KTM 1390 Super Duke GT (2025) – Technical Review
By Ben Purvis
Has written for dozens of magazines and websites, including most of the world’s biggest bike titles, as well as dabbling in car and technology journalism.
05.11.2024
TBA
188bhp
228kg
TBC
Despite its brutal looks and stomping torque – not to mention nearly 190hp – we found KTM’s 1390 Super Duke R to have a surprisingly suave and sophisticated side to its character that made it easier to get along with than you might imagine. The new 1390 Super Duke GT promises to lean even more heavily into that aspect with more practicality and comfort while still having what it takes to be ridiculously rapid on the road or track.
Pros & Cons
All the good bits of the 1390 Super Duke R, but with added useability
Latest-gen KTM dashboard and tech including radar cruise control
Semi-active suspension for more comfort without compromising handling
As with all modern KTMs, the styling won’t please everyone
2025 KTM 1390 Super Duke GT - Price
We’re still waiting for KTM to confirm the UK pricing for the new 1390 Super Duke GT but given the previous 1290 version was only £1 shy of 19-grand the latest model is sure to be knocking on the door of £20,000, or even barging straight through it. But there’s no doubt that you get a lot of bike for your money, with a combination of performance and equipment that’s hard to find elsewhere on the market.
KTM expects the new 1390 Super Duke GT to reach dealers in January 2025, and the final price will be revealed nearer that time.
2025 KTM 1390 Super Duke GT - Engine & Performance
KTM’s LC8 V-twin engine has been through multiple generations over the years and the latest ‘1390’ variant is the most powerful ever seen – peaking at 188hp (140kW) and 10,000rpm, with 107lbft (145Nm) of torque at 8000rpm.
That might not quite put into the rarified field of 200hp-plus machines, but those are almost exclusively screaming four-cylinder bikes. You’ll struggle to find a V-twin with more power than the 1390, and its large capacity – actually 1350cc rather than the 1390 it says on the tin – means lots of readily-available grunt.
As well as gaining capacity, power and torque over the old 1290 Super Duke GT, the 1390 gains a new, central air intake and redesigned airbox, plus a wider radiator and revised gearing, with lower fifth and sixth ratios. That means those top gears are less cruising overdrives and more real-world performance ratios. Compared to the 1390 Super Duke R, which tops out at just below 170mph despite having no fairing to help slice the air, the 1390 Super Duke GT has a rated top speed of 155mph.
As you’d expect on a high-end KTM, there’s a host of riding modes on offer including Rain, Street, Sport and a Custom setting, with the option of two additional Custom modes and a Track mode. As with several other KTMs, those options can be unlocked for 1500km in ‘Demo Mode’ so you can try them out and decide whether you want to fork out to have them permanently.
2025 KTM 1390 Super Duke GT - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)
The main chassis of the 1390 Super Duke GT is borrowed from the latest 1390 Super Duke R, with more torsional rigidity than the previous design as well as a lower centre of gravity.
For the GT version, KTM adds the latest-gen WP SAT (Semi Active Technology) suspension, with an improved ‘Comfort’ mode to emphasise that while the Super Duke GT is happy on track, it’s also more than capable of covering long distances.
As on the previous GT, the brakes are courtesy of Brembo, with Stylema monobloc radio calipers at the front on two 320mm discs, allied to a twin-piston rear Brembo on a 240mm disc. They’re operated via an MCS (multi-click system) front lever, and as well as the lean-sensitive cornering ABS there’s a supermoto ABS setting that allows the rear wheel to slide, along with a new ‘Supermoto+’ setting and a ‘Sport ABS’ mode.
Michelin Power 6 tyres are standard, with a 120/70-17 front and a 190/55-17 rear that’s a fraction narrower than the Super Duke R’s 200-section rubber.
According to official type-approval documents, the ready-to-ride weight including a full tank of fuel is 228kg, which is 16kg more than the Super Duke R in the same state. Of course, if you add the panniers – as many will – that figure will rise.
2025 KTM 1390 Super Duke GT - Comfort & Economy
As well as the additional sophistication of the semi-active suspension, the Super Duke GT adds a big dose of rider comfort thanks to its tall, adjustable screen and new bodywork side panels. Compared to the naked Super Duke R, the result promises to be a much more pleasant long-distance proposition.
