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KTM 1290 Duke R, Would you?

Lucky for us we've got skills to carry out what our instincts tell us. For me, my response time has slowed as I've aged and some things that were happeneing on the Duke had me concerned. Way too many close calls. Mostly related to panic braking. As much as I'd practice avoiding the lockup threshold in parking lots, I'd still have issues on my commute. With so many people texting and driving, I see more and more rear-end collisions than ever. Numerous times I'd have to panic stop and the rear would lock up as the front end dove. I once had to go from nearly sliding into the car in front of me to having to dart in between that car and the one in the lane next to it just to avoid hitting anything and being hit from behind. I knew it needed to go. So I went out on a Saturday to do some dealer hopping. Went first to the euro-bike dealer where I'd gotten the KTM and never went anywhere else.

So I bought my HS on a whim, really. I had a feeling it was the right bike for me without having ridden one. I thought ABS and traction control would benefit me. I didn't make nearly as good a deal as I probably could have, but I don't regret that part of it at this point.

One day on my commute home on the HS a big pickup truck sped up as I was about to enter the exit lane, and I knew he'd be one of those entitled morons that had no intention of exiting, and just wanted to get around everyone and cut back into traffic right at the exit. I followed by four car lengths, muttering under my breath, doing 60 when all of a sudden he darts left. I'm like WTF? We're nowhere near the exit. Then I see why he cut left... a car stuck in the exit lane, hazards on, trunk open. And I'm closing fast. So I figure OK, lets see what the HS does. I nailed the brakes, and the bike went from 60 to 30 very quickly with a bit of howl and a wiggle. I evaluated the reaction and with two car lengths to go before impact I see there's nobody to my left and I dart around the car and back into the exit lane. So did the truck. Until right before the exit when he rejoined traffic like I knew he would. ****. As I exited I patted the bike on the tank and said "that's why I got you". Were I to try to slow the Duke down that way I don't know that I'd be here to write about it. Maybe when I was younger and sharper and not worn out by a day's work.
 
Surely that was a butt-tightening event! :eek: It's not surprising to me that the HS responded to your commands in a composed, efficient manner although I haven't done that kind of panic-braking yet. :eek: I have entered some tight turns too hot on my HS and it hardly blinked when I trail-braked quite hard and/or countered-steered abruptly...sometimes drastically. To me, the HS behaves like it's 100 pounds lighter than it is. I attribute that to superior engineering (mass centralization, optimal frame geometry/physics, stellar brakes, great engine) and, in my case, Michelin PP3 tires. If my HS were a person, I would characterize it as an Olympic athlete with a high IQ wearing track sneakers. :D
 
There's panic braking, and there's 'HOLY ****' braking. I practiced panic braking very often on my R6 but found myself in a couple situations where you can't quite remember what happened as you maneuvered. I say without ABS, on a sport bike, those situations will normally end in locking the front tire up. Throw in some oil and other fluids in that last 100' before a light and amplify.

In my advanced rider safety course, I grabbed the paint out of the lever during the emergency braking tests. I stopped the shortest and never locked up the front. That was so reassuring and really puts you at ease if you've ever low sided from a full lock up.

On a related note, I nearly slipped the rear out the other day on a constant radius 90 deg turn with a little apex over the lane seam. Felt it, let off the gas, got my *** off the seat and over the centerline, she gripped, and I throttled back out. DTC 3- guess I got the box off guard but it was relatively benign.
 
Thanks for reminding me that I need to acquaint myself with HARD braking on the HS. I usually do that with any new bike. I suppose I assumed that, because it behaves so predictably well, I didn't need it. In honesty, I KNOW that's wrong and I'll get it done. :eek:

I recall one of those HOLY **** moments on a Kaw Z1 when I grabbed the front lever uber-hard to avoid a car. The big Kaw did a small, accidental stoppie to my complete surprise and satisfaction. :p 'Twas my first, but not last, stoppie.
 
I did a stoppie on the Duke while avoiding a stop sign runner. I think I'd only grabbed the front, didn't even get my foot over the rear pedal. I knew I was coming to a stop in time, and then felt my rear end come down and didn't even know it was up in the air. I don't know that I'd ever come close to sliding the front wheel, but the rear was frequent. I had tried to adjust the rear pedal height, but it aways sat in such a way that the pedal was not below my toes, it was always over it. So I'd have to lift my foot to get on the pedal. Usually resulted in too much stomping on it.

