KTM Super Duke R sharpens up for 2017

A new KTM Super Duke R bristling with top-secret technology has been spied testing near the Austrian company’s headquarters in Mattighofen.

The bike is believed to boast enhanced electronic rider aids including cornering ABS, the latest Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) systems for monitoring wheelies, traction control and ABS. It should also have the WP electronic semi-active suspension from the GT model.

There are some significant styling updates too. The biggest change is a swanky new front headlight. While the prototype bike spotted was still sporting some black disguise tape we can still see this is a new light unit and it may well be an LED unit as KTM has been adding those to many new models.

The fuel tank appears to be the same shape which makes sense in keeping costs down but the side panels are narrower and further forward and work with the front light to give a very wasp-like style to the bike. Changes to the exhaust include a larger silencer and catalytic converter at the back of the engine. The reshaped, black-painted heat shield goes some way to masking this.

The assumption is this will be revealed as a 2017 model later this year as that will tally with the implementation of new Euro4 regs which come into force on January 1.

The new 1290 Super Duke GT is already fully Euro4 compliant so the 173bhp engine from that bike will simply be lifted to the new naked model.