SD or CB1000R

Hi all,

New comer to the forum and looking for a bit of advice on my next bike, i'm 25 and currently ride a RSVR with flat bars which was converted because i wanted to be more comfortable while riding longer distances with mates (do a few days where we go seaside etc and want to go abroad this year) but it has made me realise i really like naked bikes i like the style and just find them more practical for the road (sports bikes on the road are all very well but really imo 90% of the time there for posers). So i really have a Tuono with fairing and i find i can ride as fast, kneedown and go as quick with flatbars as i could with clipons so why not be comfy! Plus wheelies are much more fun (private roads only officer )

Anyway i've narrowed my search for my next bike down to a CB1000R and SD (Z1000 didn't feel right for me even just sat on it in showroom) but i'm stuck between them.

I love the way the CB1000R looks and i love its a honda so reliablity will be right up there (got a honda car and 90k miles and only had a wheel bearing apart from servicing) but from reviews i've read it seems like it does the job but just isn't fun.

The SD i test rode (although be it through a city so was not the best test) and loved it, V-Twin like the RSV which is a massive plus for me (love the v twin) also like the look of the SD and the hooligan image of it but i'm worried about reliablity issues although these have been pub talk and forums (fueling issues, random cutouts, blown engines etc) however i do know this is often made to sound alot worse by people just copying what others have said with no experience and also the "Give a man something good he'll tell his friends, give a man something bad he'll tell the world" hence why forums tend to be full of bad stuff not nessisarily reflecting the actual product!

So what im asking is do you real experienced peeps find that the SD is a good bike to own (I had loads of niggles on the Aprilia people used to take the piss saying i had to fix something after every ride...exageration!) but without being too biased has much gone wrong with your bikes and if so what? i'm looking at 2 bikes in the for sale forum but im going away on sat for a week snowboarding so i think they'll be gone but id like to get one from a forum owner as they often are the best looked after!

Basically if i get a SD will it be the best bike ive ever owned and fun and run or will i spend half of most of my evenings that i should be riding it fixing small niggles and faults like i am with the RSV (although now typically it seems the RSV has had everything fixed and is running sweet lol)

What a question to ask on a ktm forum lol
It got to be a sd and a black one as they are the faster ones

I sold my new blade with only 1100 miles on it at the start of last year to get my sd & i have never looked back but i must say take one out on a good run at least a hr or more if you can its one of those things you will love it or hate it
i love mine just never get time to ride it


Ps mines never let me down just make sure you dont buy a dog from ebay

CB 1000 R

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Twins rule the twisties.

Sounds to me you want a SD...so get one. Its a good bike.

as to those rumours;


fuelling issues - some SDs can be lumpy at low revs - not all are, but those unlucky few can be sorted with a few choice mods, from simply changing the throttle tube (£15) to geting cans, pc3 and a shiny airbox.

Most find however if you do have a bit of a jerky beast around 2/3k rpm, you do get used to it with time and your throttle control improves tenfold...

blown engines - never heard of one, absolute bollocks. The same engine is used in the Adventure 990s which go on till the end of time while crossing continents at the same time.

there are a few minor things depending on bike age to watch for. On 05-06s watch for clutch slave cylinder replacement (original OEM ones sometimes gave up) replacements are under £100 from Oberon if you need to.

Very rare water seals issues have turned oil into Mayo on some i think too.

05/06s are a little sharper handling and faster steering due to angle of forks but thats about it.

07 onwards are good bikes, the Clutch slave was sorted i think. Slightly more sedate ride but not much in it i reckon.

The main thing about them is front brakes, a few reports of seizing under salty winter riding. I've never had a problem in those conditions but I've not run OEM pads and I've cleaned my callipers a lot. KTM advise frequent and regular cleaning on front callipers if you ride in those conditions. If you dont, you can just enjoy awesome braking.

I am one of the highest mileage SD owners on here having done about 50000 miles on my 1st bike. I never had any major issues with it (it was an 06) and it is still running (somewhere).

In all honesty, I have run a Honda a lot before too and I really think build quality is as good with KTM, especialy in terms of corrosion protection, frame etc. KTMs component choices are better IMHO (Brembo/WP etc). BUT remember they are built for a different purpose than Honda. They are not as refined in the Honda way, they are a little rougher round the edges but that's where the character comes from. They are a low volume manufacturer so understand that before you commit. Having said that......I reckon a Honda would get boring after a while....but I'm on my 2nd SD(R) and have no desire to change to anything else!

If you go with an SD, you will most likely want to get louder pipes for it and tinker with induction and fuelling eventually....but thats where the fun lies...and the smiles per mile are massive!

Both bikes do the same thing at a similar price, so go test ride both.

