MILAN SHOW: 2017 KTM Super Duke R gets more extreme

With the full effect of 177bhp arriving like a tornado at just 9750rpm, there’s no point trying to pretend that the new Super Duke R is anything other than a force of nature.

The current bike already delivers one of the most visceral experiences you can buy, and those fourth gear power wheelies aren’t going to have been subdued by adding more horses – although it has also managed to gain a somewhat porky 6kg – even if it’s impossible to see where.

Highlights

• Updated LC8 engine with 177bhp
• New 48mm WP fork & shock
• New body panels
• LED headlamp and running lights
• Keyless ignition

The facts 

• 177bhp
• 195kg
• Seat height 835mm

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Just like the rest of KTM’s 2017 range, the headlamp is treated to LEDs and a clever ventilation system that enables the lights to run without bulky and heavy heat sinks – the only downside, especially in orange R trim, is that they resemble a baboon’s posterior.

That aside, the new R has clearly been on the steroids over the summer, emerging now with a more muscular and brutally aggressive stance. The bodywork is pared back to almost nothing, showing off the trellis frame like a ghoulish exoskeleton.

There’s now keyless ignition, a full TFT dash, and KTM’s optional MY RIDE multimedia system that offers hands-free connectivity for smartphones and media players.

Also on the options list are a series of upgrade packs. The Performance option packs in Motor Slip Regulation, a quickshifter+, and MY RIDE. The Track option gives you selectable engine mapping, switchable anti-wheelie, MTC slip control and launch control.

MSC (stability control) is standard fare, as is MTC traction control, the latest Bosch Cornering ABS, a supermoto mode that allows the rear wheel to lock, and three rider modes.

The 48mm WP fork is new and has heavier spring rates. Also new is the WP shock, which gets a heavier spring (10N/mm) – both are fully adjustable.

As KTM say, this 2017 Super Duke R is ‘The Beast 2.0’.

 

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