KTM has proven itself capable of producing competitive dirtbikes and popular streetbikes, and 2019 brought a next-gen Gran Turismo that targets the sport-tour genre for domination. Sure, the previous model set a pretty high standard, especially if you like your sport-tour machines heavy on the sport, but our Austrian friends managed to raise the bar even more with a handful of improvements in the 1290 Super Duke GT. Comfort and convenience were updated along with the instrumentation, all with even more race-tacular tendencies due to the revised V-Twin powerplant and improved electronic aids.

KTM 1290 Super Duke GT Design

Right. When it comes to aesthetics, nothing in the world looks quite like a KTM, and the 1290 Super Duke GT falls right into that look. Love it or hate it, the factory is certainly comfortable with its design choices from the sharply angular leading elements to the dramatic fuel-tank hump and down to the actual bones of the Beast. A new cyclops LED headlight pierces the night with backup from a horseshoe-shaped DRL strip and a pair of cornering lights that ride outboard of the headlight in the leading edges of the cheek fairing for a bit of extra visibility and safety. MY19 saw some slight aesthetic tweaks to the headlight mask and screen to set it apart from the previous year model.

The factory boosted comfort as well with new adjustable windshield and revised handguards, and if that's not quite enough to overcome the relatively small wind bubble they create along with the flared cowl, you've got heated handgrips that come stock for that extra bit of relief from the cold. KTM prioritizes low-resistance penetration over rider comfort; clearly, this bike is built for riders younger than myself, or at least, ones who are willing to sacrifice some comfort in the name of outright performance.

Behind the glass/plastic/whatever is the most visible bit of fandanglery to be found on the GT; the new, 6.5-inch color TFT touchscreen that presents all the important metrics alongside the KTM My Ride navigation software that helps you find your destination, no matter how far-flung. Bluetooth delivers wireless connectivity that networks with your smartphone for media playback and so you can handle those pesky phonecalls without letting them interrupt your ride.

A short-rise bar pulls the rider forward into an aggressive riding posture over the 6.1-gallon fuel-tank hump that drops off precipitously to a narrow waist that has tank, seat, and frame all pinched together to give your thighs a break, but it would be a mistake to expect any great improvement in the actual seat comfort. Those Austrians apparently have bulletproof bum-bums, 'cause the seat is still firmly on the firm side of the spectrum and would be the first thing I'd look to change.

Behind the pillion slab is a small, spoiler-like J.C. handle that pairs with the subframe-mount, fold-up passenger footpegs to help keep your human cargo aboard. A combination mudguard/plateholder/winker assembly that finishes out the gear in the rear, and as always, I think a hugger and sideplate would make a marked improvement in the visuals out back.

Gotta' give the factory its props on the stock panniers though. The Euros have finally recognized that “tour” is synonymous with “dry storage capacity” over here, and so the GT rocks a pair of paint-matched panniers that are big enough to swallow your full-face bucket. Kudos, guys. Kudos...

KTM 1290 Super Duke GT Chassis

Welded Cro-Moly steel tubing makes up the Trellis frame and subframe section with a cast-alloy, single-side swingarm that articulates the rear wheel. The steering head comes stock with a damper that takes the edge off any kickback and helps keep the machine stable, and it rides with a 24.9-degree rake that delivers on the expectation of razor-sharp handling that'll let you drag a knee if you have the testicular fortitude for it.

WP suspension components come stock with a semi-active suspension system that crunches data from stroke indicators and accelerometers to dynamically dial in the appropriate damping levels, but leaves room for rider input with a trio of profiles, “Comfort, Street and Sport.” Inverted 48 mm forks buoy the front with a coil-over monoshock to support the rear.

Dual 320 mm discs slow the front wheel with a pair of Brembo M50 four-pot calipers to bind them. A 240 mm disc and twin-piston anchor slow the rear, and both ends are covered by not just any ABS, but the switchable Bosch 9ME Combined ABS that bundles cornering ABS and a supermoto mode together for improved safety.

Cast rims run with a 120/70-17 up front and a 190/55-17 out back, and the fact that they're ZR-rated should tell you everything you need to know about the performance.

KTM 1290 Super Duke GT Drivetrain

KTM drives the 1290 Super Duke GT with an updated V-Twin powerplant that displaces a total of 1,301 cc and benefits from the addition of titanium valves and intake resonator chambers to help boost performance. A pair of 56 mm Keihin throttle bodies control the induction with RbW rider input and a host of fancy engine-control features that includes a lean-sensitive traction control (MTC) system and Ride Mode technology that lets you dial in for conditions and skill level.

Additionally, for the 2019 and 2020 models, the factory carried over the “Supermoto” mode to really make the GT come alive. Don't get me wrong; I'm not suggesting any of the above is a substitute for a full-bodied rider's skillset, but it should help you keep the thing dirty-side down long enough for you to develop said skills. The engine layout has a 108 mm bore and short, 71 mm stroke with dual over-head cams to time the poppets and dual-plug heads that help insure positive ignition and flame-front propagation. Oh, and that last helps with emissions as well.

All this is well and good, but more than anything else it's the power figures that sell this engine. This sizzlin'-hot lump generates a blistering 173 horsepower and 106.2 pound-feet. On a frikkin' tour bike, no less. Needless to say, you'll never get the most out of it unless you've got access to a closed-circuit course, not legally anyway. A six-speed transmission crunches the ratios, and a quick-shifter comes as standard equipment to make for easy/fast shifts up and down the range.

KTM 1290 Super Duke GT Pricing

MSRP is shaking out at $20,599 in your choice of black or white. It's a lot of cash, but you get a lot of bike for the money.

KTM 1290 Super Duke GT Competitors

Something about the spikey panache of the 1290 Super Duke GT compels me to pull from the opposite end of the spectrum, so I went with the Ducati Multistrada 1260 for its almost feminine curves as my competitor.

Ducati Multistrada 1260

Although the KTM sort of simulates a bird's beak in it's own fashion, the Ducati carries a proper angry-bird fairing that looks a bit more mainstream if I do say so myself. The cheek fairings are actually more similar, if not quite as spikey, and the Duc's flyline describes a graceful S-curve the GT lacks.

Both rides rely on Trellis framing, and while Duc offers a fully-adjustable rear shock, it lacks the spanky automatic adjustment KTM brings to the table. Bosch's cornering ABS is constant across the board, but it looks like only the Italian ride gets a hill-start brake augmentation, though KTM offers it as optional on the GT. Ducati's mill displaces 1,262 cc and, as respectable as the 155-pony and 95-pounds o' grunt is, it falls shy of the absolute soul-crushing power KTM packs into the Super Duke GT.

Read our full review of the Ducati Multistrada 1260.

He Said

“Wow. Just wow. Maybe KTM forgot it was making a tourbike, or more likely, decided to save on the R&D and just take what is actually a proper sportbike, throw some bags at it and call it good. Whichever the case, you've got to respect their commitment to performance. As usual, you can pencil me in as not a fan of the aesthetics or the hard seat.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “This bike is based on the Super Duke R that had such a great showing at Pike's Peak in 2018 so you know it is built to perform. Honestly, KTM took a great performance machine, threw on some panniers, a big fuel tank, and a windshield and called it a tourer. Wherever your journey takes you, make sure the road is twisty.”

KTM 1290 Super Duke GT Specifications

Further Reading

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