If you like smooth japanese IL4s you'll buy the Honda. If you like raw agressive European twins, you'll buy the KTM. It's a purchase based on Heart over Head. Attitude over practicality.

As for what we recommend... well, what do YOU think?

Personally I think the CB1000R looks like a cheap copy of a Superduke, but with less individuality and class. I was going to test ride one, till I saw it in the flesh. I was completely uninspired by it.

Thanks guys,

I think your right i am pretty much made up on the SD being the bike i go for (the v-twin being a major deciding factor) if someone on here still has his after i get back from my hols (if i can't make it to see it before) then i think i'd be pretty interested.

Although i probably should really sell my RSV first and test ride both but ive never really been one for sensible thinking!

Well here's a very short rundown of MY experiences of SD ownership

SD #1 bought new came with Akro slipons

Goes like stink, lovely handling, no issues with snatchy throttle
It's been to the dealers 6 times, 2 for service, 2 to fix oil leaks caused by bad service, 1 engine rebuild (under warranty), 1 Clutch O ring (not warranty £50)
Taken it to most the major UK tracks. whooped some much more powerful / expensive bikes (including RSV4's !)threw it across the grass at Cadwell, picked it up and fixed it in 20 minutes with NO new parts (thanks partially to the GB racing protection kit I fitted £300)!!

SD #2 Bought used with 48,000 miles on it, standard exhausts, no issue with snatchy throttle

Rode it on the road twice, sold it because I bought......

SD #3 Bought it used with 12,000 miles on it (because it was cheap) Akro evo end cans, no issue with snatchy throttle

Taken to a few trackdays (while #1 was having it's engine rebuild), whooped some much more powerful / expensive bikes had a huuuuuuuuuge slide at Bedford autodrome which I somehow managed to save (partially due to my superior skills mostly due to it having mandlebars as opposed to girlie little clip-ons)

If your used to V twin power delivery you will love the SD and IMO find the Honda "all very good an all that but a bit bland"

PS I have got #3 up for sale in the forsale section !

In my bike history I have owned 2 superdukes, one was stolen. After it was nicked I couldn't bring myself to buy a SD again so quick. In the meantime I went through a Speed Triple ( great bike, shit alarm, crap quality ) then a Tuono which was a blast. This had a few warranty issues that Aprilia wouldn't pay for so I got rid of it after a year.

As a Honda car salesman I get discount on the bikes and thought I would go for quality with the CB1000R, I think I had it for about a year. Honestly this bike is so dull, its fast but dull. Its handling is sooooooo bad, no amount of screwing with the suspension could get it to go round corners properly. It has literally no ground clearance. It was however extremely reliable.

Most of all though the CB1000R has no soul. It doesn't put a smile on your face and it sounds like a hairdryer.

After all this nearly 2 years ago I came back to the Superduke fold and its the best bike I have ever had. Period. Yes the fueling is bad but it can all be sorted with help from the guys on this forum. I ride mine to work and it never fails to make me smile. Go and buy one.

Oh and if you love naked twins then you need the Superduke.

Put it this way, i had a new cb1000r for 6mths and traded it for a superduke, for me theres no comparison,
the honda was ok but it didnt make me want to ride it at every opportunity i could.

It is really great to hear a couple of guys that have owned CB1000R's rate the Superduke higher. I have IAM mates that are good riders that sing the praises of the CB1000R and the Tuono. I have ridden both and found them both a bit boring. I have also ridden with IAM guys on GS1200 and 1200 Multistrada's that can chuck them about and sing their praises but, for me middle age / senile dementia can wait and I am happy with the Superduke R.

If you are going to put up with the windblast and low top speed of a naked twin it has to be a Superduke. The Aprilia is probably faster at 9000rpm plus but so is every il4 sportsbike since about 1992. For me, the lowdown stomp is what riding a twin is all about. I am an ex Honda owner (400/4, VFR750K, CBR1000F, CBR900RRX, CBR600FX, CBR1000RR5)f I had to take a Honda it would be an SP1/2 as they are then only Honda's that have a soul.

If you have the budget the Ducati Streetfighter may offer the best of both worlds. However, if you are a bit short of 9 grand sterling and need to make a choice get a Superduke. You can always get a CB1000R when you are old and boring.

That said, I only ride for fun and do several trackdays a year. If you need a bike for anything practical the CB1000R will win hands down Which is why I am so glad I dont need a practical bike

just be weary of black ones slower and loook shite

Bailz you don't say where your from. I've had tons of hondas and a Tuono and I'd rate my SDR the best bike by far, sure it lacks in a few points, there are a lot more powerful bikes out there (the tuono being one of em) but it more than makes up in others. I've even toured on mine with no complaints whilst mates on tuono's suffered and I've had no reliability issues either, as said it's pretty much the same engine as the Adventurer
the other thing is you rarely park up next to one!

