One of my favorite bikes in the motorcycle industry just got better for the upcoming model year, as the Austrians have just taken the wraps off the updated 2022 KTM 1290 Super Duke GT.
Making 175hp in its Euro5-spec, the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT is a serious sport bike, but KTM has worked hard to give the bike the chops to go long distances as well.
When we didn’t hear anything from KTM during the typical new model year blitz at the end of the last year, we worried that the Austrian brand had decided to pack it in, after the tumultuous ride of 2020.
Don’t worry though, KTM hasn’t forgotten about its 2021 obligations, and zie Austrians have more than a few plucky machines to debut for the current model year.
Two of the biggies are a new KTM 1290 Super Duke GT and an updated KTM 1290 Super Adventure lineup, as both bikes are being teased on its social media channels right now with a January 26th release date.
One of the motorcycles we expected to be updated for the 2021 model year, the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT was just spotted in the wild by the folks at Germany’s Motorrad magazine.
With the KTM 1290 Super Duke R naked bike getting updated for this year, it almost went without saying that its full-fairing sport-touring sibling would get a similar treatment for next year.
As such, the changes are pretty easy to spot.
The most aggressive street-tourer on the market just got more potent for the 2019 model year, as at INTERMOT today, the Austrians have updated the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT for next year.
As such, a host of updates come to the 2019 KTM 1290 Super Duke GT, the most notable of which is a styling change. Gone is the “Spy vs. Spy” front end, in favor of a fairing design that is closer in style to the current KTM 1290 Super Duke R.
Now the fourth motorcycle manufacturer (1, 2, & 3) to issue a recall because of issues with its fitted Brembo brake master cylinder, KTM has the dubious task of informing 2,361 KTM 1290 Super Duke R (2015-2018) and KTM 1290 Super Duke GT (2016-2018) owners.
Like the other recalls before it, this one stems from certain 15mm and 16mm radial-pump brake master cylinders that have been fitted as an OEM part to a slew of high-performance motorcycles.
Because of a manufacturing defect, the plastic piston on these master cylinders – made from a polyphenylene sulphide polymer – may crack and brake under heavy load, severe ABS engagement, and/or during a tip-over.
Confirming our earlier report, KTM North America has issued a recall of the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT street bike, a recall that affects 487 units which were sold for the 2016 and 2017 model years.
As we reported earlier, the recall centers around a pre-formed fuel hose that can develop small holes or cracks, which could potentially lead to a fuel leak.
KTM 1290 Super Duke GT owners should expect a recall notification in the coming weeks, as the Austrian brand has determined that there is an issue with the sport-tourer’s fuel hose.
The recall affects both 2016 and 2017 models, and centers around the possibility that the installed fuel hose may develop small holes or cracks, which could lead to fuel leaking from the fuel hose. As such, it needs to be replaced by a certified KTM dealer.
The KTM 1290 Super Duke GT was the big unveil at EICMA, for the Austrian company. The model builds off the well-recieved KTM 1290 Super Duke R streetfighter, and adds some more fairing, a windshield, as well as a set of panniers.
Despite its beastly title and aggressive looks, the KTM 1290 Super Duke R is a surprisingly comfortable motorcycle to ride, thanks mostly to an upright riding triangle. The Super Duke R also has a large 4.7 gallon tank, which gives good range, but KTM boosted the Super Duke GT’s fuel tank to 6 gallons regardless of that fact.
If experience tell us anything, this should make for nice long excursions on the “Grand Tourer” model, which thankful doesn’t get a neutering to its 170hp 75° v-twin engine, which is the true highlight of the model.
The Super Duke R can get some vibrations from that beast of a motor though, so it will be interesting to see how the GT model handles that, otherwise we consider the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT to be a very sporty sport-tourer – one we’re eager to ride.
As of right now, it doesn’t look like the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT will come to the USA for 2016 though, which is a shame. Hopefully KTM North America can figure that nonsense out tout suite. In the meantime, we have 50+ high-resolution photos of “The Touring Beast” for your viewing pleasure.
We have been seeing for some time now evidence that KTM was set to bring a more touring-focused variant of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R to market, and now today we have confirmation of that fact.
Releasing photos of the still camouflaged 2016 KTM 1290 Super Duke GT, KTM is leaving a little something to the imagination and EICMA, but the company is also confirming that another touring model will enter its lineup.