2020 KTM 1290 Superduke vs 2019 1250 GS-HP

[tanneman]

It is a 14 reg. Any GS or GSA I ride bores me. When I take the bike in for a service I ask for any bike but a GS/GSA as a courtesy bike. The new RT is a much better bike than the GS/GSA that I'm wondering what am I doing or do I actually need it. The suspension on the RT is so good that it makes the GSA redundant on the minor roads I ride plus it is faster than the GSA due to the final drive gearing, better wind protection than my old hexhead which is better than the LC, ergonomics is spot on with the RT. The missus prefers it with the box on because the foot rests are not as well positioned than the GS/GSA. As a touring bike in Europe you can fault the RT. No wonder it is a police favourite for riding on all day, not chasing crooks where it lacks some of the dynamics of more powerful machines.

 

[botus]

Botus you are obviously a man of experience and honesty to tell it like it is...
But you for that I rode the 1290SDR and not the 1290SADV...Same displacement but different hardware and tuning.
The SDR makes roughly 30 hp more on the same dyno than the SADV.Your engine tune is much friendlier and yes the SDR needs 7000 rpm to go...below that it feels very tame...much tamer than a 1250GS.
At 10000 rpm the party ends...very abruptly.A friend of mine has a 1290 R. He does not even ride it anymore as sometimes it will accelerate on closed throtle... Nobody knows why or can fix it...I agree on the 1200-LC...Very gutless and boring my EU-4.But I would not stupe down to a boring Honda or go back to a more fun than both arcooled 1200...The 1250 is awesome.Has some real steam not only for a boxer and the old torquey charm...All that is missing is a ballistic top that can be so much fun and exciting on bikes like a S1000RR...or even XR but less so

it must be some strange magic that lets them keep squeezing more out of that engine. I think you get it, a decent curve of usable go is far better than a angry mistake with electronics trying to manage a mess. If they wound it up that much it would explain why its now gone walk about where you need it. I put a childish exhaust on mine (off a super duke) and its faster and runs much happier. But they will hear you coming and I'll get locked up using it.

As for the one you took out the top shouldn't just stop at 10k, in the space invader section was there a grown up mode you never found? After my update it was set in moped mode and did the same ending around 9500 with flashing garbage everywhere. But then I found the change lights and another let it rev out properly feature. Massive difference.

the honda bit was more fond memories/ aspirational… they make so few bikes you'd want even if they gave them out for free.... what a mistake !

 

[Boxerlust]

Arsey like I said I have not ridden my friends bike but he said the ghost must be in it because sometimes it gives him "throttle" even if it is fully closed and nobody knows why...The 1290SDR could be a decent bike if they would turn it into a new RC8 and fix the frame...Stable or easy to steer but twitchy and slow steering as it is is the worst of both worlds.
Tannemann I have never ridden a RT so I can't commend but obviously you like the 17" front better than the 19" of the GS...But I still prefer the GS because a RT fairing would be way too hot in Kalifornia or Mexico.Great in England though where the weather is mostly cold and wet...
Botus the 2020 1290SDR I got to ride was set in the least intrusive mode where it gave most performance...I don't think it had the optional track package though.Like I said very powerful for a twin.But only between 7 & 10K rpm where it ran into the rev-limiter...hard...Compared to a 4 cylinder superbike it had lots of torque but was not as fast or felt as powerful...Not impressed by the handling at all...It cured the thoughts of a KTM for good.But the same top-end would be highly appreciated on a GS... On a KTM it is wasted because the frame can't make use of it.At least not on real roads we get to ride 90% of the time...
Merry Christmas to all of you !

 

[Boxerlust]

Botus as for aspirational bkes like you said there are very few left...I.M.H.O.
The best road bike(s) period are the 1250GS and the S1000XR if you want more top end and can live with a chain.Both still can be improved as the GS should have an exhaust that gives 2 full size bags and more top-end.
The XR should have had 1100 or 1200 ccm because the old one had more roll-on in the middle and sounded meaner.
For the track the M1000RR will be the new benchmark for 2021...
And if you want a relatively cheap and simple machine to take you around the world on a trip of a lifetime where bad pavement/off-road are part of the equation I would add the T-7 to that list...That is about it !
As a pit bike or something to take into the back of a camper the Grom 125 would fit the bill...
And of course if you live in a colder climate and you like to ride year around the new for 2021 upgraded 1250RT is a good tool to get the job done...A tourer that is pretty sporty for it's size & weight.
The rest are toys or a waste of time & money...sorry but no interest at all unless you are into Moto-X where KTM or the Japanese have some bikes worthy of consideration...

