Spied: Super Duke-based Brabus 1300 R

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It sure looks like a Husky, but several clues suggest this prototype in these spy shots is actually the new Brabus 1300 R. (S. Baldauf/SB-Medien/)

This KTM 1290 Super Duke RR-based prototype has been spotted in testing and while the large, round headlight has led some to suggest it’s a new Husqvarna 1301, we believe it’s actually the Brabus 1300 R project that Cycle World unearthed late last year.

Brabus, which has been turning out high-end, Mercedes-based cars since 1977, is about to make the move into motorcycles and has teamed up with KTM to achieve that goal.

Although there’s been no official confirmation from either firm, there’s an indisputable paper trail about the new Brabus 1300 R. Not only has Brabus filed for trademark rights on the name, specifying its use on a motorcycle in the process, but type-approval authorities in Europe have given the game away by publishing details about the machine—naming KTM as the manufacturer and revealing specifications that are closely aligned to those of the 1290 Super Duke RR.

Related: KTM Announces 1290 Super Duke RR. Yes, That’s With Two “Rs”

Already-published details include specs that are nearly identical to KTM’s 1290 Super Duke RR. (S. Baldauf/SB-Medien/)

A combination of factors suggests this prototype is the Brabus 1300 R rather than the long-rumored Husqvarna Vitpilen 1301. First, we have the bodywork. Yes, the headlight may look like it’s been pinched from the Husqvarna parts department, but the rest of the bike simply doesn’t have a Husky look. Every current KTM-based Husqvarna model utilizes unique bodywork to distance those machines from the bikes they’re based on, with new fuel tanks and other plastics, as well as reworked riding positions to ensure a different feel when you’re on board. That simply isn’t the case here.

In addition to the stock 1290 Super Duke V-twin engine, tubular steel frame, and single-sided swingarm, the bike seen here has the single seat unit from the limited-production Super Duke RR. It also uses an unaltered KTM fuel tank and appears to have the semi-active WP suspension from the new-for-2022 1290 Super Duke R Evo. The unique components include the headlight fairing and the angular-looking side panels that jut forward to follow the angle of the fork. Carbon fiber bits, including a new belly cowl and engine protectors, are also on display, as well as the Super Duke RR’s cooling ducts for the Brembo calipers.

New bits include the angular side panels, a headlight fairing, and a shotgun-style exhaust. (S. Baldauf/SB-Medien/)

We can also see a new over-and-under shotgun-style exhaust, although the main muffler and catalytic converter section are straight from the stock Super Duke models. We know from the type-approval document that the Brabus 1300 R will actually have the normal Super Duke R’s end-can, so the version on display here will probably come as an accessory.

And what about that Husqvarna-style headlight? Look closer, and you’ll see that the black central stripe that makes it look so much like a Vitpilen’s lamp is simply a strip of electrical tape on this prototype. No doubt the headlight is based on the same Husky unit, but the central split (which has a molded-in Husqvarna badge on the Vitpilen) will be changed for a new Brabus version.

But the smoking gun that seemingly confirms this bike’s position as the new Brabus 1300 R is the distinctive design of the wheels. They’re unlike anything in KTM’s current options catalog, but they perfectly match the Brabus Monoblock Z Platinum Edition car rims, offered on some of Brabus’s more exotic machines. The black finish, the shape of the spokes, the brushed alloy sections, and the black stripe around the rim are all but identical to the Monoblock Z Platinum Edition design, albeit reworked to suit a motorcycle application.

The clincher is the unique wheel design on the prototype—they look like a perfect match to Brabus’ Monoblock Z car rims. (Brabus/)

Given the evidence that this is the Brabus 1300 R rather than a new Husqvarna, we know from the type-approval documents what to expect from its specification. The engine is the stock 177 hp KTM unit, identical to the 1290 Super Duke R’s, with 103 pound-feet of torque, but the single-seat Brabus, with its carbon fiber, is 11 pounds lighter than the normal 1290 Super Duke R. At 452 pounds wet, including fuel, it sits directly between the base Super Duke R (463 pounds) and the limited-edition RR model, which came in at 441 pounds ready to ride. Given that all 500 examples of the Super Duke RR sold out in 48 minutes despite a price equivalent to more than $30,000, it’s safe to say that the Brabus will fly out of showrooms—even if it will have the sort of exotic price tag that you tend to see on the firm’s cars.

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