KTM‘s 2027 1390 Super Duke R Evo puts its update budget into the cockpit, brakes, and tires, while keeping the engine, chassis, and semi-active suspension of the 2026 model. New are an 8.8-inch touchscreen TFT display with built-in offline navigation, revised switchgear, a reworked ride-mode system, Brembo HyPure front calipers, Michelin Power GP2 tires, and two new colorways. The price holds at $22,149 MSRP, the same as the 2026 version.
The 8.8-inch TFT touchscreen is the headline change. It replaces the 5-inch display that the 1390 Super Duke R Evo has used since its 2024 debut. The landscape-format screen has bonded glass for improved readability and increased scratch and glare resistance, and a split-screen mode is new. KTM has trimmed the menu structure so key functions take fewer steps. Riders can work the display by touch or through new switchgear on the handlebar. A USB-C charging port remains part of the package.
Navigation is now built into the dashboard. Offline Map Navigation stores map data on the dash itself, so guidance doesn’t depend on a mobile data connection while riding. Maps for regions, countries, or cities can be downloaded to the dash’s storage. Route Planning, Active Guidance, and Map View are included, along with curvy-road routing for anyone intentionally taking the long way home. A new connectivity unit is also part of the 2027 electronics. On the 2026 model, navigation came through the optional KTMconnect smartphone link.
The ride-mode system adopts KTM’s latest layout, with more emphasis on personalization. Standard modes are Sport, Street, and Rain, plus a Custom mode that riders set up themselves. Street is the default, with full power, an easy throttle response, and limited front-wheel lift. Sport sharpens throttle response and allows some wheelspin. Rain mode reduces output to about 130 horsepower and maximizes traction control. Settings are adjusted through the new display and switchgear.
Brembo HyPure front calipers take over deceleration duties from the previous Stylema units. Working on the same 320mm discs, the HyPure calipers reduce weight and increase braking performance. Brembo’s MCS radial master cylinder, with adjustable lever distance and ratio, carries over, as do the 240mm rear disc and two-piston Brembo caliper. The Bosch cornering ABS gains Sport and Supermoto+ settings for 2027.
Michelin Power GP2 tires replace Power GPs. The dual-compound tires are designed for track-ready grip while keeping their road manners in wet and dry conditions. Sizes are 120/70-17 front and 200/55-17 rear.
Two new colorways, Orange and Black, freshen the look. The Orange version keeps KTM’s signature color front and center, emphasizing the Super Duke’s sharp lines and silhouette. The Black version gets a new blacked-out frame and darker graphics, making it the darkest take on the 1390 Super Duke R Evo so far.
The core of the 1390 Super Duke R Evo is unchanged. Its 1350cc LC8 75-degree V-twin has peak outputs of 187 horsepower and 107 lb-ft of torque, with KTM’s two-position cam-shift technology spreading power across the rev range. The engine serves as a stressed member of a chromoly steel trellis frame, which carries a cast-aluminum and composite subframe. The 1390 weighs 467 pounds with its 4.6-gallon tank full; the seat is 32.8 inches off the ground. Winglets add downforce to reduce front-wheel lift. Lean-sensitive traction control, cruise control, and a keyless ignition system are standard.
WP Apex semi-active suspension carries over, still paired with a conventional manual gearbox. The third-generation system adjusts damping in real time using suspension stroke sensors and the six-axis IMU, and the shock’s spring preload is electronically adjusted. Standard damping modes are Sport, Street, Comfort, Rain, and Auto, with settings made via the new dash and switchgear. Where other KTM Evo models pair semi-active suspension with an automated manual transmission, the 1390 Super Duke R Evo keeps its 6-speed gearbox fully manual with a hydraulically actuated assist-and-slipper clutch. The 48mm inverted fork has 4.9 inches of travel, and the shock delivers 5.5 inches of wheel travel.
Two option packages expand the electronics. The Track Pack unlocks Track mode with a track-focused display, a telemetry screen and lap timer, launch control, five-level anti-wheelie control, adjustable throttle response and traction control, and two more custom ride modes. The Tech Pack includes everything in the Track Pack. It adds a quickshifter, Motor Slip Regulation to keep the rear tire from sliding under hard engine braking, five-level engine-brake control, an adaptive brake light, and Suspension Pro. That last item brings Track and Pro damping modes, automatic preload leveling with High, Standard, and Low settings, and a switchable anti-dive function.
The updated 2027 1390 Super Duke R Evo costs the same $22,149 as the 2026 model. This means the new dash, navigation, calipers, and tires are complimentary. A 2026 owner already has the same engine, chassis, and semi-active suspension and will have to decide if the 8.8-inch touchscreen with offline navigation, HyPure calipers, and fresh rubber justify a trade. Riders new to the model face a simpler question: whether they want a 187-horsepower V-twin naked bike with semi-active suspension in the garage, because the 2027 updates come at no extra cost.
2027 KTM 1390 Super Duke R Evo Specifications
ENGINE
Type: 75-degree V-twin
Displacement: 1350cc
Bore x stroke: 110.0 x 71.0mm
Maximum power: 187 hp
Maximum torque: 107 lb-ft
Valvetrain: DOHC; 4 valves per cylinder
Fueling: Fuel injection w/ 60mm throttle bodies and ride-by-wire
Benda motorcycles are beginning to make a ripple on US shores with four intriguing and competitive models, courtesy of its partnership with Keeway Group. We were impressed with the Napoleonbob 500 and have now gotten our gloves on the persuasive, entry-level 2026 Benda Chinchilla 300, with its modest MSRP of $4999. It would be difficult to design a more welcoming entry-level cruiser than this easy-handling, visually appealing boulevard bobber. Editor Don Williams and Associate Editor Kelly Callan discuss the Benda Chinchilla 300 and how it actually rode for them.
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Our guest this episode is Jesse Merriman, Chief Technician for Jeremy McWilliams at the Arch Motorcycle racing project. Arch Racing was founded by Gard Hollinger and Keanu Reevs to compete in the Moto America Super Hooligan race series. Teejay Adams chats with Jesse about the Arch motorcycle and the challenges of extracting the absolute most from an air-cooled V-Twin racing engine and custom chassis.
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Here’s quick reminder to check out our monthly digital magazine. It’s filled with everything you want to read on motorcycling, including some things you’ve probably not seen elsewhere. It’s absolutely free and you will find it on the Apple App Store and of course on Google Play as well.
Don’t forget to leave us your comments on our social media—we’re on all the usual platforms at Ultimate Motorcycling. We love hearing your feedback… so good or bad, please let us know what you think. If there’s something you’d like us to cover, we’d love to hear those ideas too!
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