[cycleworld.com] - KTM Goes Big With the 1390 Super Duke R Evo for 2024

[Ninjette Newsbot]

The Austrians added 49cc and 11 hp to the 2024 KTM 1390 Super Duke R Evo naked bike.

Click here to view on their site.


KTM adds 49cc and 11 hp to the new 1390 Super Duke R Evo. (KTM/)Word of KTM’s plans for a “1390? engine first emerged earlier this year and now the first bike in the company’s 1390 range has been unleashed in the form of the 2024 Super Duke R Evo.

Don’t put too much into the “1390? name, which matches KTM’s tradition of ending titles with “90? rather than reflecting the exact capacity. The new engine actually measures 1,350cc, and since the existing “1290? is really a 1,301cc V-twin, the increase is a modest 49cc, achieved via a 2mm (0.08 inch) increase in bore, up from 108mm (4.25 inches) to 110mm (4.33 inches), while retaining the previous 71mm (2.8 inches) stroke. As such, speculation that KTM might be joining Ducati, BMW, and MV Agusta in the rarified ranks of brands offering 200-plus horsepower naked bikes is wide of the mark, though the 1390?s actual output of 188 hp at 10,000 rpm is still an 11 hp boost over its predecessor, impressive for such a small capacity hike.

The big power rise can be attributed in part to a new cam-shift system—not dissimilar to BMW’s ShiftCam setup—that allows the engine to switch between two inlet cam profiles in different parts of the rev range. That modification means the cylinder heads are completely new, and KTM has also taken that opportunity to make changes that increase the engine’s service intervals, with valve clearance checks not due until 60,000 kilometers (37,000 miles).

Other engine changes include a new airbox with shorter intake stacks plus stubbier, wider throttle bodies—up from 56mm to 60mm in diameter—with repositioned top-feed injectors that improve the atomization of fuel. It’s a change that’s indicative of prioritizing power and rpm gains over torque, reflected in the fact that the power peak is 500 rpm higher than the old 1290?s, and the maximum torque rises by only 3.7 lb.-ft. to 107 lb.-ft. The engine drives through the same transmission as before, albeit with revised ratios to suit the new performance curves.

Related: What’s to love about the KTM 1290 Super Duke R Evo?


New cylinder heads house a new cam-shift valve train that has two inlet camshaft profiles. (KTM/)The engine might be new, but the steel tube chassis is a carryover from the 1290 Super Duke R, albeit with revisions to the suspension. The 1390 Super Duke R Evo uses WP’s Semi-Active Technology (SAT) suspension front and rear. This includes variable damping controlled by a dedicated computer, adjusted via magnetic valves for instant responses to riding style or road surface. There are up to seven modes available. Five are standard (Auto, Comfort, Rain, Street, and Sport) while another two, Track and Pro, are unlocked with the addition of the Suspension Pro option pack.

Suspension Pro also includes an anti-dive feature that stiffens the front end under braking, automatic rear preload adjustment based on the bike’s load and three height settings (standard, low, and high) to tweak the geometry. A new addition is the MotoGP-inspired “Factory Start” function, which mimics the ride height gadgets of GP bikes to lower the rear end when you come to a standstill. As well as making it easier to get a foot on the floor, the lower back end drops the center of gravity and increases load on the rear wheel to boost grip and minimize wheelies as you get off the line, returning to your preset ride height once on the move.

Outside the US market there’s also a base 1390 Super Duke R that gets updated 48mm WP Apex fork, adjustable for compression, rebound, and preload, along with a WP Apex piggyback monoshock including separate high- and low-speed compression damping adjusters, but it lacks the Evo’s semi-active abilities.


The US only gets the Evo model with semi-active WP suspension. (KTM/)Brembo still provides the brakes—Stylema front calipers on 320mm discs, plus a 240mm rear disc and twin-piston caliper—and adds an adjustable MCS master cylinder to the mix in 2024, along with a Brembo clutch master cylinder with a self-venting system that ends the need to bleed the hydraulics. As before, there’s a 5-inch TFT dash, but with new graphics and a revised menu structure for 2024 along with tire pressure monitoring that’s updated so it can now be paired with a second set of wheels and adjusted to allow custom tire pressures for track use.

Related: The 2024 KTM 1390 SUPER DUKE R - NAKED AND UNASHAMED


Styling has been sharpened on the 1390 Super Duke R Evo. (KTM/)The styling takes the angular look that’s familiar from the 1290 Super Duke R and sharpens it even more, most notably with a new front sporting KTM’s latest family look. We’ve already seen the new 990 Duke adopt this style, with “floating” elements on either side of the main headlights to carry the running lights. Pretty? Nope. Distinctive? Absolutely.

There are more subtle changes throughout the bodywork, including a new, larger fuel tank—increased from 4.2 to 4.6 gallons—flanked by redesigned side panels with built-in winglets that help reduce front-end lift. The indicators are shifted to a new spot just above the bars, built into the rear face of the instrument panel, and the brake light is shifted from the tail unit to the license plate bracket. Although these changes help reduce weight—the new headlight alone is more than 1.5 pounds lighter than the old version—they can’t quite offset the additional mass of the larger fuel tank and the revised engine, bringing the homologated weight of the new model to around 4 pounds more than its predecessor at 467 pounds including fuel.

Pricing is set at $21,499.


MSRP for the 2024 Super Duke R Evo is $21,499. Of course this accessorized track-ready example will lighten the wallet even more. (KTM/)2024 KTM 1390 Super Duke R Evo Specs

MSRP:$21,499Engine:DOHC, liquid-cooled, four-stroke 75-degree V-twin; 8 valves/cyl.Displacement:1,350ccBore x Stroke:110.0 x 71.0mmCompression Ratio:TBATransmission/Final Drive:6-speed/chainClaimed Horsepower:188 hp @ 10,000 rpmClaimed Measured Torque:107 lb.-ft. @ 8,300 rpmFuel System:EFI w/ 60mm throttle bodies, ride-by-wireClutch:Wet, PASC slipper; hydraulic actuationEngine Management/Ignition:Keihin EMS/dual-spark ignitionFrame:Tubular chromoly steelFront Suspension:48mm WP Apex SAT inverted fork, electronically adjustable; 4.9 in. travelRear Suspension:WP Apex SAT shock, electronically adjustable; 5.5 in. travelFront Brake:Brembo Stylema 4-piston Monoblock caliper, 320mm floating discs w/ Bosch ABSRear Brake:2-piston caliper, 240mm disc w/ Bosch ABSWheels, Front/Rear:Cast aluminum; 17 x 3.50 in. / 17 x 6.00 in.Tires, Front/Rear:Michelin Power GP; 120/70-17 / 200/55-17Rake/Trail:24.7°/NAWheelbase:58.7 in.Ground Clearance:5.9 in.Seat Height:32.8 in.Fuel Capacity:4.6 gal.Claimed Wet Weight:467 lb.Contact:ktm.com