KTM and Kawasaki were represented in the top four finishes in the Heavyweight Motorcycle division at the 95th running of the Pike's Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado Spring, Colorado, but it was KTM's [1290 Super Duke R->mot5233 that delivered the one-two punch by taking first and second place, as well as fourth place. Chris Fillmore, an in-house racer for KTM, made a record-setting climb of 9.49.265 to beat the previous record held by Carlin Dunne set in 2013. All-in-all, it was an excellent day of racing for KTM and the 2017 Super Duke R.

Continue reading for more on the race.

What's The Buzz?

I set out with the goal of trying to break the record this year and I wanted to do it as a rookie, so to achieve this is something really special. The KTM 1290 Super Duke R ran perfectly," said Chris Fillmore after the run, "but I did have a scary moment coming into the 19-mile corner when the bike went sideways at 120 mph near the side of the cliff. Luckily I was able to keep it under control but it was definitely a nerve-racking moment and I’m happy to have finished safely and with the win.

If you watch the video of the run, it's all scary to me seeing him take those hairpin turns just feet away from a sheer cliff. I've driven up that road, and it's scary going slow; I can't imagine trying to go as fast as you can, but that's why I'm not a Hill Climb racer. Kudos to these guys.

Not to go unnoticed, KTM was represented in the Middleweight Motorcycle division as well with a third place finish by Joe Clark on a 690 Super Duke. KTM and its Super Dukes made a good showing on the mountain this year.