Everything KTM thread

I use the quick shifter all the time - the one on the Speedie is so smooth and blips just enough on the downshift.

ABS and TC I wouldn't be without - both have saved me embarrassment if not much more. Cruise control is handy for long motorway slogs, but I don't have many of those, and traffic in this country means you've to constantly monitor it, but it's nice to give your right hand a break on a journey. Lane assist and rader CC I wouldn't trust...still got to be alert and do your own checks anyway.
 
It's horses for courses. I wouldn't want all the electronics on my DR-Z or the CCM but on Multi yes as my riding skills are perhaps not as refined as those of better riders.
 
When you are overloaded with luggage and a pillion you need both feet down; Hill hold can be very useful (admittedly not often).
I suppose - if you're in the habit of putting your right foot down at stops. I was taught always to touch down with the left foot only and leave the right covering the rear brake. I can flat foot the 1190 no problem with just my left without the bike tipping past the vertical because the bike fits me (or I fit the bike). Even when it's loaded up to the gunwales with luggage - which doesn't really happen anymore. Admittedly I can se it being useful for people who are on tiptoe on big adventure bikes but I'd question whether they've bought bikes that are too big for them. You see that quite a lot actually at bike stops - people paddling about on tippy-toe barely able to touch the ground and I think to myself, it's only a matter of time..
Did see a quite short bloke drop his V-Strom at a bike stop. he was too small for it and he came to a stop next to a drop-off at the edge of the tarmac and he couldn't find the ground with his foot before the bike had gone past the point of no return.
 
It's horses for courses. I wouldn't want all the electronics on my DR-Z or the CCM but on Multi yes as my riding skills are perhaps not as refined as those of better riders.
All this gizmo-try has its uses in certain circumstances but it's reaching the point where the accepted wisdom among manufacturers and legislators is that bikes are unsafe and unrideable without them, which isn't true and is laying the groundwork for a nanny's charter where it will be illegal to ride or sell bikes without them.
It should be possible to have this stuff as optional packs with buyers free to choose a premium model (ie, one with the top spec suspension and brakes) with nothing more than TC and ABS. And those you should be able to switch off and have them stay off if you want.
 
I use the quick shifter all the time - the one on the Speedie is so smooth and blips just enough on the downshift.

ABS and TC I wouldn't be without - both have saved me embarrassment if not much more. Cruise control is handy for long motorway slogs, but I don't have many of those, and traffic in this country means you've to constantly monitor it, but it's nice to give your right hand a break on a journey. Lane assist and rader CC I wouldn't trust...still got to be alert and do your own checks anyway.
I've heard that the 1200 Speedie's QS is pretty good. The Diavel's was rubbish and didn't down-shift reliably which felt like mechanical abuse so I turned it off in settings. Personally I've never felt the need for one but each to their own.

Wandering from the point for a minute, I looked at a few Speedies over the weekend. A couple of 148bhp 1050's and a couple of 1200's, one 2022 the other the latest 2025 onwards one with the electric Ohlins.
I'm not in a position to buy any of them but post-Diavel I want a true all-rounder that will do as an only bike. The 1050's I have to admit felt a little fat and lardy and the seat was too short. I had an 2013 Speedie back in the day and I remember I found the seat was uncomfortable and lacked wriggle room.
The 1200 felt vastly better. The seat was much longer and didn't squash me up against the tank and the whole bike felt slimmer and lighter and I was sat on the bike rather than buried down inside it, which I much prefer. I also think the 1200 looks much better, especially the black one with the red RS motif on the tank. Fab.

I've concluded that the next bike I'm going to get when I get my finances in order is a used 2025 onwards 1200 with the semi-active Ohlins. The older one will be way too stiffly sprung for the nadgery bumpy roads I ride and I just know it will annoy me. But the latest one could just be my Goldilocks bike. But a used one starts at 15K at the moment which isn't an option. Hopefully they'll be a few more on the market over the next 12 months and the prices will come down a bit.
 
