KTM Super Duke

[nhgunnut]

OK for anyone asking themselves "is it worth the trouble to go up to Laconia. The test ride on the KTM 990 Super Duke made every second of the trip up and back worth it. This thing is hot. While none of us got to wring it out on the highway we did get to tear up some side roads around the area. One of the first things that has to be acknowledged is that I am not as good as the bike is. That said the perfect combination of drive train chassis and brakes let me do things with a bike that I haven't done on anything bigger than a 125 and that was in the dirt. In one instance through a missed signal during a driving rain, I found myself over braking the rear wheel and just rolling the throttle on to "power slide" it back into position. This is not the fastest twin I have ridden but it is god awful quick, The chassis is great, it handled every surface extremely well and the riding position seems slightly higher than the Monster. Brakes are great with out over complication and the set is actually quite comfortable (hey anyone at Ducati listening?) The only downside is NO wind deflection. (I know it is a Naked after all) Oh and the price $14500 which puts it right in there with the S4RS (that is also the only real comparison point in performance as well) and it would be a tough call for me if I were ready to drop that kind of change. But make no mistake this KTM is clearly near the top of the heap with the Nakeds and with out that pricey vavl adjustment that some of its Italian competitors have.