Hello everybody I just got my hands on the new KTM Super Duke GT for a short test ride today and after having done the same with the DVT a month ago, I'd like to share the experience. I have a non Skyhook MTS1200 (2011 model). Both the DVT and the Super Duke GT where the electronic suspension types, with the KTM bringing some more electronics in the package. I'll comment on the things I looked for (leaving aside probably many things that couldn't test in such a short ride). As far as suspension is concerned, the Skyhook seemed superior to me. Although KTM did an excellent job it didn't feel like giving me that much more than my non Skyhook MTS. Especially the rebound in the DVT was excellent. And the KTM was set on "comfort". Agility wise, I find all three excellent. Mine feels (and is) the lightest one but I couldn't really tell the difference between the other two. They are if not identical, very similar to the way they turn or get set up for the next turn. It feels a little bit easier though on the Ducatis due to the lighter steering. The electronics of the KTM worked wonders together with the mechanical setup of the bike. The traction control was perfect and very smooth. No hiccups, no extreme measures if you try to be a hooligan, just controllable slides. I was really delighted with the way it works. The DVT (and mine even more so) have a very abrupt behavior compared to the KTM. I also tried the cornering ABS and again the KTM's felt smoother than the DVT. The difference here was not as much as with the traction control but it was there. I think the brakes on the KTM were a tad better. Not in feel but in power. This may have to do with the added weight of the DVT and may not be perceptible by other riders, or with the fact that it has C-ABS. Maybe it's just me. Nothing to investigate further, just a very small difference. Oh, and the rear one worked on both the DVT and the KTM (and after I had installed bleeder on the ABS unit, removed the caliper and bled the system, I have a rear brake on mine as well but nothing like the one I wished I had. However, it activates the ABS and it works as expected in low speeds which is what I need it for). Steering. I don't think you can beat the Ducati here. The wide bar and the geometry give me the feeling of great control and the effort with the hands is less. I just love my steering and wouldn't change it for anything. I also learned that the KTM has a steering damper installed. Never felt the need for it on the Ducati. Seating position was different from mine, both on the DVT and the KTM. However, I feel that the KTM has the worst seating position. Not that it's bad but it feels awkward (to me) and it seems like I am hanging on the bike rather than seating on it. It feels like I would get an achy back after two hours of riding. I believe the old model has the best seating position (a bit higher of course) and it has the best seat as well. The seat on the KTM didn't convince me at all. It doesn't have the curvature of the Ducati's and its rear part (the rear part of the front half that is) kept nagging my butt and thighs. The motor on the KTM is great. It's eager in any rpm and it delivers. I managed to stall it twice however, thinking that the torque is enough to get it going just by letting the clutch go. It wasn't the case. Both the DVT and mine, beat it in that respect. It also vibrates substantially if you don't give it enough gas. Mine never does this (or the DVT). The DVT really is the smoother of the three and has the best fuelling. No vibes, no hesitation from low revs, just an electric feel to it. The KTM also transmits a very intense vibration on the footpegs aroung 6.5K-8K rpm, when you have the throttle open for a quick acceleration. I don't think it would affect touring but in the track it would give you tingly feet methinks. The heat. Oh my, the heat. I thought (and hoped) that the huge end can of the exhaust would compensate but it's actually worse than mine or the DVT (which are practically the same as far as temperatures are concerned). While the Ducati's heat wave expands from down up to give an evenly distributed heat cloud that mainly affects your torso, the KTM throws (and I mean throws) heat to your legs. The ambient temperature wasn't that bad (around 27 degrees) but I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't like to roam the city on this. At the end of the ride it was really uncomfortable. The dash is 90's. I didn't like it at all. Compared to the DVT's it's just .... funny. Even compared to mine it looked old. And I find the info on the Ducati's dashes much more well laid out. There is practically no air protection from the small windscreen. This was really evident when discussing with other guys that rode the Adventure models. It was like day and night. I feel much more protected on my bike or the DVT. The gearbox and shifting was practically identical in both machines. Generally light to work with and quite accurate. However I totally forgot that there is a quickshifter on the KTM and never tried it although it's not that I really feel the need for it. It's just an extra thing that can fail The tank on the KTM has the extra 2-3 liters that I'd like to see on the Multi. It also gives you a much better protection for your legs. It doesn't expand too much to the sides (it's narrower than the steering bar anyway) and it doesn't seem that it would affect filtering or moving around traffic. It just looks and feels bigger than the Ducatis. The KTM should be quicker than the Ducatis (it must be), but it never felt that way. Or not that quick that I could tell by a 20min ride. I did expect it to be quicker than that. Although I didn't really test the lights on any of the two bikes, I wouldn't trust the H4 single bulb on the KTM. It just doesn't feel adequate especially when compared to the LED setup of the DVT. I might be totally wrong here but then again, I've never seen a single bulb bike be better than a dual bulb one. And I have done a lot of night driving. To sum up, they are all great machines. At the moment what the KTM or the DVT offer don't seem enough to convince me to part with my Multi. Not for now at least. I don't like the aesthetics of the KTM either, so this parameter works against it. As one of the dealers there said "We'll never build a bike as beautiful as the Multi" and he's probably right (although this is always a very personal thing). If you feel that you want to take the plunge to get any of the two bikes they won't disappoint. But the KTM didn't steal my heart and I felt that the DVT was a bit of a step back in areas that seem important to me. I guess I'll need to be patient ...
A very useful and readable analysis. Think I'll hang on to my (modified) 2011 Multistrada, then. It does what I want it to (and lots more).
Thanks for that - this is exactly the decision I'm currently trying to make. One question: is your '11 the S or the base model?
It's the base model and what put me off was that the electronic suspension of the KTM didn't seem to do much more than mine. However, it was a short run (albeit in very bad greek roads). It may work better than what I had the chance to discover.
