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.
The atmosphere in the paddock at Valencia is an odd mixture of fatigue, excitement and anticipation. Fatigue, because it is…
Leaked well ahead of the 2012 EICMA show, the Aprilia Caponord 1200 again finds its way to the interwebs, albeit in a clearer and more official way. Taking heavy styling cues from the Aprilia RSV4 sport bike, which has become something of the paterfamilias of design at the Italian brand, the 2013 Aprilia Caponord 1200 shares a chassis and motor with the Aprilia Dorsoduro 1200, and will be the Noale brand’s big offering against the sportier side of the adventure-touring market. Featuring 17″ wheels, selectable fuel mapping, traction control, and ABS brakes, the new Aprilia Caponord 1200 has all the basic amenities you would expect in increasingly competitive adventure bike market. Aprilia will offer a Caponord 1200 with semi-active suspension as well.
Currently on proposal for the 2013 MotoGP Championship is a grid comprised of 12 prototype machines (four from each of the three remaining factories), with the rest of the grid comprised of CRT entries (production motors in prototype chassis). That landscape could change however in 2014, as HRC has tipped that it has a production-racer, based off the Honda RC213V in the works, which it will sell to teams for around €1 million. Adding yet another dimension to the bike line-up, Yamaha is said to be considering leasing the M1 motor to private teams, who in turn could use the prototype-based engine design in their own chassis design, much in the same manner that is currently being done with the production-based motors.
KTM is lined-up to release a few new models at the upcoming EICMA show, namely the KTM 390 Duke and the KTM 1190 Super Duke. Both bikes will be naked street machines, though the KTM 390 Duke will feature a 373cc single-cylinder engine, while the KTM 1190 Super Duke will get a de-tuned version of the KTM 1190 RC8 R’s v-twin lump. Helping promote its new releases, KTM has teased out an audio clip of one of the bike’s exhaust note. Whether to you it sounds like a Super Duke or baby Duke, our sources say it is one mean machine. Listen to this kitten purr after the jump, and leave your guesses in the comments section.
In an ideal world, championships are settled in a straight fight between the main contenders in the final race of…