Naked Superbike Comparison Test
Three naked superbikes go into the cage. Only one comes out.
From Cycle World Magazine
KTM 1290 Super Duke R
An exciting trend is gaining traction, a movement owed much to the fat, smoking burnout laid down by the Cycle World Ten Best winning Aprilia Tuono V4 R APRC ABS. Rumors of gnarly nakeds from multiple manufacturers have been brewing ever since the Italian brand raised the stakes with the debut of its RSV4-based super standard two years ago. Speculate no more, as this is the year of the naked, complete with all-new superbike standards leading the way.
Distilling this year’s bumper crop of top contenders has given us three very different engine configurations driving a common theme: red-hot performance tempered with a bit of real-world refinement and comfort.
Entering the cage for a heads-up bout with Aprilia’s 1,000cc V-4 is the inline-four-powered BMW S1000R and a booming 1,301cc V-twin KTM 1290 Super Duke R. Our combatants all weigh within 20 pounds of one another and produce about 150 rear-wheel horsepower. Each features comprehensive electronic rider aids with selectable power delivery modes, traction control, wheelie control, and sport-oriented ABS. BMW takes this a step further with cruise control and suspension featuring DDC (Dynamic Damping Control).
While each bike here packs a knockout punch and enough kicks to go around, there’s no split decision when it comes to title fights in Ten Best balloting. With this in mind, we planned a real-world test route full of mean streets and high mountain passes.