Just to add two more points (one is quite subjective, the other an issue of safety for me). The sound of the Ducati is superior. I just love the bark from the exhaust especially the way the sound changes when you open the throttle wide. It's not that the KTM sounds silly or docile, but I can tell when a Ducati is approaching. The other thing is that the mirrors on the KTM are a joke. They are tiny compared to mine and they are of course closer to the body (since the bar is narrower). It's definitely something that I would have to change right away.
I don't think a 20 min test rides really helps to establish the differences [emoji57] when I took the ktm 1290 AD out for a demo, on arriving back at the dealership I was asked if I liked it and I said I'm not sure tbh there's to much to take in, in such a short time so I'm left feeling num, one hr ain't enough to make ones mind up, no problem take it for the full day or you can have it for the weekend ! After several hrs I had settled into the bike, set it up to suit me and was more relaxed and I was blown away on just how good it is, the dealer had to ring me to ask when I was bringing it back . I think it's very hard to buy a bike on the basis of a 1 hr test ride, it takes that just to dial yourself in.
I already noted that, I don't think it's adequate either. However, both bikes were ridden for the same amount of time and so I believe I had made the comparison on equal terms. At least half of the points I mentioned don't need more than twenty minutes to be decided upon. Mirror size, steering size and feel, electronics, the dash, the vibration of the engine, the heat etc. are evident from the first minute. I wouldn't hesitate on trusting my experience with them. However, things like general handling, brakes, speed, even riding position would definitely need a proper ride out. Don't get me wrong, I totally agree with you but for things that are important to my riding style/habits, I think it was easy to see the pros and cons of each machine.
Sorry but there is few countries only in whole Europe that have better roads than Greece, I think Greek roads are awesome especially when you drive a DVT but can be also dangerous because of unpredictable drivers and animals.
I think if you haven't sold yet that Pikes Peak beauty better stick on to it because you'll be badly disappointed by the KTM in a year. KTMs are cross bikes and their engineers have lots to catch up before they can match Ducati's skill; you see it's not just the 3rd party components that make a good bike. As Tzoukas excellently pointed, the geometry and lightness feeling and comfort combined with unique engine roar and bike personality. No way I am giving up my DVT, not at last for any other bike from this year's new models.
Interesting write up - thanks. My pal has just taken delivery of a 1290 GT so it'll be good to see how he gets along with it. He sold his XR to get it. I will report back.
It's quite interesting how can someone get to know a bike when they're changing them the one after the other. I've got my DVT now a year and have 13k on it, riding whenever possible and there are weekends I'll do 500km without going to a trip.
It's quite interesting how can someone deduct, that because a guy changed from a three month (or more?) old bike to another one, he does that all the time. It may be that he had severe problems with it. There are many reasons why somebody would part from such a new bike. It also doesn't tell anything about the previous bikes of the owner or how long did he own them for. Just because you love your DVT doesn't mean that everybody else has to also. And you do get to know a bike in three months time if you ride it everyday. I wouldn't jump to conclusions that easily.
Maybe I'm just a slow learner, but I reckon it takes a couple of years and 15-20k miles to really get to know a bike, to the point where you know exactly how it's going to respond to a given set of circumstances and are therefore able to occasionally use it to the designer's original intent. First impressions are just that - and valuable nonetheless - but it's when I see a post from someone who's gone through that whole process that I really take notice.
But you never have the opportunity to ride a bike for two years and 15-20K miles before you buy it, right? Yes, it would take that much time to absolutely know a bike but I'm sure in three months you can tell if a bike is better than another. Besides, the post has the purpose of giving some info when there is none.
I'll not argue with that: I didn't mean to say that this thread was remotely pointless, quite the opposite. Ultimately, we all take a punt when we buy a new bike - my point was that if you're buying a model that's been around for a while, the more experience someone has of a machine, the greater the credibility of their recommendation, assuming you know enough about them to align with their judgement.
I'm sure things are quite different in the UK but unfortunately, with the greek crisis and all, the motorcycle market has plummeted. That means dealers (I have access to only two of them and only one of them is actually a certified service station, and I live in the second biggest city) cannot justify the cost of having one expensive machine dedicated to test driving only. Or many expensive machines for that matter. And this holds true for most of the manufacturers and their dealers. So the only opportunity to get a test ride is during orange days and the like where you apply for a place to do a 20min trip. You happened to be on a business trip with your work or you couldn't make it on time? you missed the opportunity. Tough luck. So unfortunately, I as a customer can only rely on this 20min ride, or the views of other riders to make a decision. This was the main reason for the post. There may be people that don't have the opportunity to do even the test ride, so they will only rely on what they read mostly. I totally agree with you that you need time (practically live with the thing) to be able to give substantial, accurate info and advice. And the more you know about a person the better the chances to get reliable info. By the time I became an experienced MTS 1200 rider, the thing was already obsolete, so I wasn't gonna be of much help there
We're not that much different here: Scotland has one dealer plus a service centre for a population of 5.5m people. I'm not too badly off - it's only a 200km round trip for me: many are in far worse position. But they do have a decent range of demonstrators and are very helpful, plus Ducati work with the dealer to organise a road show once a year (just been) where you can head for the central highlands and spend a day riding what you want.
Just out of curiosity, I've often wondered how the engine character differs between the KTM and Ducati. I had an Aprilia Falco for a while and I didn't like the narrow angle vee - it made the engine seem more prone to being revvy and top-endy, whereas the 90 degree V of the Ducati gives a much nicer engine character - a smoother more fluid feeling of torque from the low and mid-range. While I'd be really tempted with a KTM I have to wonder whether I'd find the engine character disappointing as I did when I had the Aprilia.
