Page 9 - LHR Motorcycle Magazine August 2024

it also contains an anti-dive setting to make the front-

end stiff for track riding

Here in America, we only get the Super Duke Evo the ego as far as it’ll go.
compared to pretty much the rest of the world, which
also gets the base model. That Evo sticker means
electronic adjustment is the go for the WP 48mm Apex
Open Cartridge fork and Apex shock via WP’s Semi-
Active Technology, which is their version of the event-
based system that Öhlins has been developing since
the first Panigale V4 of 2018.

The Semi-Active Technology is similar to what came
out on the previous Super Duke Evo of 2023, but it’s
been tweaked by the tech boffins in Austria to provide
faster response times. The system changes damping
on the fly every tenth of a nanometer of a second,
taking information from the IMU and the usual throttle,
brake, and gearbox inputs

\The Super Duke goes from a plush, cushy ride to a
There are five modes available in Auto, Comfort, raging animal. Stiffer front to back, the steering
Rain, Street, and Sport, plus the optional Suspension sharpens tremendously, turning the chassis into a
Pro Pack that gives you Track and Pro Modes, and pure track machine. You won’t want to ride this setting
there’s also an auto-leveling setting in the Low, on the street—it’s so stiff it’ll rattle your teeth out.
Standard, and High.
When cranked up to 11 on the suspension, it’s
Interestingly, the suspension can automatically amazing how hard you can apply the brakes and trail
calculate and adapt the preload based on the rider’s them right up to the apex. You’ve got a new Brembo
weight and re-create three set geometries: Auto- MCS master cylinder at your disposal, so feel at the
Standard, Auto-Low, and Auto-High. This is thanks to lever is absolutely a match for the power you get at the
the Suspension Pro algorithm, and it also contains an caliper, and when you let the brake off and start
anti-dive setting to make the front-end stiff for track applying the gas, the chassis (for the most part) stays
riding. Finally, an auto-lowering setting called Factory on its chosen trajectory and doesn’t sink its ass down,
Start takes preload out of the shock when coming to a taking weight off the front and sending you wide. I say
standstill to lower the back-end of the bike. While like for the most part because no algorithm is going to
the system Harley-Davidson pioneered with the first save you if you ham-fist the throttle too early.
Pan America, the Factory Start is more modeled on
the launch control feature from KTM’s current The Super Duke has undergone an aesthetic
MotoGP machines that help you gun it off the line. redesign for 2024, and I’m still deciding whether I like
The number of possibilities with the Super Duke’s it or not. With the new LED headlight tank spoilers and
suspension is far too great to get a hold of with only winglets, it has a wholly more aggressive look— it
two sessions available to us at Portimao. After the first almost has a bit of a Transformer-style, and I can’t
session in Street as I get used to the track once again, help but think the old model was more homogenous in
in session two I pump it up to Pro Mode just to inflate its looks.

2024 KTM 1390