The design is still very much rider-focussed – there is a well-padded pillion seat but it’s substantially higher than the rider’s perch. The rear subframe is, after all, the same as the Super Duke R’s self-supporting cast aluminium design.
KTM claims that the designers – from the firm’s favoured Kiska design house – spent a lot of time and effort on the ergonomics to make long rides more palatable, and details like the hand guards and the phone mount above the dash show that plenty of thought has gone into the practicalities.
The precise fuel economy figures have yet to be announced, but the technical similarity to the 1390 Super Duke R suggests they’ll be very close to that machine’s. It manages a claimed 47.9mpg and, thanks to a 19.5 litre tank, can cover a theoretical 185 miles between refills.
2025 KTM 1390 Super Duke GT- Equipment
Like the new 990 Super Duke R, the 1390 Super Duke GT gets KTM’s new generation of 8.8-inch touchscreen TFT dash – offering more resolution, a much broader spectrum of colour and enough brightness to be easily read in sunlight.
As well as operating it by touch, you can navigate the menus with a left-bar joystick, and the size of the display and its impressive computing power means that it can manage full-map navigation rather than the usual turn-by-turn display. In fact, there’s even an offline map navigation function that allows it to download maps ahead of rides.
Tyre pressure monitoring is another standard feature, and like the KTM Super Adventure S the latest Super Duke GT gains a Bosch front-facing radar. Much more neatly hidden than on earlier iterations of the system, the latest version brings functions including adaptive cruise control, brake assist, distance assist and group riding modes.
2025 KTM 1390 Super Duke GT- Rivals
KTM’s Super Duke GT quite cleverly carves out a little niche of its own in the motorcycling scene – it’s not a heavy sports tourer in the traditional sense, offering a much more lithe approach than most, but neither is it the sort of road-oriented adventure bike that other brands tend to favour.
Perhaps its closed competitors would be BMW’s S1000XR, as well as Suzuki’s GSX-S1000GX and even Ducati’s latest Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak.
Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak | Price: £27,795
170bhp / 91.5lb-ft
227kg
BMW S1000XR | Price: £16,790
170bhp / 84lb-ft
227kg
Suzuki GSX-S1000GX | Price: £14,799
150bhp / 78lb-ft
232kg
2025 KTM 1390 Super Duke GT - Verdict
On paper, the revised Super Duke GT should offer an eye-popping and endorphin-laden riding experience and once we’ve had a chance to put it through its paces, we’ll offer a comprehensive verdict, as always.
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2025 KTM 1390 Super Duke GT - Technical Specification
| New price | TBA |
| Capacity | 1350cc |
| Bore x Stroke | 110mm x 71mm |
| Engine layout | V-twin |
| Engine details | 8-valve, DOHC, variable valve timing and lift, liquid cooled |
| Power | 188bhp (140kW) @ 10,000rpm |
| Torque | 107lb-ft (145Nm) @ 8000rpm |
| Transmission | 6 speed, chain final drive |
| Average fuel consumption | TBA |
| Tank size | 19.5 litres |
| Max range to empty | TBA |
| Rider aids | Cornering traction control, cornering ABS, supermoto ABS, supermoto+ and sport ABS modes, four riding modes, semi-active suspension, radar cruise control, brake assist, group riding mode, distance assist, TPMS |
| Frame | Chromo molybdenum steel trellis |
| Front suspension | WP Apex SAT |
| Front suspension adjustment | Electronic damping adjustment |
| Rear suspension | WP Aped SAT |
| Rear suspension adjustment | Electronic damping adjustment |
| Front brake | 2 x 320mm discs, Brembo radial four-piston calipers |
| Rear brake | 240mm disc, Brembo two-piston caliper |
| Front wheel / tyre | 120/70-ZR17 Michelin Power 6 |
| Rear wheel / tyre | 190/55-ZR17 Michelin Power 6 |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | 2139mm x 929mm x 1299mm (1399mm with screen raised) |
| Wheelbase | 1496mm |
| Seat height | 835mm |
| Weight | 228kg (kerb) |
| Warranty | TBA |
| Servicing | TBA |
| MCIA Secured Rating | Not yet rated |
| Website | www.ktm.com |
What is MCIA Secured?
MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.
As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.
MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:
A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard
An ignition immobiliser system
A vehicle marking system
An alarm system
A vehicle tracking system with subscription
The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.
