There’s a lot to admire about the 2022 KTM 1290 Super Duke R Evo. The Super Duke is the flagship model of the Austrian manufacturer’s popular naked bike lineup and packs a ton of performance.
Powering the 2022 Super Duke R Evo is the latest iteration of KTM’s mighty LC8 powerplant, which was last updated for the 2020 model year to meet tightening emissions standards. The liquid-cooled 1,301cc 75-degree V-twin is a monster, producing the most power publicly available to KTM customers and managed by the latest electronic rider-aid suite.
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We ran the 1290 Super Duke R Evo on our in-house Dynojet 250i dynamometer as a key step in our first ride review of the updated model. The KTM produced an impressive peak horsepower of 161.12 at 10,100 rpm and 92.98 pound-feet of torque at 8,340 rpm. It has an incredible midrange power delivery, with over 100 hp and 80-pound feet of torque available from around the 6,000 rpm mark. A relatively flat torque curve makes for a tractable and flexible engineer characteristic at low-to-mid revs, but hits hard in the higher rpm without much convincing. The Super Duke is known for its ripping wheelies, isn’t it?
As a vital part of Cycle World’s testing routine, we ran the 1290 Super Duke R Evo on our in-house dyno, recording horsepower and torque figures.
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