KTM is proud to announce that its 1290 Super Duke R claimed a new motorcycle record this week at the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb race with rider Chris Fillmore in the saddle.
Riding on a Super Duke customized with readily available KTM PowerParts in the Two Wheel and Heavyweight Division, Chris posted a time in 9 minutes and 49.626 seconds on the 19.99 km closed road in Colorado Springs.
What’s even cooler than that is the fact that Fillmore, a former AMA Superbike racer, was a rookie at this event. He was also quick to acknowledge that riding Pikes Peak was an emotional and even humbling experience.
"I set myself the goal of breaking the record as a rookie, but as the practice weeks started I realized how limited time you get on each of the three sections,” Fillmore said. “Then on race day, it's the first time you actually see the whole mountain. There's no warm-up, no sighting lap, just line up and go, and give it everything you’ve got. I wasn’t sure that it was going to be possible to break the record on this 14,000ft mountain. A lot of things were unpredictable, like the conditions and the elements."
The KTM 1290 Super Duke R he rode is meaner than ever and heavily updated for 2017. The updated engine now provides 177 hp on tap thanks to new titanium inlet valves and redesigned combustion chambers.
Looking at the chassis, the torsionally rigid WP split forks with separate damping circuits receive stiffer springs and a sportier setup. At the rear, the WP shock also gets a stiffer spring for more precision.
Also new on the list is the optional Track Pack, which adds launch control, MTC spin adjuster, more aggressive engine mappings, and the possibility to disengage the anti-wheelie system.
You can watch the historic record break in the clip below.
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