A friend with a Ducati 748 Monoposto was in dense traffic and the car in front of him braked suddenly. He grabbed a fistful of front, the bike endo'd and he landed on the ground elbow first, breaking the head of his humerus off. Left the "ball" in the socket and jammed the rest of the bone through his collarbone.

I find the brakes on the HS to be great. The rear pedal could come up a bit, but I haven't tinkered with it. The front lever feels right to me. I had the HOLY **** moment and it did what I needed it to do. Low traction situations and I don't get along, I wish I knew how to slide the rear with power and feel confident that I wont wash out the rear. I've fallen due to rear wheel traction loss on sand, pea gravel, and antifreeze in the rain. I've never spent time on a dirt bike, maybe if I had I'd be better at dealing with a loose rear tire. So if I owned that Duke 1290 it would never leave the lowest power output setting. My 690 Duke spent much of it's time in what my friend and I affectionately called "***** mode". As I got used to it I'd put it on "advanced" aka hooligan mode. So not suited for commuting. My HS spent its first 200 miles in ***** mode (urban) and the next 200 in Touring. I tried Sport in a parking lot with my wife on the back. Been a long time since I'd heard her screech and giggle.

I think I could benefit from the Advanced Rider Course.
 
Serious bike! I'm looking the other way, may sell my HyperStrada and get a 690R to augment the 1190 Adventure.
 
NurseDaddy said:
I did a stoppie on the Duke while avoiding a stop sign runner. I think I'd only grabbed the front, didn't even get my foot over the rear pedal. I knew I was coming to a stop in time, and then felt my rear end come down and didn't even know it was up in the air. I don't know that I'd ever come close to sliding the front wheel, but the rear was frequent. I had tried to adjust the rear pedal height, but it aways sat in such a way that the pedal was not below my toes, it was always over it. So I'd have to lift my foot to get on the pedal. Usually resulted in too much stomping on it.

A friend with a Ducati 748 Monoposto was in dense traffic and the car in front of him braked suddenly. He grabbed a fistful of front, the bike endo'd and he landed on the ground elbow first, breaking the head of his humerus off. Left the "ball" in the socket and jammed the rest of the bone through his collarbone.

I find the brakes on the HS to be great. The rear pedal could come up a bit, but I haven't tinkered with it. The front lever feels right to me. I had the HOLY **** moment and it did what I needed it to do. Low traction situations and I don't get along, I wish I knew how to slide the rear with power and feel confident that I wont wash out the rear. I've fallen due to rear wheel traction loss on sand, pea gravel, and antifreeze in the rain. I've never spent time on a dirt bike, maybe if I had I'd be better at dealing with a loose rear tire. So if I owned that Duke 1290 it would never leave the lowest power output setting. My 690 Duke spent much of it's time in what my friend and I affectionately called "***** mode". As I got used to it I'd put it on "advanced" aka hooligan mode. So not suited for commuting. My HS spent its first 200 miles in ***** mode (urban) and the next 200 in Touring. I tried Sport in a parking lot with my wife on the back. Been a long time since I'd heard her screech and giggle.

I think I could benefit from the Advanced Rider Course.
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I used to drool over KTM 690 Dukes and 690 'tards til I got the HS. After reading some of your 690 comments and riding the HS for a few hundred miles though, I think the HS is the right twisty bike for me. The 690's might be a tad quicker with the right rider in really tight curves (like the Deals Gap "Dragon" I ride weekly) but I'm happy. And man, there's nothing wrong with "***** mode" for cautious bike familiarization and poor weather or just for taking it easy--survive to ride again. ;) And, by the way, your writing style is loaded with ego-free humility which suggests to me that you are a very good rider...certainly a smart one! Live long and ride free...:)
 
ZRider said:
And, by the way, your writing style is loaded with ego-free humility which suggests to me that you are a very good rider...certainly a smart one! Live long and ride free...:)
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Thanks ZRider, that's nice of you to say.
Actually I'm an obnoxious egotistical prick who brags about how he could outrun anyone through the twisties while hanging off his Gold Wing, with the stereo blasting. I kid, I kid. About being an obnoxious egotistical prick. I did however have riders of sportbikes cracking up while I hustled my Gold Wing through twisties with the stereo at a moderate volume. :D My wife just asked me what I was typing. She said to say she remembers how the group we used to ride with never understood how I did what we did, two up, on that Gold Wing. My wife used to fall asleep while riding pillion. It was a like a 727 pound ballet dancer. Someone called me "graceful" once. :eek:

Really though, thanks for the compliment.
Wish I could ride the Dragon weekly. Maybe I need to head over there and meet up with you.
 