 

[snelly]

https://www.rapidtraining.co.uk/ as a sideline

When the fastest rd rider in the world drops in for a lesson you know your products good; Hickman;

 

[snelly]

Arsey , interesting video...Problem is all of these naked superbikes are useless for either Road or Track and let me explain you why...On the Track and upright bike has it's limitations.Not enough weight over the front to take advantage of all that power and no windprotection.On the road these bikes are useless because they are as impractical as superbikes without bags,centerstand or luggage rack.If you want a bike that has the same or even better track performance as these bikes featured but is also all day road comfortable and practical , get a S1000XR.
And for the track get a real superbike like the M1000RR... That bike you can still ride on the road with a huge mid-range and not a flat-spot bigger than a 600 like the new Fireblade has...
AS for the GS 1250...Of course on a track with long straights even the best rider can't make up in turns for what he looses with having only 136 hp on the straights...But on todays roads which often have less than perfect pavement that are twisty the GS is strong enough to beat all these bikes with it's TORQUE that is as strong as the KTM's but with a much better suspension (TELELEVER) and handling that is much quicker than the KTM's and still more stable and not as twitchy! Anyways all the GS needs is more power 17" wheels would be nice too but maybe not a must have anymore since Metzeler will make their excellent M9RR in GS sizes for 2021...
B.t.w. the Bennetts - Tester contradicted himself by saying the KTM was the best bike on the track and then 3 seconds slower than either Ducati and Aprilia and saying the handling is brilliant makes him ridiculous like anything you read in the fake-press...The power of the "Ready to Race" advertisement euro$$$... Plus he was not even hard on it and only plotting around...I stand by my words...The KTM's handling is shit...Twitchy at low speeds and lots of effort slow steering at higher speeds.These testers either don't have a clue or should be honest...As also it obviously does not matter on a naked bike with upright seating position if you have 170 Aprilia or 200 Ducati hp as the lectronics cuts it to keep the front wheel on the ground as the pretty much same lap-times of the Duc/Aprilia show...Only for the KTM this is not true because it is 3 seconds slower...Because of the brilliant handling
I like these comedy videos...
You have to ride the shit yourself if the dealers let you and then decide if you want to spend your hard earned coins on the latest and greatest or not...
I hope BMW gets the M1300GS right like they did the M1000RR !!!
Then you have a bike for Road & Track in a way the old R1100S was in it's day...But much better and more comfortable and practical !
Arsey if you & your friend are really up to the challenge and some fun fly into San Diego and I meet you guys there...A taxi-ride over the border to TJ is all you need...From there 1200GS-ADV LC will wait for you and Giles will have a excuse when he gets spanked since he was not on a 1250...
Fun & games...All good
Life is better in Baja...
Don't fear no whores...

Tell this guy a naked is no good to race; or you can't win on the track; seen who's behind him; another no mark eh;

 

[EKIMYRF]

The election is not over

You are a funny guy

 

[Nutty]

You are a funny guy

Says it all, doesn't it?

 

[Mr Derek]

You are a funny guy

Any excuse to revisit this.

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[BDG]

I knew it was somewhere, found your blog, that is where I know the bike from. The crash in the mud on the Altai mountains

Bloody hell, well done Sherlock Holmes finding that. That was one of many crashes over the 10,500 mile trip. That was certainly the dirtiest, I was minging, though the worst time was my helmet rolling off the bike and ending up in an open sewer in Uzbekistan. I still shudder at the thought now.

 

[Boxerlust]

Snelly are you saying the 40+ year old Kawasaki ahead of Sheene"s Suzuki handles better than a 2020 1290SDR...
Who is that guy on the Kawasaki ?
Maybe it is time in order to differentiate things and make things more interesting again to either make One series out of MotoGP/WSBK as the lap-times are virtually identical anyways and the factories/consumer won't have more money once the scamdemic is declared over or make WSBK again what it was / no fairing & handlebars...to differentiate things.Remember the first superbike champion was Pridmore on a R90s !

 

[stick]

Christ .................all quite on the front .................................

 

[Arsey]

Christ .................all quite on the front .................................

#STFU138

 

[stick]

#STFU138

Opps .......

 

[botus]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graeme_Crosby

proper bikers with real controls!

not half sized 3 year old's sitting on remote controlled toys. Imagine the carnage if Marquez was actually allowed to open the throttle? He probably wouldn't make it off the start line (and would be 100 m further back from where Lorenzo ended his career?).

Anyone remember one of Rossi's last good results? The unridable understeering disaster of Michelins were secretly swapped out on his for some decent Dunlop's, Rossi was "so" competitive (in an "all Michelin race series") they reneged on the deal to let him use proper tyres for the season, and he hasn't been near the front for 4 or more years

Tell this guy a naked is no good to race; or you can't win on the track; seen who's behind him; another no mark eh;

 

[Boxerlust]

We still don't know who that guy riding the KZ1000 in front of Sheenes RG500 is...And what race that was ?

 

[Boxerlust]

Craeme Crosby from NZ ? What kind of race class ?

 

[stanley]

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

 

[dean0n0]

Craeme Crosby from NZ ? What kind of race class ?

I'd go with unlimited.

 

[Boxerlust]

Thanks for the answer...Let the good times roll...