Administrators Eric Hall Posted March 7, 2017 Author Administrators My Rides (3) Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 Tested recently by MCN... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteMoto Posted March 7, 2017 My Rides (2) Report Share Posted March 7, 2017 Can't wait to see Chris Birch thrashing this one around New Zealand in a new video! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Hall Posted March 11, 2017 Author Administrators My Rides (3) Report Share Posted March 11, 2017 Video of Chris Birch talking about the new 1290 R 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteMoto Posted March 12, 2017 My Rides (2) Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 "Looking forward to spending more time on this big girl ! " The key word is BIG No one can make the big KTM appear so light while ridden! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Hall Posted March 12, 2017 Author Administrators My Rides (3) Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 One thing I found very encouraging is that their front rim is now stronger. Their 1190 wheels are known to be made from sticks of butter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Hall Posted March 14, 2017 Author Administrators My Rides (3) Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Best video I've seen yet on the bike, from Simon Cudby of UpshiftOnline 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGorman Posted March 15, 2017 My Rides (4) Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 I agree but I see the skid plate and hand guards as price point items. How many of say 50,000 built will ever go down anything rougher than a back ally or groomed township road?You could put aluminum handguards with brush/wind deflectors but they weigh a bit more, plus, hardly any of the rally guys use aluminum hand guards. Some like them big for the wind, some thin just for falls, they'd need a compromise.Skid plate? no matter what they designed, some company will say their guard is better and people will flock to buy it. Plus, that adds weight to the advertised specs and everyone wants a 180hp, 350lb full sized Adv and in reality, it won't happen if we keep adding beef. Meoni's Dakar winning 950 had a fairly skimpy carbon unit. KTM could do carbon but then the msrp goes up. The difference in weight between a stock 950/990 plate and a Black Dog is very significant. In fact when I looked at where to get rid of weight, that skid plate was top of the list bug it has to stay. Just look at the 450SX-F, the lightest (even with e-start), most powerful production 450 and the price tag to go with it but no skid or guide plate. The mx guy will install a skimpy glide plate, the gncc guy will go full ballistic. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGorman Posted March 15, 2017 My Rides (4) Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 At times I wonder who they listen to. Look at the number of MX shootouts there are and the next year the same bikes have the same issues. KTM bad forks, Kawasaki no handling, Honda headshake, Suzuki running a near decade old design sans EFI. But they did listen to one group. Years ago the RC bikes were always given last place in the superbike shootouts. Everyone loved the light weight, handling and the fun factor. Reason for last? No rider aides! What do we have now? 7 computers on the Duke GT! More CPU's, ECU's and MCU's than the rockets that went to the moon! Actually I believe there is more calculating power in my dated cell phone that the rocket ship had. My original 950 skidder lasted quite a while though it does have a few small cracks in it. However, If I hadn't had the Black Dog on when I did the Taste of Dakar ride a few years back, my bike would have been done in right then. I was chasing 2 factory 690 Rally and 2 kitted 690 Rally and the BD plate took a real beating, it only had one small dent and some scarring from plowing into rocks and washouts at speed. I got my feet wet in desert riding and my front wheel ended up with 8-10 smilies and one good sized crack that we fixed with a lead hammer to get me home. I am happy they are putting better front wheels on! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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