KTM 1290 Super Duke-based Brabus 1300 R Unveiled

Only 154 examples (77 for each color) of the bike will go into production

The Brabus 1300 R uses the KTM 1290 Super Duke EVO as its blueprint. It gets a new design from head to toe. Engine, suspension, and electronics all come from the Super Duke EVO.

German automotive maker Brabus is a very popular name in the car world, mainly for its work with Mercedes-Benz. But for 2022, the company has joined hands with KTM, transforming  a 1290 Super Duke EVO into an exotic hypernaked bike called the Brabus 1300 R.

The Brabus 1300 R bears an all-new design and gets a lot of special touches. Gone is the radical, edgy and in-your-face design of the 1290 Super Duke and in comes a new, more poised depiction.

The fascia, in particular, has been heavily reworked, with the Brabus 1300 R getting a horizontally-split round LED headlight accompanied by aerodynamic air ducts and a headlight shroud, all made from carbon-fibre. The tank too has been resculpted and gets carbon-fibre inserts up top. Its capacity, though, is the same as the 1290 Super Duke.

The rear is where the Brabus sharpens up. With no dedicated tail lamp in place, the Brabus 1300 R’s rear end actually seems sharper than the KTM 1290 Super Duke EVO’s. Oh, and it’s made of carbon-fibre too!

Apart from this, Brabus has also thrown in nine-spoke alloy wheels, aftermarket footpegs, and CNC gear and brake levers for an extra premium touch.

The overall design is a bit Husqvarna-ish and has a neo-retro charm to it.

Now, to the tech. The Brabus 1300 R is essentially a 1290 Super Duke EVO in terms of tech. So you get the same 5-inch TFT loaded with modern-day rider aids and smartphone connectivity. A quickshifter also comes standard. However, while all else is directly borrowed from the Super Duke, the 1300 R does get a special Brabus startup sequence of its own.

Such is also the case with the mechanicals. The Brabus 1300 R is powered by the same 1301cc, V-twin motor from the 1290 Super Duke EVO, and makes the same power at 180PS and 140Nm. The only difference here is the new twin-barrel exhaust, which looks slimmer and lighter than the Super Duke’s unit.

The motor is housed in a trellis frame, sprung on a 48mm WP Apex fork and WP Apex monoshock, both electronically adjustable, same as the 1290 Super Duke EVO. Meanwhile, braking prowess comes from top-shelf Brembo Stylema calipers which now gain carbon-fibre cooling ducts.

You do sit 10mm higher up on the Brabus, though, thanks to a new seat with thicker padding.

Finally, let’s talk pricing. The Brabus 1300 R has been priced at 34,549 GBP (Rs 35.28 lakh) in the UK, almost double of what the 1290 Super Duke EVO costs there. This is a little exorbitant, considering there are no mechanical changes but all’s fair if you’re into exotic motorcycles and bragging rights.

And to keep things even more exciting, only 154 of these (77 for each color) will ever go into production. The number ‘77’ pays homage to 1977, the founding year of Brabus.