1290 Mode Control Question

[TURN and BANK]

Hello Everyone
I hope this is the correct place for this, if not, sorry. OK here is the squid question of the day. Is there a way (voltage output, etc.) to check that the mode control (Rain, street, sport) is actually working? Problem is that I can't feel a difference in the mode or at least in throttle response. Is it a noticeable difference?

Where this is going is that so many 1290 riders seem to be able to loft the front super easy and I just can't. I've watched Dodge Rider do wheelies with and without clutching up and it looks pretty easy but...............
I feel like the bike is stuck in Rain mode or something. I've turned off the MTC and put it in sport mode and still no cigar. Anyone else out there have this issue or is it me just being a weeny? Heck my 500 cc dirt bike lofts easy but the Beast just won't. All positive feed back will be appreciated and thank you in advance.
Turn and Bank.

[Newjerseyduke]

Some people think the anti wheelie is stronger on some bikes due to software or firm ware that's installed. Dodge makes it look unavoidable to do wheelies every where , mine is not like that. With all settings on and on street mode I can get little floaters if I hit it hard. But that's it. Also I am not a wheelie guy so I may be doing it wrong. Never tried in sport. To afraid of going over.

[mrossk]

Your location reads "Cody"- is that Wyoming? If so, what's your elevation? I'm in Santa Fe, at 7000 feet, and the bike is not easy to wheelie at all. If I get below 5000 feet or so, like Albuquerque, it gets a little easier, though still not like what I've seen in videos, which I bet are all at sea level. Where I am, I've lost 25 hp or so compared to sea level, so it's not that surprising. I really want to take a trip to get below 2000 feet or so
Regarding the modes- Sport mode has a quicker throttle response than street, though both give full power. It's "snappier" - though the difference, to me at least, isn't an order of magnitude or anything. Street is smoother around town, Sport is more aggressive (with more engine braking as well). Rain mode is limited to 100 hp, should be noticeable...

[TURN and BANK]

Hi mrossk
Yes I'm near Cody at around 4500 Ft. so like you maybe that's the deal. Dodge is around Raleigh, NC and at most maybe a couple of hundred ft. above sea level. Going to do some research on that and try to find out about HP loss. Thanks for the thought!
T and B

[5150 Pops]

Hi mrossk
Yes I'm near Cody at around 4500 Ft. so like you maybe that's the deal. Dodge is around Raleigh, NC and at most maybe a couple of hundred ft. above sea level. Going to do some research on that and try to find out about HP loss. Thanks for the thought!
T and B

I'm no expert on bikes or wheelies, but I'd imagine there's still enough Torque available, even with your altitude.
Based on my experience with my 2015, which is essentially stock, try the following...

Turn abs and mtc off (both warning lights should be lit solid in your display, not flashing), and switch to sport mode.
Once you've found a suitable, deserted area, get underway and select 2nd gear, have your rpm's around 4000-4500...steady.
Throttle back with AUTHORITY, once the tachometer sweeps past 5000-5500, my front wheel is at least a foot clear of the ground, and I am beginning to modulate the throttle, if I'm just goofing, or I'm continuing to feed in more throttle, followed by grabbing 3rd, and then 4th, if there's still enough room ahead of me.

I have never (on ANY bike I ever ridden for 37 years starting when I was 10) used the clutch to wheelie. Always from throttling up. Also, I refrain from loading the front to rebound into a wheelie with the throttle, these antics are hairy enough without making matters worse.

Some like to throttle along, steadily climbing then chop the throttle shut, followed by immediately throttling up with expediency. This loads the front end, and by quickly applying throttle, pitches the chassis rearward and potentially the front wheel off the ground, aided by the rebound of the front end. This is usually employed on turd heavy bikes, or bikes with little power. The 1301cc in this KTM doesn't require these tricks.

Be sure the surface you practice on is as free of debris, as possible, otherwise you could find yourself doing a rolling burnout, fishtailing, or worse.
1st gear is extremely violent, and I do my best to avoid aggressive throttle inputs unless I'm feeling exceptionally lucky on the day. That being said, with abs/mtc off you could try practicing in 1st. Get underway in 1st gear clutch lever fully released, rpm right at 1500-2000 and snap back on the throttle, IT WILL RISE, but it will not be as smooth or as slowly as it is in 3rd or 2nd off the throttle.

Practicing in 2nd is easier to get a feel for how the bike feels, but at a lot slower speed than 3rd gear. 3rd gear powerwheelies start around highway speeds, but float up so nicely, like an old fashioned wooden rocking chair.

I just got the Akrapovic evo map flashed to my ECU, and it is even easier now to initiate because of the more linear throttle response, compared to the lean OEM light load, and low rpm fueling.

