KTM 1290 Super Duke GT – First Look

Need to go big places, fast? KTM’s got just the answer with its 2022 1290 Super Duke GT.

For the first time since 2018, the KTM Super Duke GT will be getting a workover to bring it into line with the 1290 Super Duke R that got upgraded last year.

The GT has quietly flown the long-distance sport touring flag over the last four years but it’s safe to say it hasn’t been the roaring success KTM hoped it would be. That’s despite it being, in our opinion, one of the finest machines available today for high speed, high distance travel.

For 2022, the GT’s motor remains largely unchanged but it’s been Euro-5’d, so a new exhaust is the most obvious change you’ll notice. KTM still claims a stout 175 hp and 103 lb-ft of torque from their 1301 cc L-twin, which puts it on par with almost everyone else you can think of bar Kawasaki’s supercharged H2 SX SE.

What’s new are the wheels, which have been lifted straight off the 2021 Super Duke and come in at a claimed 2.2 lb lighter for better turning, cornering and braking performance via less unsprung weight. These attach to the WP APEX semi-active suspension from the Super Duke EVO that uses a setting that should be familiar to BMW riders out there in the Rider/Rider and Pillion/Rider and Luggage or Rider, Pillion and Luggage.

The suspension and everything else for that matter are accessed via the new seven inch TFT (seven inches!), which uses a new navigation system called Turn-by-turn PLUS via the KTM Connect app, powered by Sygic. The TBT+ system can also operate offline, so if you don’t have cell service you’ll still be able to figure out how to get home, and it lets you select one of your pre-saved destinations directly from the TFT dash.

As for the hardware, the gas tank is six gallons to allow for massive fuel mileage from the 1301 cc twin, and the styling has been slightly sharpened with a new light taken from the Super Duke, revised orange and grey colors and new Brembo Stylema four-piston calipers.

The big question is, will we see this KTM 1290 Super Duke in the USA next year?

Don’t bet on it, as KTM, like a few manufacturers, has been a year behind the rest of the world when it comes to a few choice model releases. We could be wrong but bet on a 2023 release.

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