Words and photos by Deon vdl.
The name pretty much says it all – the KTM 1390 SUPER DUKE RR TRACK is not your average naked bike. This is a full-on, racetrack-ready Hypernaked, built in Mattighofen, Austria, and limited to just 100 machines worldwide. Stripping away more than 20 kg compared to the already outrageous street-legal KTM 1390 SUPER DUKE R, KTM has gone completely nuts with this thing, loading it up with carbon fibre, WP PRO COMPONENTS suspension featuring MotoGP-derived technology, a Brembo Superbike-spec braking system, forged wheels and slick tyres.
The result is a machine designed with one purpose in mind – going seriously, stupidly fast around a racetrack. There is no pretending this is a road bike with some track goodies bolted on; the RR TRACK is a purpose-built weapon where agility, stiffness, stability and outright performance take centre stage. And with only 100 units made, getting your hands on one is likely to be considerably harder than keeping up with one.
Well, one of these very special machines has landed on South African soil. But before you get too excited, this particular beast is already in the hands of Rodric van der Westhuizen. And to make it even more special, the plaque on the tank proudly reads “One of 100”. How cool is that?
During one of our many days of running around, we popped into KTM Centurion to say “Howzit”. That was when we found ourselves being stared down by the unmistakable KTM 1390 SUPER DUKE RR TRACK. Naturally, we were immediately intrigued. “Sorry, it’s already sold,” we were told.
Fair enough. Our next question was obvious: When is the owner taking it to the track?
We wanted to see this beast doing what it was built to do. As luck would have it, we were invited along to Red Star Raceway to witness the RR TRACK in action. Needless to say, we weren’t going to turn that invitation down.
Rodric is certainly no stranger to track riding, but when it came to properly putting the SUPER DUKE RR TRACK through its paces, Troy Tonking was brought in to do the honours. And if you’re going to hand a 100-unit, racetrack-only Hypernaked to someone, Troy is a pretty good choice. He has spent most of his life chasing lap times, both on South African circuits and on racetracks around the world, so he knows a thing or two about making a motorcycle work when the stopwatch is running.
So what makes this bike so special?
Let’s start with the heart of the machine…
At the heart of the KTM 1390 SUPER DUKE RR TRACK sits KTM’s latest 75-degree LC8 V-twin, and this is where things get properly serious. The 1,350 cc engine uses KTM’s CAMSHIFT variable valve technology and produces 196 PS at 10,000 rpm, rising to an impressive 202 PS with ram-air at 250 km/h, while peak torque stands at a whopping 151 Nm. But the really tasty number is the weight. At just 177 kg without fuel, the RR TRACK has a power-to-weight ratio of approximately 1.14 PS per kilogram using the 202 PS ram-air figure – or just 0.88 kg for every PS. That is serious territory for a production motorcycle. Add the lightweight carbon bodywork, forged wheels, titanium components and track-focused construction, and you have a 1,350 cc V-twin that doesn’t simply make big numbers – it has very little motorcycle to haul those numbers around.
The Suspension.
The suspension on the KTM 1390 SUPER DUKE RR TRACK is about as serious as it gets without putting a factory race bike in your garage. Up front sits a WP PRO 7548 closed-cartridge fork, using technology derived from WP Factory Racing and MotoGP development. The closed-cartridge design is all about keeping damping performance consistent when the pace gets high, giving the rider a more precise front end, better feedback and improved control under hard braking and corner entry. The fork offers 130 mm of travel and is fully adjustable for compression, rebound and preload, allowing the setup to be tailored to the rider, tyres and circuit. Out back, the WP PRO 8750 shock provides 120 mm of travel and brings high- and low-speed compression adjustment, rebound and hydraulic preload adjustment to the party. The idea is simple: keep the tyres planted, maintain stability when the throttle is opened and give the rider the confidence to push harder. And with a motorcycle producing 202 PS and 151 Nm, keeping all that firepower connected to the tar is rather important. This isn’t suspension designed to make the ride comfortable – it’s designed to make the motorcycle work when you’re chasing lap times.
Stopping Power.
If you’re going to build a 177 kg Hypernaked with 202 PS and 151 Nm, you’d better have some serious hardware when it’s time to slow the thing down.
KTM clearly got that memo.
The RR TRACK gets a Superbike-spec Brembo braking system, with a pair of Brembo GP4 MS four-piston monobloc calipers clamping massive 320 mm T-Drive discs at the front. These are radially mounted and fed by Brembo Corsa Corta master cylinders, giving the rider precise control and plenty of stopping force when arriving at a corner at rather unhealthy speeds. The T-Drive discs are designed to provide consistent braking performance while keeping weight down, and the GP4 MS calipers are about as serious as production Brembo hardware gets. At the back, there’s a 240 mm disc with a Brembo P2.34 two-piston caliper. Add in the RR TRACK’s slick tyres, serious suspension and low weight, and you have a braking package designed not just to stop the motorcycle, but to let a skilled rider brake later, harder and with confidence.
Wheels & Tyres.
