
I love birthday suit bikes. Naked, upright, and more often than not, very fast. They offer riders 88.7% of the experience a proper sport bike can provide, and won’t leave you with early-onset arthritis from riding to work every day. The wide handlebars and more relaxed rider triangle mean it’s not quite as quick around a racetrack, but I’ll trade seconds to save my wrists, lower back and hip flexors.
But naked bikes are still sport bikes, effectively. The 11.3% difference between the two and the experience you’ll have on either one is subject to a rider’s ability and their willingness to ride the thing to the ragged edge. For the record, I made up all that math, but it feels about right.
For 2026, KTM decided to add an additional ‘R’ to the already pirate-y Super Duke 1390 R, with the introduction of the… wait for it… Super Duke 1390 RR.
They are calling it the “most extreme evolution of KTM’s Hypernaked philosophy.”
The Austrian brand started with the already monstrous R iteration and managed to shed nearly 25 lbs. They claim the reduction in weight “enhances agility and responsiveness, while a stiffer, more focused chassis delivers greater stability.” An assortment of carbon-fiber components contributes to the weight savings, along with a titanium Akrapovič slip-on exhaust and forged one-piece wheels.
Beneath this beast lies MotoGP-derived WP PRO suspension components, while Brembo HyPure Sport front brake calipers provided bring the Super Duke 1390 RR to a halt. Powering the new Pirate Ship is the latest generation 1350 cc LC8 V-twin, churning out 190-hp and 100-lb/ft of torque, which utilizes KTM’s new CAMSHIFT technology for improved fuel combustion throughout the revolution range.
An all-new 8.8” touchscreen TFT display has been unveiled, offering lap time and telemetry stats in ‘Track Mode,’ as well as an all-new ‘Beast Mode’ function, although they did not provide details on what exactly that means - I'm guessing all of the horsepowers, none of the aids?
The new Super Duke is also equipped with the usual schmear of rider aids, ride modes, and ABS functions that we’ve come to expect on modern sport and naked bikes alike.
But what else sets the Super Duke 1390 RR apart from its single ‘R’ brethren?
Winglets around the tank for one thing, which KTM says “helps increase downforce, reducing front-wheel lift.” There is also a new headlight design and colorway which will set it apart from the single ‘R’ iteration, and likely anything else parked at your office.
The 2026 KTM 1390 Super Duke RR is expected to be available at KTM dealers in May and will be limited to just 350 units. US pricing hasn’t been provided, but the RR is priced at £24,999 in the United Kingdom, and given the 2025 Super Duke EVO model comes in at $22,149, expect the price to be somewhere around $30,000.
Bespoke. Beast Mode. Rrrr!
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