Ed Fox
Member
Indian FTR 1200 s vs. KTM 1290r Super Duke
Two somewhat similar bikes with different personalities.
I’ve been a “Performance Based” rider for many years. I started in the 70’s with Kawasaki 2 strokes, then with many different inline four cylinder bikes over the last 40 years with a few V twins and V fours thrown in. I liked most of them, loved some of them and dislikes a few of them. I’m 60 now and I still enjoy riding aggressively with my friends on the weekends and doing a few track days a year, but I’m happier on a bike that is not a full-on race machine these days.
I’ve had a Super Duke since 2015 and I love it. It is a bike that gives confidence to everyone I know who has ridden one. It has a high strung V twin that with a pipe and a dyno tune delivers 160 HP at the rear wheel. It is upright and comfortable on 300 mile rides but aggressive enough to blast around the track. Its power band is not completely linear though. It is unhappy until you get it over 4500 rpm’s then it pulls hard until you bounce it of the rev limiter at around 8500 rpm’s. It does many things well but in my opinion, it lacks character in some ways. I’m not in love with its styling. The first time I saw one it reminded me of a plastic power tool. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure many people love its looks. I’m just not crazy about the sharp angles, lightening bolt like graphics and the neon orange color KTM uses. The Super Duke is a great all-around street bike and not a bad track bike. (My Super Duke is a 1st generation. I’m sure there are many improvements to the current one).
I got my FTR s about a month ago and I love it. I love it for many of the same reasons I love the Super Duke. The two bikes have many similarities. Both have a big V twins, both have trellis frames, both deliver good handling and both are comfortable enough to ride long distances. The FTR’s motor is a stomping V twin that is as happy at High RPM’s as it is a Low RPM’s. It pulls well from 2500 RPM’s up to 4200 RPM’s then it pulls hard to 9000 RPM’s. The power band is long and even. It has a claimed 120 HP and I would say it’s all that and maybe a little more. The electronic dash and its integrated controls on the handle bars for scrolling through its functions and displays are hands down the best I’ve ever seen. It functions perfectly with my Android phone and my Sena head set. My favorite thing about the FTR is its styling. It is really a beautiful bike to look at. The color of the frame is exactly the same red as my older brother’s 1947 chief’s tank and fenders wear. It has dozens of little details that make it look like a vintage American motorcycle but at the same time it looks like a bike that can deliver high performance. It does have some flaws. The long wheel base (60”) puzzles me. It seems unnecessary. I’m sure they wanted the bike to be stable but my Hayabusa has a shorter wheelbase. As long as it is, it still turns in quick enough to be fun in the twisties and I have no problem keeping up with my friends on sport bikes. The other thing that bothers me is the 19” front wheel and 18” rear. It is difficult to find good rubber for those sizes (Pirelli Scorpion Trail II Dual Sport Tires are working out much better than the stock Dunlop’s). I understand that they wear trying to give the bike a classic look but I would have gone with 17” wheels anyway. All in all, I think the FTR has a rare balance of looks, performance and a type of soul rarely found in a modern motorcycle. It draws a crowd when I stop at the local bike spots and I enjoy just looking at it.
Two somewhat similar bikes with different personalities.
I’ve been a “Performance Based” rider for many years. I started in the 70’s with Kawasaki 2 strokes, then with many different inline four cylinder bikes over the last 40 years with a few V twins and V fours thrown in. I liked most of them, loved some of them and dislikes a few of them. I’m 60 now and I still enjoy riding aggressively with my friends on the weekends and doing a few track days a year, but I’m happier on a bike that is not a full-on race machine these days.
I’ve had a Super Duke since 2015 and I love it. It is a bike that gives confidence to everyone I know who has ridden one. It has a high strung V twin that with a pipe and a dyno tune delivers 160 HP at the rear wheel. It is upright and comfortable on 300 mile rides but aggressive enough to blast around the track. Its power band is not completely linear though. It is unhappy until you get it over 4500 rpm’s then it pulls hard until you bounce it of the rev limiter at around 8500 rpm’s. It does many things well but in my opinion, it lacks character in some ways. I’m not in love with its styling. The first time I saw one it reminded me of a plastic power tool. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure many people love its looks. I’m just not crazy about the sharp angles, lightening bolt like graphics and the neon orange color KTM uses. The Super Duke is a great all-around street bike and not a bad track bike. (My Super Duke is a 1st generation. I’m sure there are many improvements to the current one).
I got my FTR s about a month ago and I love it. I love it for many of the same reasons I love the Super Duke. The two bikes have many similarities. Both have a big V twins, both have trellis frames, both deliver good handling and both are comfortable enough to ride long distances. The FTR’s motor is a stomping V twin that is as happy at High RPM’s as it is a Low RPM’s. It pulls well from 2500 RPM’s up to 4200 RPM’s then it pulls hard to 9000 RPM’s. The power band is long and even. It has a claimed 120 HP and I would say it’s all that and maybe a little more. The electronic dash and its integrated controls on the handle bars for scrolling through its functions and displays are hands down the best I’ve ever seen. It functions perfectly with my Android phone and my Sena head set. My favorite thing about the FTR is its styling. It is really a beautiful bike to look at. The color of the frame is exactly the same red as my older brother’s 1947 chief’s tank and fenders wear. It has dozens of little details that make it look like a vintage American motorcycle but at the same time it looks like a bike that can deliver high performance. It does have some flaws. The long wheel base (60”) puzzles me. It seems unnecessary. I’m sure they wanted the bike to be stable but my Hayabusa has a shorter wheelbase. As long as it is, it still turns in quick enough to be fun in the twisties and I have no problem keeping up with my friends on sport bikes. The other thing that bothers me is the 19” front wheel and 18” rear. It is difficult to find good rubber for those sizes (Pirelli Scorpion Trail II Dual Sport Tires are working out much better than the stock Dunlop’s). I understand that they wear trying to give the bike a classic look but I would have gone with 17” wheels anyway. All in all, I think the FTR has a rare balance of looks, performance and a type of soul rarely found in a modern motorcycle. It draws a crowd when I stop at the local bike spots and I enjoy just looking at it.