The 2014 KTM 1290 Super Duke R

Turns out the Trapp Family Singers aren't the only Austrian product worth hearing. Kronreif und Trunkenpolz, Mattighofen (KTM), an 80-year-old motorcycle manufacturer based two hours east of Munich is enjoying newfound influence and recently launched its biggest, baddest-sounding machine yet: the 1290 Super Duke R.

Light and lithe, the latest Super Duke features a narrow 1301cc DOHC 75-degree V-twin with amazing bandwidth. It's as happy slogging along at 4,000 rpm on State Street as it is lunging toward its 10,500-rpm redline on River Road. However, as with a Corvette Z06, there's no magical doorway you pass through on the way from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde—the transition from mild to wild is completely seamless and totally discretionary.

The Super Duke's design emphasizes its mechanical bits and features a stylized headlight, tank and seat. The payoff is comfort—without a typical sportbike's crouching bodywork, rider ergonomics are more upright and friendly. As such, the handlebar/seat/footpeg relationship is ideal for many different types of riding, from street to touring to mountain roads. Our main gripe is some engine torque pulsing felt in the pegs and (rather thin) seat in certain conditions. Click the six-speed sequential gearbox up or down a cog, though, and the issue mostly disappears.

Aggressive though it is, the KTM's “mass forward” styling is also functional. In general, lengthening the swingarm, shortening the engine package and nudging the weight forward helps motorcycles turn better. And the steel trellis frame, longish wheelbase, quick steering geometry and adjustable suspension deliver equal parts responsiveness and stability. If you don't like this sport bike, maybe you just don't like sport.

By John L. Stein