NurseDaddy said:
Actually I'm an obnoxious egotistical prick who brags about how he could outrun anyone through the twisties while hanging off his Gold Wing, with the stereo blasting.
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Ha! Nolo contendere!

NurseDaddy said:
Maybe I need to head over there and meet up with you.
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Anytime the ambient temp exceeds 50. :cool:

"Graceful", eh? Believe it or not, I saw graceful on the Dragon a few years ago by a sort of folk hero 'wing rider named "YellowWolf". His bike had some high-end suspension mods and he was flippin' fast. I know because I didn't believe he could be as fast as people claimed and I followed him into the Dragon one day on a nimble, well-prepped Yam FZ1 and had to run at my absolute ragged edge just to keep him in sight. After about 4 miles, I backed off for fear of crashing--true story! :) Also, I was told by reliable sources that he completed an Iron Butt 1000 equivalence run, back-and-forth, through the Dragon. :eek:
 
ZRider said:
"Graceful", eh? Believe it or not, I saw graceful on the Dragon a few years ago by a sort of folk hero 'wing rider named "YellowWolf". His bike had some high-end suspension mods and he was flippin' fast. I know because I didn't believe he could be as fast as people claimed and I followed him into the Dragon one day on a nimble, well-prepped Yam FZ1 and had to run at my absolute ragged edge just to keep him in sight. After about 4 miles, I backed off for fear of crashing--true story! :) Also, I was told by reliable sources that he completed an Iron Butt 1000 equivalence run, back-and-forth, through the Dragon. :eek:
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Hey, I believe it. Prior to buying the HS on an impulse, I was shopping used Gold Wings (could two bikes be more opposite?) on Craigslist and at a dealer near one of my job worksites. The guy at the dealer told me about that Gold Wing rider on the Dragon that nobody can keep up with and he said there's YouTube videos of him. I think I'll go look him up.
 
NurseDaddy said:
Hey, I believe it. Prior to buying the HS on an impulse, I was shopping used Gold Wings (could two bikes be more opposite?) on Craigslist and at a dealer near one of my job worksites. The guy at the dealer told me about that Gold Wing rider on the Dragon that nobody can keep up with and he said there's YouTube videos of him. I think I'll go look him up.
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Here is a low-quality video of Yellow Wolf: Yellow Wolf - Gold Wing - TDeals Gap
 
I saw that and few others of him, leaving the bike behind him in the dust. Dude's dragging knees on a Wing. With the stereo playing.

I saw the video where he had the camera on his bike, facing him. He's got lots of years of riding under his belt, I gather.

Tomorrow I'm headed upstate with a buddy of mine and our GoPro cameras mounted. I'll see if I can record some twisties of my own.
 
Ta da..... :)

NewZX14R_1_1280.jpg
 
ZRider said:
Ta da..... :)

NewZX14R_1_1280.jpg
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OH MAN! Now you done did it. Good luck with the new bike!

I found some twisties today. I also found myself target fixating and did not react appropriately. Now on the hunt for parts to replace what I broke. :eek:

Not sure if I can order a new ego.
 
NurseDaddy said:
OH MAN! Now you done did it. Good luck with the new bike!

I found some twisties today. I also found myself target fixating and did not react appropriately. Now on the hunt for parts to replace what I broke. :eek:

Not sure if I can order a new ego.
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Sorry to hear that. :( Yep, target fixation is a real hazard. One that I have to consciously resist by reminding myself that my bike WILL take me where my eyes are focused. I hope your body parts are okay...! What Duc parts do you need?
 
I need a left handguard and the left half of the rear grabrail/rack. The bag mount snapped off the handrail.
 
A little problem with engine on SuperDuke 1290. Same problem was on RC8.
Few cases all over the world. Canceled orders by customers..
 

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However how good, agile and great looking the KTM are I would not spend a second considering it. Customer service is pratically inexistant in my area. I ruled out the KTM 990SM from the potential list last year for this same reason. And when I say 'pratically'; I'm just been very conservative. I'm tempted to say there is none.