Well I'm all excited about the 2017 SDR and there's been a launch in Qatar with bikes in dealers in a matter of weeks.

Who's had a ride?

Who's changing?

..do we all think the improvements KTM have made are the right ones?

I do however really wish there was a proper Orange colour scheme as the non black one looks rather like a parts bin colour job rather than a creative design.

I'm not changing for a long time , 14.5 k for the one you need with all the bits i'll wait until 2nd hand ones start appearing . QS is here at last but why any road bike needs launch control is beyond me plus I'm not 100% sold on the styling maybe it will grow on me , had a good gander at motorcycle live so ill live with MK1 for the foreseeable future

Not fussed about quick shifters and I ride with only the ABS on and the MTC off so the new electronics wouldn't tempt me.

I agree about the colour scheme. Quite like the black version but IMO KTMs should always have an orange option, and yes, black white and orange just looks like they couldn't decide which colour to go for so just threw in a bit of everything and it doesn't work.

I will be taking a demo though to see what the engine changes feel like but I've got no urge to trade in my 2016 orange un.

I will be looking closely at the 2017 to see if it can justify the high price. And a full system will be on the cards to shed the extra 8kgs

The 2017 model has been very quiet on this forum...

I had the 9000 service done on my 2016 SDR today. They had the plain black and a black and white 2017 model in the showroom. Looking at them side by side, there's no doubt in my mind that on looks alone the outgoing full orange wins hands down.

I couldn't ride the new models but I swung a leg over one. The riding position isn't vastly different. I couldn't detect the additional bar width but the whole bike felt more compact. Even at a stand-still though, I could instantly feel the suspension was tauter and the damping firmer and better balanced. There's still no preload on the forks though unless you buy the RACE cartridges.
The headlight I don't mind,in fact I quite like it but the rest doesn't look as sexy, as cohesive or as thought out as the outgoing model. The exo-skeleton tail-piece IMO is not as pleasing to the eye as the sculptural rear of the original with the "1290" sweeping up the underside.
Maybe KTM are being more conservative with styling in the hope of winning over non-KTM riders - bright orange isn't for everyone - but to me it looked like the technical upgrades (and Euro 4 costs) have been in part recouped with cosmetic cost-cutting. I really don't think it looks as good. I'll test ride the new one but unless its night and day better in all riding situations (which I doubt) I wouldn't consider parting with my glorious orange un because it makes me go YESSS! when I open the garage door. And the new one doesn't.

The new bike has a big chunky exhaust valve which has added to the extra weight and will have to be deactivated when fitting the Evo system so I wouldn't be surprised if that puts the price up (the EVO system for 2017 is unchanged).
On the other hand the more sophisticated electronics are going to make the performance more accessible for more people and its going to be much sharper on track, and of the extras you can in fact cherry-pick individual bits on the KTM configurator. According to the dealership you can choose this bit over that, you don't have to have the full extras package. However, as you start adding things the price rises alarmingly. They said by the time they'd added every new thing available for the 2017 model and started wading into the accessory catalogue the price was pushing £20,000...

I've no doubt the new one's going to be a fantastic bike but I was very happy to get mine back. Didn't feel I had the poor relation at all. In fact I love it even more now knowing they don't make them like that any more.

9000 mile service was £215.

Alternative option is let the new model continue to drive down the price of new leftover 2016's which are de-bugged (Rear wheels wobbling, warped shit rimmed, water in the swing-arm) bikes and go even lower than the bikes I am seeing for $13,900 brand new....