[Freude am Fahren]

Easiest way to tell is to try and maintain like 30 mph in 3rd or 4th. Medium to low RPM, and switch between sport and street. Street will smooth out the little changes you make with your right hand. Sport will feel a bit more jerky.

That's the biggest difference I find between them. All out power is no different. 100% throttle is the same in both modes, they just have a different curve of throttle input to actual opening of the throttle bodies.

If you're stuck in rain mode, then power will be limited, as the throttle will be limited to 50% open (or somewhere around there).

The other way to tell is leave MTC ON, and try to rip wheelies. Sport should let you get higher before interfering. Of course if there is a problem with your bike, you may get the mode changes in the MTC, but not the throttle, so that may not actually confirm the problem. If the MTC feels no different (wheelies or wheelspin), then there is definitely something wrong.

I live at sea level, so I can't exactly tell you what you bike should feel like. Also there have been some software changes over the years.

Also important, I've seen people say (though can't confirm it's true), that the bike has a 'Demo Mode' that keeps it in rain mode, even though the dash will act as normal. Seems like a bad idea, since anyone riding the demo mode bike would be disappointed thinking it's in sport.

[TURN and BANK]

Hello Again Everyone
Thanks for the ideas and thoughts and for taking the time to jot down a reply, I appreciate it. I will be working on some of your comments and will get back later with results. I've been riding for 51 years and never really used the clutch to loft the front so to do so on this bike was puzzling as there should be enough power but the altitude is an issue. The HP lost is around 23HP figuring about 172HP to start with. Since I might be riding to the west coast this summer/fall and riding along the coast (sea level) I'll be able to compare sea level performance to that of my altitude, I'm hopeful for a kick in the pants! Ha, ha.
All of you take care and keep the oily side down.
T & B

[5150 Pops]

Hello Again Everyone
Thanks for the ideas and thoughts and for taking the time to jot down a reply, I appreciate it. I will be working on some of your comments and will get back later with results. I've been riding for 51 years and never really used the clutch to loft the front so to do so on this bike was puzzling as there should be enough power but the altitude is an issue. The HP lost is around 23HP figuring about 172HP to start with. Since I might be riding to the west coast this summer/fall and riding along the coast (sea level) I'll be able to compare sea level performance to that of my altitude, I'm hopeful for a kick in the pants! Ha, ha.
All of you take care and keep the oily side down.
T & B

It's the sudden increase in Torque, that helps bring your front wheel skyward, more than the Hp.

Study any number of 1290R graphs, and you'll see (100% stock, not altered) there is a significant increase of Torque between 3500-5500 rpm. That's the reason for my reference to that specific area of the Tachometer, rather than referring to road speed.On my S1000RR 8500-10500 RPM is the erection spot. Unfortunately from 2nd gear on you're extremely close to triple digit speed, and the additional attention it brings with it to law enforcement with a fully faired sportbike.

Good luck with it.

[stoo]

Im a bit late to this party.
Any one found a reason some bikes wheelie easier than others?
I have a 2015 duke, stock standard. Even with MTC and ABS off plenty of forward thrust but no power wheelies.

[muckweed]

After reading about how the SD1290 is the fastest bike from 30 to 70mph (don’t know if that’s a fact) I got myself on a nice straight road, selected third and at 30 pinned it. I was in Sport with everything on (AWC MTC). The bike lugged for about a second and at about 50mph the front started to rise fairly rapidly. Now I like to thrash round on my bike, but tend to feed in the power a bit more gently. This though was savage. My balls are not massive and I don’t have the required skill to see whether the AWC would eventually kick in, so I chopped the throttle sharpish. Yes this bike can wheelie easily.

Try it, just be ready.

[Gimlet]

People are probably not opening the throttle wide enough.Its the progressive wide-by-wire ramp. At medium openings you need to dig deeper than is intuitive to find the real muscle. But its there all right.

Mine has the TC switched off and it will readily wheelie in fourth without clutch or bumps if your winding on anywhere near 3/4 throttle when the needle swings past 7-7500 rpm. It won't do an instant 12 o' clocker and spit you off the back but you'll definitely get at least a foot of fresh air under the front tyre.

Nailing it through the gears up the slightest incline means sitting forward in the seat with your your elbows out like a motocrosser to keep some weight on the front. I have a pretty steep mile long hill near me that has a couple of sharpish crests on the way up and I'm actually quicker up it on my 1190 Adv because the Superduke is almost impossible to keep on two wheels. That's kind of the trade off with supernakeds: if the power doesn't make it rear up too eagerly the aerodynamics will. In some circumstances the power actually slows you down because you have to keep backing off. Its not clever but it is big and it is very funny, and in the end, that's the whole point. These are fun bikes not time setters.

You will make faster progress on the '17 model because the electronics are smarter and you can get more of the power down.