Brabus, the supplier of hugely powerful Mercedes-Benz vehicles, is branching out into the world of motorcycles for the first time. Mercedes-Benz doesn’t make a bicycle, so the tuner teamed up with KTM to transform the 1290 Super Duke R Evo into a limited edition model called the 1300 R.
The changes made to make the Super Duke R Evo the 1300 R are even more drastic than the changes Brabus makes to its cars. Almost every exterior part has been completely modified or replaced. In particular, the 1300 R has a round LED headlight, a redesigned side fairing made of carbon fiber, shorter and lower handlebars and a thin, upward tail. Monoblock Z nine-spoke forged wheels give the look a finishing touch, but it’s the attention to detail that makes this bike stand out. For example, the brake and clutch levers and adjustable footpegs are CNC machined and the shift lever can be moved to one of three positions (including the option of a reverse shift pattern).
The 5-inch thin-film transistor screen allows riders to quickly access a variety of data about the bike and its environment, as well as make adjustments to the semi-active suspension system, which offers six different damping modes. And this bike is designed for year-round riding: it has heated grips with five levels and a heated seat with stitching reminiscent of Brabus-tuned cars.
Power comes from a 1.3-liter V-twin engine rated at 180 horsepower and 103 pound-feet of torque, numbers that are impressive considering we’re talking a bike that scales at 428 pounds. tilts. Brabus quotes a zero to 60 mph time of 3.2 seconds and, for those brave enough to explore the upper limit of the speedometer, a top speed of 170 mph. It’s the same base engine that powers the 1290 Super Duke R Evo, though it exhales through a Brabus-specific twin-pipe exhaust system, and it spins the rear wheel via a six-speed manual transmission.
KTM will begin taking orders for the 1300 R on February 14, 2022 at 3:00 PM in Germany, which is 9:00 AM in New York and 6:00 AM in California. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but we know production will be limited to 154 units – 77 will be finished in Magma Red and 77 will be painted in Signature Black. For context, the 1290 Super Duke R Evo has a base price of $19,599 in the United States.