What's The Highest CC KTM Motorcycle Ever Made?

KTM motorcycles have made a name for themselves in virtually every arena of performance across their long and storied history–from the dirt trails of motocross and smooth tracks of MotoGP, all the way to the public backroads and city streets where people ride them every day. But while the company has made a lot of different kinds of bikes over the years, most of them have had a tendency to land somewhere in the middleweight category (350cc to 890cc) when it comes to engine size. This seems like a logical decision on the company's part, as bikes like the 390 Duke and 390 Adventure are often counted among the brand's most popular models.

Bigger doesn't always equal better when it comes to motorcycle engines, but it's usually a pretty safe assumption that a bike with more fuel displacement is going to be able to generate more power and torque. The higher volume of air-fuel mixture combusting inside the engine means that more energy is released by the greater combustion force. Most of KTM's bikes appear to be aimed at a balance of approachability toward newer riders and boasting sufficient power to still supply adequate thrills for more experienced ones. But the company does have a handful of flagship heavyweight bikes that take this performance even further, some of which even cross that hallowed line into the 1,000cc+ category.

With that in mind, some fans of KTM might be curious to learn which of the manufacturer's bikes houses the biggest CC engine. To learn that, you need look no further than the company's current lineup, since the highest CC KTM motorcycles ever made are none other than the 1390 Super Duke R Evo.

While the 1390 is fairly new, the engine inside is actually a model that has been around for quite some time. The 1390 Super Duke R Evo is equipped with the latest iteration of the company's own LC8 V-Twin motor – an engine model which KTM has been refining for over two decades. This is the same engine that KTM uses in the 1290 Super Adventure and 1290 Super Duke lines, but with one key difference: The 1390 version of the LC8 has an additional 2mm overbore, taking each of the cylinders from 108mm to 110mm in diameter and giving this iteration of the LC8 the extra boost in displacement that puts it over the top.

The LC8 used in this bike is a 1350cc 2-cylinder, 4-stroke, 75-degree V-Twin engine with liquid cooling, an oil heat exchanger, DOHC, and a 6-speed transmission. This gives the bike up to 190 horsepower and up to 107 pound-foot of torque, making it incredibly powerful. Compare those numbers to the standard LC8 engine used in the 1290cc models, which is only able to produce up to 180 horsepower and 103 pound-foot of torque. That difference might seem marginal to most riders when they're actually in the seat, but it's enough to place the 1390 Super Duke R Evo at the top of the heap.

Of course, a motorcycle is a lot more than just the engine that powers it. The Super Duke is a naked street bike with stripped-down bodywork and the line's signature, aggressively angular styling. It seats the rider in a position that blurs the lines between street and sport, allowing them to get superbike-like performance with a level of comfort that also makes it well suited to use as a daily commuter.

According to KTM's description of the 2024 model, the powder-coated chrome-moly tubular space frame "received a few minor tweaks to compensate for the updated engine, gearbox, and larger fuel tank. The frame uses the engine as a means to increase torsional rigidity, making the KTM 1390 Super Duke R Evo extremely precise." The company goes on to state that this naked the bike feel effortless in spit of its size.

In terms of features, the bike has a WP Apex-USD 0 48mm suspension in the front and a WP Apex-Linkage Shock in the back, both of which use Semi-Active Suspension Technology (SAT). This allows the bike to adapt to both the rider's input and the traction the tires are getting from the road's surface. It also has cornering ABS, multiple ride modes, launch controls, wheelie control, a Keihin EMS (electronic monitoring system), a ride-by-wire throttle, cruise control, and a double ignition. It's definitely not the cheapest motorcycle that KTM sells, but no one can say it doesn't come with all the bells and whistles.