KTM Superduke: The Supermoto is all grown up

Story by Grant Parsons, photos by Joe Bonnello

Supermoto has long been about ultra-light, single-cylinder motocross-style bikes fitted with sticky, 17-inch street tires.

So what's KTM thinking by taking the Supermoto idea and applying it to a more traditionally street-sized machine with a V-twin motor displacing 1,000cc?

Evolving the form, that's what.

And as I put in lap after lap on the Austrian company's super fun Super Duke on Willow Springs Raceway's ultra-tight street course, it's hard to argue with the evolutionary step that KTM is taking.

After all, the downside to supermoto machines that are based on racing machines is their singularity of purpose: They're great fun carving up canyons or race courses, but they're certainly more toy than tool. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but if you buy a typical Supermoto-derived streetbike thinking it will also comfortably serve as a daily commuter or weekend tourer, you're in for a harsh reality check.

Much of the Super Duke's versatility comes from the new 999cc liquid-cooled, 75-degree, dual-cam V-twin that powers it. The motor is bolted into a tubular chrome-moly spaceframe, and hung with a high-zoot fully adjustable WP fork and rear shock. Dual 305mm discs up front are squeezed by four-piston radial-mount Brembo calipers.

The fit and finish mirrors the level of excellence that KTM is known for in the dirt world, while style-wise, the bike's overall look is nothing short of arresting, featuring the edge design that has become a KTM trademark.

As radical as the bike looks, when you climb aboard, the ergonomics are extremely rational. At 5-foot-11, I found myself in a slight forward lean reaching for the handlebars, while the pegs felt somewhat rearset, but certainly not too racy. I could easily see covering long distances on the Super Duke.

Thumb the starter, and the new V-twin turns a few times, then fires, settling into a rappy idle and feeding a very manageable vibe to the rider.

At city speeds around the Willow Springs grounds, the bike is incredibly nimble, thanks to its wide bars and light curb weight of a claimed 405 pounds.

The motor oozes character, as you'd expect from a big twin with a relatively light flywheel. Acceleration from in-town speeds is instant, prodigious and addicting. The only drawback is a fuel injection system that surges at times at low speeds and moderate rpms.

At higher track speeds, the bike really gets fun. Thanks to the taut suspension, stellar brakes and go-now motor, I'm able to re-learn Willow's tight turns rather quickly. This frees me up to consider the central dilemma of Supermoto-style bikes: Do I hang off in the corners like a road racer (top photo) or keep my body upright (above) and push the bike down like a dirt-tracker? As it should, the Super Duke makes either approach feels just fine. Its overwhelming poise in nearly any situation is impressive, whether I'm dragging knee pucks or pushing the bike's footpeg toward the pavement.

I do notice a couple issues. At higher rpms, I can feel a vibration through the footpegs, and an occasional extra effort is needed to coax the bike into top gear under power on the front straight.

But other than that, the Super Duke stays comfortable well into the afternoon sessions. Compared to a track-focused sportbike, it's an easy chair—a nice, comfortable easy chair you can chuck into any corner with amazing precision. In fact, it's so comfortable that late in the day, I find that I'm the only one left on the track, and I keep circulating until I'm waved in so the bike can be packed away. Very impressive.

At the same time we got to ride the Super Duke, KTM also let us sample the company's other streetbikes (see sidebar above), and it's pretty clear that this company is no longer content to stick to the dirt.

All of KTM's streetbikes are fun, but there's no question that the flagship of this fleet is the eye-popping Super Duke. If this bike doesn't put a smile on your face every time you climb aboard, fire it up, and chuck it into a corner, don't bother checking your pulse. You're already dead.