Top Performance Mods For The KTM 1290 Super Duke R

If you haven't checked out Chris Fillmore's epic record-breaking win on a KTM 1290 Super Duke R at the 2017 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, go ahead and YouTube that now. A union of aggression and elegance, Fillmore bosses the Super Duke around the snaking mountain asphalt as he climbs toward oxygen-thinning heights and commands 180-degree bends whose shoulders disappear into the ether. He sticks his leg out supermoto style as he enters a corner, pushes the wide bars toward the earth, drags his knee at the apex, and then unleashes the KTM's torque in great organ-like bellows of exhaust and induction noise. Someone please take this man to the TT! The performance capabilities of KTM's mighty Super Duke R have never been in question, but watching it tear around Pikes Peak with such fury proves its mettle and codifies its legacy. If you're a Super Duke owner, you might think there's no such thing as excess. With that in mind, here are some of our favorite hop-up parts for a bike that doesn't really need any.

KTM Performance Pack ($476) and Track Pack ($300): In order to use the quickshifter on the Super Duke, you have to get KTM’s Performance Pack, a dealer-installed software package, that includes an up/down quickshifter, MSR (Motor Slip Regulation) that electronically controls the level of engine-braking, and Bluetooth connectivity. Also available is the Track Pack, which includes launch control, Traction Control adjustment, the option to disable anti-wheelie control, and engine map selection.

Rottweiler Performance Stage 5 Intake Kit: As used by Fillmore at Pike's Peak, Rottweiler's intake kit includes several upgrades over stock that can be purchased individually or as a bundle. First, a dome filter element and adapting hardware ($380) provides a more free-breathing system than the stock airbox. Next is the TVS-80 Velocity Stacks ($80 each), which feature 180-degree bell-mouth openings and an altered shape for smoother induction flow. On the digital side, a Dynojet Power Commander V ($380) optimizes fueling and enables ultimate adjustability. Rottweiler will even preload maps for its customers. Finally, the Auto Tune Dual Wide Band ($400) monitors the fuel mixture as you ride and relays information to the Power Commander for adjustment to each cylinder as necessary.

Akrapovic Full Exhaust ($2,550): Akrapovic’s titanium full exhaust system sheds approximately 13 pounds while adding nearly as much horsepower. Very nice.

KTM PowerParts Rearsets ($650): KTM's PowerParts catalog includes several nice pieces for the Super Duke, including these CNC-machined aluminum rearsets, which are adjustable to six positions to help the rider find the perfect position.

Rotobox Carbon-Fiber Wheels ($3,590): Rotobox is a relatively new name in the carbon wheels market. Its wheels are made of a carbon/epoxy/steel composite that’s cast in one piece for ultimate strength and light weight. Carbon wheels are expensive to manufacture but tend to be the lightest option available, and they don’t corrode like magnesium wheels. With a significant decrease in unsprung weight, the Super Duke will do practically everything quicker.