What was the question?
Oh yeah, Superduke. Let me first say, that unlike most of the SD fans on this site, I don't like naked bikes. So why, pray tell, would I own a SD? One and only one reason. Its fun. It never ceases to put a smile on my face. It hasn't gotten old and dull.

Its not the fastest bike, its not the most comfortable and its not the most reliable, but its a fooking blast to ride.

I have an 08. I've had it for a little over a year. The worst I can say about it is that the KTM USA dealer network sucks - so you shouldn't have any problems being you're in the UK. I've had some problems. My battery conked out within a month or two. I now keep the bike on a tender and no longer have that problem. My regulator / rectifier conked out at around 8 mths. Both conditions left me stranded by the side of the road. KTM warrantied the RR but not the battery. I can't see myself getting rid of my SD and I'd definitely recommend it without hesitation.

Regarding reliability, I've onwed 3 bikes with the LC8 engine, and apart from a few early niggles in 2005 with the starter clutch they've generally proved to be bullet proof (for a non-Jap bike, at least). The only scary issues have been with a few brake pads on KTM's brembos. Fuelling can be very lumpy on some bikes (esp SDRs) - although it seeems to vary bike by bike, but there are loads of remedies, from the cheap; (throttle cam) to the expensive; (Akras, airbox, PCIII).

The only thing you must do is keep an eye on oil levels, as lower mileage bikes burn up to 1litre evey 1000 miles, and they must never be run low. Checking oil levels accurately is a bit tricky, so it's easy to over-fill, or not notice that it's getting low. This gets better as the miles pile on. Mine now burns half that oil, or less.

If you're tempted by an SDR (...aren't they pretty...) you'll find the suspension hard as rock and the seat is a plank of wood. Both can be sorted, but it's quite different from the standard bike so you either need to have a steel arse and ride smooth roads, or spend some money sorting it out.

reliablilty is not bad at all... although it does have a poor design for the water pump seal but that is not hard to fix yourself... you hear the odd issue but you dont hear of the thousands of vehicles without the issue.

as for the SD... loads of fun, wheelie machine, very forgiving chassis, and big wide bars... allows you to pass the IL4 on the brakes, throw the thing on its side (with the wide bars) then wheelie out of the corner from all the torque on tap... FTW!!!

The LC8 engine is used in the Dakar Adventures, SMT's etc. Look after it and it will look after you. As for fun, Jesus, Its hard to find a reason not to own one. I love it, my kids love it and the wife loves it. Simples!

For the past few years i have owned an aprilia and a superduke at the same time .... The niggles with the aprilia pretty much mirror the niggles with the superduke .. spend a modest amount of money on some better parts .. clutch slave cylinder same as aprilia and sprag upgrade if early model much like sparag issues on early rotyax 1000 aprilias . So if you did not mind the aprilia niggles you wont mind the superduke niggles ....

I can just add to what's already been said - I had the 07 Repsol Blade with the same engine (altough detuned in the CB) and I have to say I was sick of it after six months.. Gorgeous looking bike but dead boring.. Sorry, the SD is still the best street bike I've ever ridden (that includes the BMW S1000RR, RC8R, SM, Duke R, I could go on..)

i dunno, i really liked the duke r... so chuckable

Hi Guys,

Thought id give you all a quick update...

I went on my snowboarding holiday last week and got back saturday since then my weeks been pretty mad...

I had my crosser on pistonheads and a guy phoned me sunday to pick that up on monday so got the cash for that, the next day i saw a SDR on ebay and noticed he was after another twin but needed cash his way so got in touch and next day he was on his way to drop off his SDR for my RSVR miluono and the cash from my crosser sale.

Talk about everything falling into place at the right time!

So im now the owner of a very nice 07 SDR and its sat in the garage looking like a piece of motorcycle porn and im wishing this rain away to get a proper ride.

Of course the bad point in this is that im now going to be sticking around here for a while so, sorry about that lol

^^^^
In that case, welcome to the nut house.

Welcome!
Since you're not riding it yet, why don't you post some pics of it here.
So we can enjoy it too

In my mind, you sir, are asking the silliest question on this forum possible, Jap 4, or a bike that stands the test of time you decide,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

err , i think he has mate !! and he's made an excellent choice !!

imho it was exactly the right place to ask that question ! ?? if you want opinions on a superduke this is the best place to ask , isn't it ??????? the fact that he was contemplating a honda has nothing to do with it

Your right ,,, it's better asking here than the Honda forum

Took my 07 SD to San Diego and back from the Bay Area. Piece of cake to ride for hours. Went on a group ride while I was down there and topped 146mph. Only real worries were the tarantulas. Yuk!

If it were me, I'd get the honda.