received major updates for 2017 showcasing no plans to be dethroned as the brand that gives us outright thrill seeking motorcycles along with being competitive.

Now, KTM is looking out to make use of the same formula on their long-distance V-twin rocket, the 1290 SUPER DUKE GT. The Austrian firm has been caught busy testing their next generation of the touring flagship underpinned by the mechanicals of the new Super Duke that is said to run on Euro V compliant mill. Not only is it a whole different story on the inside, but the exterior is also set to get a chiseled bodywork cued by its naked sibling.

The Euro V regulations are making its way at the beginning of 2020 and manufacturers are already scrambling to set their machines up for the big game. With all them having to emit 30 percent lesser toxic emissions out, some very new and innovative new technologies have to be incorporated to manufacture brand new engines.

Surprisingly though, KTM have kept their trust in the same 1301cc LC8 V-Twin mill that has been running since 2014, while everybody else is onto the V4s’. Clearly, folks at KTM believe strongly in the tried and tested powerplant. But KTM will most certainly upgrade its electronic package to the latest spec.

The snapped test bike looks to be a fully kitted edition of accessories and/or aftermarket fitments like the new reshaped screen, bar-clap for sat-nav and smartphone mounting, slimmer panniers and the lot. There also seems to be an SW Motec crash protection tethered to the frame. Nonetheless, the 2019 Duke GT will be equipped with the state-of-the-art TFT instrumentation just like its naked sibling, and so is the striking LED headlamp unit.

With KTM not looking at decreasing power levels, they will have to run their new machines with a leaner air-fuel mixture making the engines hotter than usual. Hence we can expect massive new radiator that’s nearly double the size of the current model's to keep the mill pumping at 180 hp. Also, a massive underbelly catalytic converter trying to clear 30 percent more emissions will be inevitable.

With the new exhaust unit taking up massive spaces, KTM looks to have dealt with the rear suspension swapping the direct mount shock with a suspension linkage. The single-sided swingarm will be beefed up for increased stiffness.

This puts a few more kilos onto the dry weight of the bike, because of which KTM has done modifications to the steel-trellis frame. The subframe will be made of box section aluminum instead of the steel trellis, and the rest of the frame gets some slimming down. This results in a slightly new and angular bodywork making it more aggressive and mental than the outgoing model. It includes sharp design language with new radiator shrouds and tank spoilers in carbon-fiber.

KTM is right at the top giving thrill seekers a weapon unlike any. Don’t expect this to roll onto the streets any time before 2020. We reckon KTM will put this on display at the 2019 EICMA. Until then, stay tuned with us, and we will update you with fresh information.

Reference

KTM 1290 SuperDuke GT