All this gizmo-try has its uses in certain circumstances but it's reaching the point where the accepted wisdom among manufacturers and legislators is that bikes are unsafe and unrideable without them, which isn't true and is laying the groundwork for a nanny's charter where it will be illegal to ride or sell bikes without them.
It should be possible to have this stuff as optional packs with buyers free to choose a premium model (ie, one with the top spec suspension and brakes) with nothing more than TC and ABS. And those you should be able to switch off and have them stay off if you want.

'Tis the way of the world.

In nature, things only survive if they use their instincts. Humans are the only species who sub their thinking out to others they deem more qualified.

With each generation you can see human instinct being eroded at an unbelievably fast rate. Convid was the perfect example - the number of people who blindly trusted governments, pharmaco and doctors (three entities that history, let alone instincts tell us can't be trusted; governments lie constantly; pharmacos profit from illness and not curing; doctors repeat what pharmacos tell them) when if they had any thoughts of their own, their instincts should have been screaming 'these products obviously haven't had ANY long term testing' but took the jabs anyway - for something they were told had a 99+% survival rate.

The powers that be will know their work is complete when humans lose the power of thought altogether.
 
'Tis the way of the world.

In nature, things only survive if they use their instincts. Humans are the only species who sub their thinking out to others they deem more qualified.

With each generation you can see human instinct being eroded at an unbelievably fast rate. Convid was the perfect example - the number of people who blindly trusted governments, pharmaco and doctors (three entities that history, let alone instincts tell us can't be trusted; governments lie constantly; pharmacos profit from illness and not curing; doctors repeat what pharmacos tell them) when if they had any thoughts of their own, their instincts should have been screaming 'these products obviously haven't had ANY long term testing' but took the jabs anyway - for something they were told had a 99+% survival rate.

The powers that be will know their work is complete when humans lose the power of thought altogether.
Throw in the internet and AI and the end game is within sight. Reverse evolution.
 
I've heard that the 1200 Speedie's QS is pretty good. The Diavel's was rubbish and didn't down-shift reliably which felt like mechanical abuse so I turned it off in settings. Personally I've never felt the need for one but each to their own.

Wandering from the point for a minute, I looked at a few Speedies over the weekend. A couple of 148bhp 1050's and a couple of 1200's, one 2022 the other the latest 2025 onwards one with the electric Ohlins.
I'm not in a position to buy any of them but post-Diavel I want a true all-rounder that will do as an only bike. The 1050's I have to admit felt a little fat and lardy and the seat was too short. I had an 2013 Speedie back in the day and I remember I found the seat was uncomfortable and lacked wriggle room.
The 1200 felt vastly better. The seat was much longer and didn't squash me up against the tank and the whole bike felt slimmer and lighter and I was sat on the bike rather than buried down inside it, which I much prefer. I also think the 1200 looks much better, especially the black one with the red RS motif on the tank. Fab.

I've concluded that the next bike I'm going to get when I get my finances in order is a used 2025 onwards 1200 with the semi-active Ohlins. The older one will be way too stiffly sprung for the nadgery bumpy roads I ride and I just know it will annoy me. But the latest one could just be my Goldilocks bike. But a used one starts at 15K at the moment which isn't an option. Hopefully they'll be a few more on the market over the next 12 months and the prices will come down a bit.

I'd like to try the newer model with the semi active Ohlins for comparison.

A word on the seat - mine's fine if I've got leather pants on, but with my all weather pants I slide under braking and have to account for it so I don't crush my nuts. I'm thinking of getting it recovered over winter.

When I bought mine it was ex-demo, about 5 month old with 400 miles or so and about £600 of optional kit (engine protection; heated grips; Audi style indicators...couple of other bits. The list with the bits was £16200 and I paid £12995 including the first service which I thought was a decent deal.
 
I'd like to try the newer model with the semi active Ohlins for comparison.

A word on the seat - mine's fine if I've got leather pants on, but with my all weather pants I slide under braking and have to account for it so I don't crush my nuts. I'm thinking of getting it recovered over winter.

