Bike Six: KTM Superduke 1290GT

[raesewell]

And what about the microwave 

[richtea]

Have you got the radio and the air-con working yet? I know the heated seat and backrest is going to take a bit of work...

You take the mickey, but all those are available on a K1600 GTL!

Well, the backrest is for the pillion, and the air con is those flippy
-out things in the fairing to direct air onto you, but hey.

There are downsides though, I've heard:

[Matt]

Well, another year of fun on the KTM! I had our usual Welsh trips, and then of course OG24 where I really enjoyed the bike, its hilarious power, and my increasing ability to remember how to go round corners.

Unfortunately part of what brought me to this thread today was searching the forum for "R1300GS"!

The cause being a dry heim joint. Which is that bushy bearing bit connecting the shock to the swing arm. It's squeaking like a bugger. So off I went to source the parts. Which don't exist in any UK warehouse. And apparently only exist in the manufacturer imaginary warehouse, which is unsurprisingly empty after the factory being shut for a year, and then closing again just now due to no parts.

I've spent a frustrating few days trying to track down two parts, mailing shops that show "In Stock!" to find that in stock means "we trust KTM to have it in stock in Austria... and we ignore that they're about to go bankrupt".

I 'think' I've got one of the parts ordered now from some random shop but i am by no means confident of this, plus only enough for the bottom were in stock (I was going to do top and bottom, why not indeed). The other part... not yet!

I do really like this bike, even with the occasional random warning/error on the screen - which actually, hasn't happened since some time late last year. But I am beginning to think perhaps a 1390 GT is not going to be its replacement. I struggle to see how the parts availability will improve in the near to medium term given their cashflow and reputational damage. And a new model - or maybe BMW has changed my expectations hey - is surely going to have the odd recall/sneaky update to parts required.

And so here we are, me searching for R1300GS reviews (even though I spent a week on one!), S1000XR reviews, trying to find any Multistradas that exist within 100 miles, and so on and so on! I did like the look of the new R1300RS but will have to wait until i can sit on one and compare the ergo. I want to avoid going towards the K ergos and stick at the GT (with bar back) ergo, which is almost a GS ergo I think.

I don't think anything offers the same thing as the KTM. Which is pretty obvious I suppose. Nothing offers the same as almost any bike! I feel my bike gives me:

• Almost the GS relaxed trundling about
• About equal to GS agility
• About as much comfort as my idiot body can appreciate
• An insane engine when not trundling
• A hilariously aggressive throttle response in track mode
• A great suspension setup when hammering it and in 'Sport' suspension mode

I know the GS covers the first three points, the S1000XR probably covers the next three. Although I do think the new R1300GS does have firmer suspension in whatever mode, but it's never going to be insane or scarily aggressive throttle response. I think the S1000XR does have a fancier idiot mode for track stuff, so perhaps addresses the insane parts I enjoy.

I think I need to actually plan a test route to ride, then ride it with my bike, and those two bikes. What with them costing so much these days it seems I should put in more effort than just a quick ride down to stupid ass Loomies and back.

Or, you know maybe I get hold of these fricking parts, repair it and ride it for another year.

[richtea]

TLDR:
The last line is the correct answer.

Until:
a) those keen boys have bought and then p-exed the new models, or
b) demo bikes have surfaced in 6 months time

They test and find the snags, you get the fixed machine and the good price.

[black-k1]

I'm watching closely to see which way you jump Matt. While I've not tried the 1300 boxer in any form, the "on paper" stats suggest it will still struggle to deliver any of the "performance related" requirements in the way the KTM can. My 1250 is OK, but definitely not anything special and I've nod heard anything to suggest that the 1300 is that much better.

The XR will be better but the lack of "cubes" will mean you'll have to work it a lot harder and you'll not get that combination of relaxed but ballistically fast progress that make long runs less demanding or tiering.

There has been talk in the Kawasaki world of a Versys with the H2 SX engine. I think that would tick all of the boxes but I've not seen it yet.

[Swindon Andy]

I've had a boxer 1300 for a day, thought it was well down on performance after K1300S. Comfy though.

[Matt]

TLDR:
The last line is the correct answer.

Until:
a) those keen boys have bought and then p-exed the new models, or
b) demo bikes have surfaced in 6 months time

They test and find the snags, you get the fixed machine and the good price.

You are of course correct!

I'm watching closely to see which way you jump Matt. While I've not tried the 1300 boxer in any form, the "on paper" stats suggest it will still struggle to deliver any of the "performance related" requirements in the way the KTM can. My 1250 is OK, but definitely not anything special and I've nod heard anything to suggest that the 1300 is that much better.

The XR will be better but the lack of "cubes" will mean you'll have to work it a lot harder and you'll not get that combination of relaxed but ballistically fast progress that make long runs less demanding or tiering.

There has been talk in the Kawasaki world of a Versys with the H2 SX engine. I think that would tick all of the boxes but I've not seen it yet.

I enjoyed the R1300GS on road during my Portugal offroad trip, I was throwing it into corners even on those tyres with ease. However it doesn't have the legs exiting it and it'd be gobbled up in short order by the KTM or the K1300. And now fun riding makes up 75%+ of my bike miles... if I test ride one I need Martin to come with me so we can see . I'd also miss the noise.