All that engine, suspension and braking hardware means very little if you can’t get it onto the track properly, so KTM has fitted the RR TRACK with some seriously exotic footwear.
The bike rolls on lightweight forged magnesium wheels, chosen not just because they look trick, but because reducing unsprung and rotational mass can make a significant difference to how quickly a motorcycle changes direction and responds to rider input. Then there are the tyres – Michelin Power Performance Slicks, because this is a motorcycle that has absolutely no intention of seeing a public road. With no tread pattern to worry about and a compound designed specifically for serious circuit work, these slicks provide the kind of grip needed to exploit the RR TRACK’s 202 PS, while working with the WP PRO suspension and Brembo brakes as part of the complete package. Lightweight wheels, proper racing slicks and 202 PS on tap – suddenly getting the power to the ground becomes a very serious business.
Frame & Bodywork.
KTM has taken the already serious Super Duke R chassis and asked a very simple question:
What can we get rid of? The answer is quite a lot. The RR TRACK uses a lightened version of the standard 1390 SUPER DUKE R frame, with unnecessary mounting points removed to save weight while retaining the precision and stiffness needed for serious track riding. Then KTM went hunting for more grams, replacing conventional plastic bodywork with lightweight carbon fibre wherever possible. The result is a machine that looks brutally purposeful because, quite simply, it is. The carbon bodywork, CNC-machined components, forged wheels and even a full titanium screw set all contribute to getting the RR TRACK down to just 177 kg without fuel. The single-piece carbon-fibre undertray supports the race-spec seat, while the 17.5-litre tank is shaped around weight distribution and incorporates winglets to generate downforce and help keep the front wheel planted. There is no unnecessary road-going clutter here either – no headlights, indicators or other bits required to make a motorcycle street legal. Even the lighting has been reduced to a regulation rear rain light. It is a fascinating approach to motorcycle design: rather than adding more equipment to make the bike faster, KTM has simply removed everything it doesn’t need. The result is a leaner, lighter and more focused Super Duke that looks every bit as angry as it rides.
Electronics.
Just because the RR TRACK is a stripped-out, no-compromise track weapon doesn’t mean KTM has thrown the electronics out the window. Quite the opposite. The bike gets a sophisticated suite of track-focused rider aids, designed to help an experienced rider exploit its considerable performance while keeping everything manageable at the limit. At the centre of it all are three fully customisable Track Ride modes, allowing the rider to tailor the bike’s electronic behaviour to their ability, tyres and circuit. The 9-level Motorcycle Traction Control (MTC) can be adjusted to suit conditions and riding style, while Motor Slip Regulation (MSR) helps manage rear-wheel behaviour under aggressive downshifts. There is also Quickshifter+ for clutchless up- and downshifts, while Launch Control is there when maximum acceleration off the line matters. The electronics can be configured to give the rider considerably more freedom than a conventional road-going motorcycle, allowing the RR TRACK to be progressively unleashed as confidence and pace increase. And that’s really the clever part – KTM hasn’t loaded this bike with electronics simply to make it safer; the systems are there to help a skilled rider extract the maximum from a machine capable of producing 202 PS and 151 Nm. The electronics aren’t there to tame the beast – they’re there to help you control it while you unleash it.
At A Glance: KTM 1390 SUPER DUKE RR TRACK:
Is the KTM 1390 SUPER DUKE RR TRACK road legal?
No. This is a track-only motorcycle and is not intended for public roads.
How much power does it make?
The 1,350 cc V-twin produces 196 PS, rising to 202 PS with ram-air.
How much does it weigh?
Just 177 kg without fuel, giving it an impressive power-to-weight ratio.
How many were made?
Only 100 units worldwide, making this one seriously exclusive KTM. This bike is Number 1 and the only one in SA!
What makes the RR TRACK so special?
Pretty much everything! Carbon fibre, WP PRO suspension, Brembo Superbike-spec brakes, forged magnesium wheels, slick tyres and a 202 PS V-twin – all wrapped into a purpose-built track weapon.
JUST THE BEGINNING?
With only 100 KTM 1390 SUPER DUKE RR TRACKs being built worldwide, we strongly doubt there are any of these beasts still sitting around waiting for a buyer. And with this one already tearing up South African race tracks in the hands of Rodric van der Westhuizen, we can safely say we’re pretty damn jealous.
The RR TRACK is the kind of motorcycle that makes you stop, stare and then start asking slightly irresponsible questions about track days, lap times and bank managers. It takes the already bonkers SUPER DUKE R formula and turns the dial firmly into “What the hell were they thinking?” territory – and we absolutely love it.
It is light, powerful, beautifully engineered and packed with some seriously exotic hardware. More importantly, it has been built for one thing:
Going fast around a racetrack.
We can’t wait to see what KTM does next. Because if this is what the 1390 SUPER DUKE RR TRACK looks like, imagining what Mattighofen might unleash for 2027 is enough to make any motorcycle nut very, very curious.
Bring on the next beast, KTM. the peeps are ready.
