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KTM Super Duke 1290 R

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As we said before in our EICMA coverage, the teased machine under the orange sheet was not a production model, but in fact a concept bike of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R Prototype. The first fully functional concept bike that KTM has ever shown, the KTM 1290 Superduke R Prototype makes an estimated 180hp and looks bat shit crazy, in a good way.

Based on the new KTM Super Duke, the KTM 1290 Superduke R Prototype  uses the same pavement kicking LC8 motor as the KTM 1190 RC8 R, though with an extra 100cc of skin in the game. Radical in just about every way, our favorite aspect has to be the custom Akrapovic exhaust, which is simply delicious. The boys and girls at Kiska really out did themselves on this one.

KTM’s pre-EICMA marketing machine continues to churn along, after the company first released a sound clip of its new Super Duke revving its engine in a garage. Today we get a glimpse of KTM’s new street-naked machine, the KTM 1290 Super Duke — a bike KTM is calling a “Beast” on its blog.

More of a concept bike teaser than a reveal, the bike in question appears to be a stunting prototype of the 2013 KTM 1290 Super Duke production model, but KTM has give us some clues what to expect next week: ride-by-wire throttle control, a new chassis, WP suspension, and  a bored-out 1290cc v-twin motor. Your mother already hates it.

According to its leaked product road map, KTM is due to upgrade the SuperDuke for the next model year (meaning we should start seeing “spy photo” teasers any day now). Designated at the KTM Super Duke R 1290, we can only assume that the new model from Austria will feature a v-twin motor fits in the 1,200cc displacement category, though KTM has been notorious about having its number designations not quite lining up with the bike’s actual displacement.

For 2014, the Super Duke R 1290 will be the basis of another model, the KTM Adventure 1290, which will update the current KTM Adventure 990, and bring KTM more in-line with the offerings from BMW, Ducati, Yamaha, etc.

While we wait for those exciting new models from Team Orange, Italian industrial designer Micro Sapio has penned this concept of a KTM SuperDuke 1200 R. Unfortunately, all we have is the front and back shots, which make fully-appreciating the renders a bit of a challenge.

Of course the orange-painted steel trellis frame pops, though we are not a huge fan of the headlight being used here. However, the low-slung exhaust and single-sided swingarm are nice touches.  Your thoughts?