KTM 1390 SDR

[mboy]

Bit of a shame it wasn't released @ EICMA or the NEC show! But never mind...



So the big news beyond the engine is that it has the same "Predator" spec face as the new 990 Duke... I'll be honest, it's growing on me. Looks better here on the Superduke than on the Duke IMO. It's not a deal breaker for me that I thought it might be.

The engine though... A 2mm overbore gives us a 1350cc V-Twin, not the 1400ish engine that the public was expecting... Not that the 1290 was lacking in torque or power anyway (both have grown, 5Nm and 10bhp respectively), but it's not the jump that many people were expecting.

What has jumped, predictably, is the price... £18k for the SDR and almost £20k for the SDR Evo apparently... Before tech pack! Yes there are changes beyond the headlight and the engine that form a wealth of small improvements over the outgoing bike (notably 1.5L bigger fuel tank), but given the crazy deals on outgoing 1290 SDR's available (sub £14k with tech pack thrown in and 4yrs warranty and low APR finance available too), it seems the new 1390 will be a bit of a hard sell whilst there's remaining stock of the current 1290's in dealerships. A 72 plate 1290 SDR owning friend is ecstatic as he reckons the new bike has just increased the value of his current bike by £1k overnight at least! Let's face it, even the lairiest of headbangers is going to struggle to tell the difference between 140 and 145Nm of torque and 180 and 190bhp... Especially given the new bike is a few kg heavier now too!

Biggest selling point for me however would be the return to black wheels...

[weeksy]

I'm OK with the looks as you may expect... The best of of £20,000 though, that's a bit of a stinger !

[ChrisW]

I like that - a definite improvement on the outgoing model (although only the press pics have black wheels on the orange - they're orange on the KTM site..? Black's better).

Bikes are definitely getting a bit too pricey though, as has been said.

[Supermofo]

Things like that headlight make me think it's deliberate.

Designers come back from lunch, eureka! An even more ingenious dirt trap specifically and meticulously designed to skin the maximum amount of knuckle flesh.

[KungFooBob]

Jesus fucking Christ, that's ugly!

[Dickyboy]

Not a fan of the whole angular bike thing not one bit

[v8-powered]

Certainly not a looker is it?

[ChrisW]

Just been reading up a little - it's got ride-height launch control...!

[MrLongbeard]

Every bloody branch

[Wossname]

Indicators look a bit “inboard”? It’ll be interesting to see how these ideas translate onto an updated SDGT, which would seem a logical next step. But…. That bike would involve another price step and the R is already VERY expensive….

Everything has gone through the roof price wise. Stating the obvious.

[Taff]

I know that this has been said lots of time before, but I really don't see the point of a 190hp naked bike. Anything over 80 or 90 mph is unsustainable for a long time, and the physics of friction dictates how many of those horses you can use getting up to that speed.
If you're buying one for using on the track then surely a faired bike is the better option.

I don't get who it's built for.

[weeksy]

I know that this has been said lots of time before, but I really don't see the point of a 190hp naked bike. Anything over 80 or 90 mph is unsustainable for a long time, and the physics of friction dictates how many of those horses you can use getting up to that speed.
If you're buying one for using on the track then surely a faired bike is the better option.

I don't get who it's built for.

HArd to argue... but i don't get the sportsbike versions either personally as so few bikers ride on track now. But i also don't get 1200 Multistrada bikes etc... I just don't understand it in this day and age with roads like they are.

Most exciting bike i've seen this year is the BMW F900XR... Now that looks superb.

[Taff]

I know that this has been said lots of time before, but I really don't see the point of a 190hp naked bike. Anything over 80 or 90 mph is unsustainable for a long time, and the physics of friction dictates how many of those horses you can use getting up to that speed.
If you're buying one for using on the track then surely a faired bike is the better option.

I don't get who it's built for.

HArd to argue... but i don't get the sportsbike versions either personally as so few bikers ride on track now. But i also don't get 1200 Multistrada bikes etc... I just don't understand it in this day and age with roads like they are.

Most exciting bike i've seen this year is the BMW F900XR... Now that looks superb.

Agreed,
I really really liked the 900xr the first time I saw one at the NEC a few years ago, and it's still a contender for when I replace my CBF next year.
In that list there's the 1090adv and 890 adv as well the BMW, the bikes that are deffo not on the list are the 150hp+ options like the 1290 and multi etc, there's just no need for me.

Maybe there's a place in the world where you can use the performance that these bikes offer

[Bustaspoke]

I don't get who it's built for.

People who think you need to have the most powerful bike with the most gadgets fitted to impress others?
I don't get it either,but I'm deliberating between the current Himalayan,DRZ400 or Tracer 7 for my next bike,I'll spend the £££'s I save on petrol & tyres
I also don't get the KTM styling,I didn't think it possible but they seem to be getting even uglier

[mangocrazy]

I must admit I'm questioning the sanity of a 190 bhp naked bike, and every year the styling gets more and more extreme and the price climbs by another couple of big ones. There's certainly no chance of anything like that in my future. I'm very happy with my 'baby' Duke and its modest 70+ bhp, thankyou. I could see a faired XS900 in my future, but not that monument to excess.

[Mr Moofo]

Bikes do now seem to cost disproportionately big numbers
( and yes, I know a basic Ford Focus is 75k)

And it make the BMW M 1000XR look like a bargain

[Dodgy69]

These naked big bikes ain't the best lookers. Headlights do seem particularly troublesome. MT10 is not better imo.

[dern]

20k

[MrLongbeard]

20k

£100 per Kg

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I know that this has been said lots of time before, but I really don't see the point of a 190hp naked bike. Anything over 80 or 90 mph is unsustainable for a long time, and the physics of friction dictates how many of those horses you can use getting up to that speed.
If you're buying one for using on the track then surely a faired bike is the better option.

I don't get who it's built for.

I had a 110bhp naked bike, I've got a 140bhp naked bike, it's more fun than the 110bhp one, ergo, a 190bhp naked bike will be more fun than that.