When I bought mine it was ex-demo, about 5 month old with 400 miles or so and about £600 of optional kit (engine protection; heated grips; Audi style indicators...couple of other bits. The list with the bits was £16200 and I paid £12995 including the first service which I thought was a decent deal.
I'll have to ride one first. My instinct is I will need the semi-active suspension. One of the reasons I moved on my old gen 1 1290 Superduke was I got fed up with being kicked out of the seat on the moorland roads where I like to ride. And the 1200 Speedie will be stiffer and more focused that. The old gen SDRs were pretty loose.. I rode a 765 Street Triple when they first came out and it was as stiff as a board.
I watched the MCN vlog review yesterday of first gen 1200 from back in 2022 and Neevsie concluded it was best as a track bike. He reckoned if you never ride on track you'd be better off with the outgoing 148 bhp 1050 as an all-round road bike. TBH 148 bhp is probably enough for general road riding. You'll use more of the power for more of the time which makes for a more fun and engaging ride. But I just couldn't get past the girth of the thing and that cramped riding position. the 1200 felt so much better. I imagine the triple engine is extremely tractable and smooth, mush more so than a Superduke, which makes 180 bhp more usable on the road without feeling you're constantly having to rein the bike in. At least that's my theory...

I imagine there must be a grippy alcantara seat cover available somewhere for the 1200. I have the same problem with my 1098 SF. OK in leathers (if they're not too shiny) but in jeans if you loosen your knees on the tank to hang off or just shift your weight slightly you're skating about like you're on an ice rink. It's not a nut crusher but if you're using weight shifting in the bends you want your arse to stay where you've put it.
 
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I'll have to ride one first. My instinct is I will need the semi-active suspension. One of the reasons I moved on my old gen 1 1290 Superduke was I got fed up with being kicked out of the seat on the moorland roads where I like to ride. And the 1200 Speedie will be stiffer and more focused that. The old gen SDRs were pretty loose.. I rode a 765 Street Triple when they first came out and it was as stiff as a board.
I watched the MCN vlog review yesterday of first gen 1200 from back in 2022 and Neevsie concluded it was best as a track bike. He reckoned if you never ride on track you'd be better off with the outgoing 148 bhp 1050 as an all-round road bike. TBH 148 bhp is probably enough for general road riding. You'll use more of the power for more of the time which makes for a more fun and engaging ride. But I just couldn't get past the girth of the thing and that cramped riding position. the 1200 felt so much better. I imagine the triple engine is extremely tractable and smooth, mush more so than a Superduke, which makes 180 bhp more usable on the road without feeling you're constantly having to rein the bike in. At least that's my theory...

I imagine there must be a grippy alcantara seat cover available somewhere for the 1200. I have the same problem with my 1098 SF. OK in leathers (if they're not too shiny) but in jeans if you loosen your knees on the tank to hang off or just shift your weight slightly you're skating about like you're on an ice rink. It's not a nut crusher but if you're using weight shifting in the bends you want your arse to stay where you've put it.

The first 1200s got slated for being too firm and I think they soon dialed them back a bit to make them more road friendly, but not much. Weirdly the 1200 RR had the semi auto Ohlins from the start and got good reviews for it. It seems daft they fit it to that which would be the more track focused bike, and didn't bother on the RS until the latest generation.
 
The first 1200s got slated for being too firm and I think they soon dialed them back a bit to make them more road friendly, but not much. Weirdly the 1200 RR had the semi auto Ohlins from the start and got good reviews for it. It seems daft they fit it to that which would be the more track focused bike, and didn't bother on the RS until the latest generation.
Yes they got the suspension spec the wrong way round with the RS and the RR. The latter was set up as a sports bike, the former as a road going supernaked. Why they did it like that I've no idea. I wondered about an RR with risers for the clip-ons but I think the bars would then foul on the screen. And if you're more upright the air off the screen might be battering you round the head. Decided it was a rabbit hole not worth going down.
I kind of like the looks of the RR though. A gentleman's sports bike for the road.
 
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New KTM 1390 Super Duke GT finally expected in early 2027 following production delays​


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