Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Me want one! NOW!

Thanks Mike for the continual updates on motorcycles and Gizmag. It's fabulous! Used to read your articles and always respect your opinions. Having ridden almost 50 years,old Airhead Beemers are still by far the favorite. Although slow,they are lightweight & simple. One can actually do most the work themselves and they last for decades. What a concept! Wish someone would make them today.

chidrbmt, Ural still makes the airhead and you can buy it as a standard Solo model, or as a cruiser in the Wolf model. Or in one of their many sidecar models as well.
I think KTM is engaging in clever germanic eugenics in making a machine that is this idiotically powerful. I know that 120 mph with no fairing is already painful, what the hell are they thinking other than providing people with a great way to go out and remove themselves from the gene pool.
Start looking for a lot of dead squids once this thing goes on sale.

Why do people need such powerful MC's? You can't legally use it anywhere near it's potential on the road. So other than showing off to feel big because they are so insecure, what good are they other than getting their riders killed?
Another is how uncomfortable does one want to be? And why?
My way is building my own EV Streamliner that is not only a fair amount faster than legal but very comfortable and safe with it's composite body/chassis. Plus gets about 200mpg equivalent with it's EV drive and with a small 10kwhr battery pack goes 200 miles.
Add a 30lb generator and go unlimited range or use a fast charger and charge in 15 minutes at standard level 2 charge stands now being put everywhere.
Now those are worthwhile things to make. Why can't MC companies make them instead?.

@jerryd I take it you don't ride. A 125cc scooter can break the speed limit but it doesn't mean you will. I owned a 640 Duke and loved it. I agree with Demian in that hitting 80 on an unfaired bike isn't comfortable after 45 minutes or so but this bike isn't built to ride coast to coast.

Will get it. Currently ride a 2009 Aprilia Tuono 1000 r Vtwin (1st bike at 40 yrs. old) with MIVV race exhaust and race tuned...not enough. Still have enough testosterone to take on the KTM 1290. Waited until I was 40 to get a bike because I was too aggressive when I was younger. Can't wait for the KTM.

@jerryd
Some things in life are not made to be sensible.
I hope the showroom version is like the prototype

Read the article again boys, KTM "Ready to race" program. KTM have been doing it just fine for the last 10 years already and this is just an extension and some people will "squid: themselves of a 50hp bike and the greater majority will not on the 1290 because it will scare the crap out of anyone not trained to deal with it.
Bikes are more and more because people keep buying more and more. Id probably use 1/5th of its potential. I'd still buy it for that one time I needed every single pony I could handle to get out of trouble and the same with the brakes.
So what if its a loon/hoon bike. its made to win traffic light GP's and that'll do me on a Sat on the StKilda to Frankston beach Rd.

180 - 200 HP? Seriously? This motorcycle is going to be way too fast for use on public roads. That much power on a motorcycle that weighs so little would be almost uncontrollable.
Which is why I will definately consider one when it comes time to update my Triumph Speed Triple....
PS. jerryd, have fun on your "EV Streamliner"(omg)....

I got it!!! lets take the KTM motor and put it in Jerry's Streamliner,since most of a motorcycles horsepower is wasted on overcoming air resistance,we should be able to warp space and slow down our aging.All kidding aside,I love the KTM,but a purpose built streamliner would make one fantastic commuter vehicle.In most cases it doubles the fuel economy,if you could see a coast down of a standard motorcycle and a streamliner,when the power is cut,the standard bike slows right down,the streamliner pulls away and travel's a good distance down the road.Air is the enemy.