KTM 1390 Super Duke R Description.
2024 KTM 1390 SUPER DUKE R
IN STOCK NOW AT WIGAN KTM
Wigan Motorcycles is your KTM dealer covering the Northwest of the UK.Come to the dealer that has the stock that offers the full range of accessories, a large demo fleet plus we have a buy online facility and offer a nationwide delivery service OR MESSAGE US ON WHATSAPP ON 07862 833675
Getting another 11hp from the KTM LC8 V-twin engine for the 1390 Super Duke R wasn’t straightforward. KTM quotes 190hp but with slightly wimpier European horses, equivalent to 188 of the brawny imperial versions we tend to use here. Either way, the bike makes 140kW in metric measurements and getting there required more than just another few cubic-centimetres, so the company has also added a cam-shifting system that swaps between two profiles – changing the amount of valve lift at different revs.
Although the move from ‘1290’ to ‘1390’ suggests you’re getting another 100cc, that’s not quite true. The old engine actually measured in at 1301cc and the new one is 1350cc, giving an increase of only 49cc. It’s achieved by bumping up the bore from 108mm to 110mm while retaining the existing crankshaft’s 71mm stroke – a much less extreme set of changes than those needed to transform the old 890 Duke to 2024’s 990 Duke, which essentially meant a complete engine redesign.
KTM hasn’t provided a lot of detail about its ‘all-new cam shift’ system, simply saying it’s ‘integrated into the cylinder heads and allows for two separate valve lifts depending on the rpm range.’ That essentially sounds like a VTEC-style arrangement, switching from a mild cam lobe to a hairier one as revs rise.
The peak power arrives at 10,000rpm, 500rpm higher than the old 1290 engine’s 177hp maximum, at max torque is 145Nm (107lb-ft) at 8,000rpm, compared to 140Nm (103.3lb-ft) at the same engine speed for the previous engine.
The engine changes, and notably the cam shift system, mean the new engine is heavier than the old one, and since KTM has gone to some lengths to save kilos elsewhere on the bike it’s probably the main reason behind the 2kg kerb weight increase over the 1290 Super Duke R. It’s worth noting that KTM mentions several weight-saving measures in its press kit for the new bike, but at no point actually quotes its weight – so we’re using the figure from the bike’s type-approval paperwork.
However, for road use 2kg is neither here nor there, and will be more than offset by the extra power and torque.
Impressively, the new bike’s engine, as well as meeting the latest Euro5+ emissions targets, has longer service intervals than its predecessor and doesn’t need a valve clearance check until 60,000km (37,000 miles).