Re the XR yes, I want to see how that feels. My KTM is obviously a bit dead below 3.5k, and the XR is dead still a bit further up, I read. And obviously MPG goes down, which would be fine with a bigger tank, but it might need sub 200 mile fuel stops. Which I suppose isn't that big of a deal in general.

I recall years ago on a maybe gen 1 XR I rode home from either Maidenhead of Alton BMW and disliked it. Then when I got the call to say my K was finished I rode back about twice as fast and loved it. I'm hoping the gen whatever it is now is better at keeping me entertained at normo speeds too. We'll see!

Aha Kawasaki! I asked my internet-enabled AI to see if there was any news about a supercharged slightly more adv. style Kawasaki but it failed. I'd like to see that though!

There's also a Suzuki S1000somethingsomething-GX now, but after adding the optional brembos and grips etc it isn't far off an XR. Plus I'm a tart and have certain brands I perhaps irrationally won't buy again.

[TomK1300s]

After taking out the 1300GS for a good run through Wales, I took it back and had the 1250 GS ADV remapped after removing the cat, this is now going to do me for another two years, more power and torque but the main differance is the smooth take off, after removing the EURO 5 compliant gas blocking program.

[Phmode]

Matt has had a gas blocking problem for years.

And unless I get lost in transit, his shock bearings are being repaired Monday* so that takes care of his fun for the next year or so.

*PS Hopefully this is not foreshadowing

[Matt]

Damn it I didn't want to risk mentioning it too soon

@Tom: Ah that's a good idea! How much noisier does a GS get with no cat?

Oh that reminds me that I love love love my quickshifter! Though I did come from a 1250GS and the KTM won be over as I changed from 1st to 2nd without a jolt. Up or down in any gear I get a 90% smooth change, regardless of slow ass or making progress full load changes. I wonder what angle between my V and the boxer 180 degrees it becomes impossible to make a smooth shift! Although I still maintain the GS smoothness of shift can be massively impacted by a toot tight camchain. But anyway! They say the XR has a great quickshift, and indeed the RR I had was smooth too, but also boring below a million mph.

But yes, with any luck I'll be back on the road in a few days without a squeak! Two massive euro trips without any issues and I'll have a winter of discontent to look at options .

[TomK1300s]

@Tom: Ah that's a good idea! How much noisier does a GS get with no cat?

Hi Matt
Its not bad at all, we did four runs on the Dyno, one with the Akro race can, one with a modified standard can and one with the original can on the bike, all with the exhaust flap still connected.
The long and short of it all was the max power with the Akro race can was only 0.5 BHP more than with the standard can fitted, with this the noise differance was very dramatic, the Akro nearly made your ears bleed while in the workshop where as the standard can was only marginaly louder than a standard bike, so the final run was tuned with no CAT, Flap still connected and the standard exhaust can, concentrating on the correct fuel to air ratio thoughout the final run.

A NOTE:- the standard output of the 1250 is 107 > 112 at the rear wheel, mine is now 130.26 BHP at the rear tyre.

[chriscanning]

Bodis decat pipe,02 decat plug,Wings end can,PC5 with a dyno run at Road and Race at Meriden.

Dyno run showed 154hp,got some weight off the bike with lithium battery and carbon BST’s it hop’s along quite well.

[TomK1300s]

Bodis decat pipe,02 decat plug,Wings end can,PC5 with a dyno run at Road and Race at Meriden.

Dyno run showed 154hp,got some weight off the bike with lithium battery and carbon BST’s it hop’s along quite well.

That must have cost some money Chris.

[Matt]

Update to my suspension squeak: We fixed it. Courtesy of Brian reassuring me I could do it, and then turning up and helping do it .

This is what came out of the shock end bits:


The bottom ones being obvious and looking horrid. I managed to dig up 2 new bearings but only one set of the metal bushes. So we re-used the top bushes and gasket things, which cleaned up alright. The All Balls aftermarket kit I was told would fit (sku 29-5059) had the wrong size bushes and completely wrong looking gaskets so that went back.

Briefly, the biggest faff was both repeatedly finding more bits I had to remove (highlights being the tank (a mental milestone for me) and the sodding cat (a pain in the arse to refit)) and then just getting those little metal pretend circlips out from each side of each end of the shock.

It went back together all fine but I was definitely glad of a second pair of hands to get the tank back on, both due to the few rubber bits that kept falling off, and because I'd somehow got 20L of fuel in there to make it more unwieldy.

Now I just need to remember to compressed air blast the stupid pit in the swingarm where the shock mounts every 5 miles to stop it clogging up again.

Pre cleaning view:


As for replacement: I rode the bike to check nothing would fall off, and remembered I love it. So I'll wait for the next thing to fail and go through this all over again

[Phmode]

Whilst the extra pair of hands helped, the biggest thing, literally, was my exceedingly large and heavy Record mobile vise which for some inexplicable reason lives on the floor of my garage. The fact that we really needed yet another set of hands to hold the bloody vise still only made the job more interesting.

And please do remember, before we spend yet another half day rolling around the floor under the bike (easier for you than me) trying to perform the impossible task of re-installing the cat, that both last time and this time we only succeeded after using a tie-down strap to haul the rear carrier down to the wheel, so giving us just enough room under the swing arm.