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The Beast Gets Upgraded with the 2020 KTM 1290 Super Duke R

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They call it The Beast, and for good reason, because the KTM 1290 Super Duke is a v-twin monster for the street, and now for the 2020 model year, it is getting even more beastly as it just debuted at EICMA.

Instead of giving the KTM 1290 Super Duke R a ridiculous top power figure (peak horsepwoer remains at 177hp (132 kW), the Austrians focused on coaxing more tire-shredding torque from the Super Duke R. As such, a whopping 103 lbs•ft (140 Nm) of torque is on tap at 8,000 rpm.

The changes for 2020 don’t stop there though, as a new chassis has been thrown into the mix, which is closely based off what was seen on the KTM RC8 superbike. The Beast even loses weight in the process, with a claimed 416 lbs (189kg) when dry.

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Rumors

KTM Gives Us the Full Monty on the Super Duke R

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The EICMA show in Milan is just a few days away now, which means that the big brands are reaching the zenith in their teasing for next year’s motorcycle models. Of course, this includes KTM.

We have already been teased the KTM 1290 Super Duke R ad nauseam, and today is no different in that regard. But…we do finally get to see the Super Duke R prototype in all its glory.

Other than seeing more clearly how KTM has built a new steel trellis frame (modeled after the one found on the RC8 superbike), the obvious use of WP Suspension’s top-spec forks and shock, and how the bodywork will come together (note the winglets hidden by the front shrouds), there aren’t too many surprises.

Still, we think KTM has a done a good job on this model refresh, and we can now finally appreciate it a little bit better than before, hence why we are sharing it with you.

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Rumors

A Better Look at the KTM 1290 Super Duke R Prototype

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The orange hype machine continues for the upcoming KTM 1290 Super Duke R, as the Austrians have finally given us a decent look at the next iteration of their streetf-ighting superbike.

From the video teaser, it looks like KTM will go the “prototype” route once again with the Super Duke R, teasing “The Beast” in not-for-production form factor, and this is troubling for several reasons.

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MotoGP

KTM Completes Its 2020 MotoGP Lineup: Brad Binder to Factory Team, Iker Lecuona to Tech3

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KTM has finally found a solution to its rider lineup problem for 2020.

Yesterday, the Austrian factory announced that they will be taking Brad Binder directly into the factory Red Bull KTM team, to race alongside Pol Espargaro, while they have signed Iker Lecuona to race in the Red Bull KTM Tech3 satellite squad opposite Miguel Oliveira.

This is something of a shake up to KTM’s original plans, caused by the early departure of Johann Zarco.

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Rumors

Are Winglets Coming to the New KTM 1290 Super Duke R?

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Not to be outdone by Ducati’s upcoming Streetfighter V4, the folks in Austria are gearing up to revise their highly acclaimed KTM 1290 Super Duke R.

As before, “Beast 2.0” gets teased to us with a variety of quick-cuts in a video, though each of them gives us a glimpse of what is to come from Mattighofen.

What we don’t see though is the spec-sheet, and that is where the new battle in the streetfighter segment is going to be waged.

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MotoGP

Johann Zarco Set to Replace Takaaki Nakagami for the Final Three MotoGP Races of 2019

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Johann Zarco is set to replace Takaaki Nakagami for the final three races of 2019, and race the 2018-spec Honda RC213V for the Idemitsu LCR Honda team.

The news was first broken by Oriol Puigdemont of Motorsport.com, and though nobody contacted by us would comment on the news, it was later confirmed by Zarco to Thomas Baujard of the French publication Moto Journal.

The reason for the switch, according to Motorsport.com, is that Nakagami has been struggling with shoulder problems similar to those suffered by Marc Márquez, whose shoulder kept dislocating.

Nakagami is considering the same surgery as Márquez to rectify the problem, and based on the length of time Márquez took to recover from surgery, is looking at having surgery in October, rather than December, in the hope of getting a head start on rehabilitating the shoulder.

As a result, Nakagami would ride only his home Grand Prix at Motegi in Japan, before having surgery done.

This would leave Lucio Cecchinello’s LCR Honda team in need of a replacement rider. With Johann Zarco currently out of a job, after being released by KTM after Misano, Zarco would be the ideal replacement for the Japanese rider.

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Rumors

KTM Begins Teasing a New 1290 Super Duke R for EICMA

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We know it is coming, a new KTM 1290 Super Duke R for the 2020 model year, but just in case there was any doubt, the Austrians have begun teasing their new “Beast” ahead of its EICMA show debut.

The news comes from a short teaser video, which shows a number of KTM technicians building a motorcycle. With the title and hashtag “#GETDUKED” being shown, the possibilities for the model are quite small.

And, if we scrub through the frames, we can see numerous hints that the bike in question is a high-spec motorcycle, with a single-sided swingarm. The steel trellis frame looks exactly like the one spotted in spy photos of the new Super Duker R.

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Rumors

Report: KTM Is Readying Five 490cc Motorcycles

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A little over 10 months ago, we brought you the first news about KTM’s planned mid-sized lineup, with KTM CEO Stefan Pierer spilling the beans that his company was working on a new 500cc twin-cylinder platform.

Now it seems, the first of these “490” models is getting close to prime time, and we can expect five motorcycles in total to come from this new parallel-twin lineup.

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News

KTM Takes Over GasGas – Purchases 60% of Shares

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Remember that day when KTM bought a struggling dirt bike brand? No, we’re not talking about Husqvarna again, because today Stefan Pierer and his team acquired 60% of the shares of Spanish dirt bike marque GasGas.

The acquisition is actually an interesting one between KTM and GasGas’s owner, Black Toro Capital, as it sees the Austrian conglomerate “partnering” with its Spanish counterpart, primarily on electric dirt bikes.

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MotoGP

Johann Zarco Booted from KTM for Rest of the MotoGP Season

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KTM has decided to replace Johann Zarco effective immediately. From Aragon until the end of 2019, current KTM test rider Mika Kallio will take the place of the Frenchman in the factory Red Bull KTM team.

Though the decision comes as a surprise to the outside world, it makes sense from the perspective of KTM. Zarco has announced his intention to leave at the end of the season, and given his options are limited for 2020, is looking at becoming a test rider, and has been linked to a possible vacancy at Yamaha.

With so much work happening on the KTM RC16, and a constant flow of new parts in the garage, KTM has decided it is better to have test rider Mika Kallio on the bike than keeping Johann Zarco.

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