ASK record-breaking, KTM stunt rider Oliver Ronzheimer what it takes to excel in his trade? He will say: Good bike, good brakes and practice.

On his recent trip here for the National Bikers Weekend, he awed spectators on a standard KTM 990 Super Duke.

The 2006 Super Duke is not exactly a tame motorbike, yet he did not break a sweat.

The German rider pulled wheelies, rolling stoppies and drifted on the 180kg motorbike at the flick of the throttle.

We got a chance to ride the same bike and found that while some of the bike's characteristics made it easy for Ronzheimer to perform, it takes experience and practice to shine on the six-speed Super Duke.

When we kicked the Super Duke into first gear, this reporter nearly got kicked in the bum.

You see, the fuel-injected Super Duke, with its bulldog, street-fighter looks, has so much torque starting from 3,000rpm.

Throttle hard and you'll instantly notice the front wheel going light and even leaving the tarmac.

The only "running-in" required is perhaps for the rider because he needs time to re-adjust his senses.

From lower down the rev range, the engine starts to build power till it makes its maximum of 118hp at 9,000rpm.

But it makes perfect sense for stunt maestro Ronzheimer to ride the KTM.

The instant punch (100nm to be exact) guarantees that whenever he needs to pull a wheelie pronto, he would be able to do so without difficulties.

Despite the potential power and torque, the Super Duke is a pleasure to ride on the road, provided you're gentle with the throttle.

It's also spacious for the rider, but not for the pillion.

The passenger footrest, placed close to the underseat exhaust pipes, tends to heat up ankles during traffic stops.

But the spaciousness in the cockpit allows Ronzheimer to shift his bodyweight and balance the bike, should the power overwhelms.

The huge 15-litre fuel tank makes it a breeze to sit on during jaw dropping foot-less wheelies.

The V-twin engine configuration inside the Trellis frame means thighs grip the slim frame easily.

No nonsense

The no-nonsense approach on the Super Duke's clocks is an acquired taste, unlike most modern bikes with multi-function displays.

The KTM has a large, easy-to-read speedo and rev counter, plus temperature gauge and trip meter.

Such functions would be useless for Ronzheimer as he keeps his eyes locked onto the cramp performance area.

Should the need arise to "drop anchor", Ronzheimer's got one of the best braking systems one could ask for.

Two 320mm brake rotors clamped by dual Brembo calipers stop the blur in an instant.

In most cases, it takes one finger to put things back into perspective.

The steel braided hoses are fed by a Brembo master pump, giving great power and feel during hard braking.

Hence stoppies, where the front wheel locks and the rear wheel lifts, and burnouts, where the rear wheel spins into a smoke-filled frenzy, are done effortlessly when the front wheel is locked by the brakes.

Nevertheless, you could cruise in "Sunday morning" mode - or attack mode.

Pin the throttle hard and the Super Duke's engine rumbles frenetically.

Ride it lazily in higher gears, the journey is smooth and vibration-free.

A quick twist of the throttle wakes the engine up, like how most V-twin engines react - a plus when you need a sudden burst of acceleration to avoid a collision.

But the explosive stop-and-go can tire your arms.

Your body gets pulled back during acceleration, and pushed forward during braking.

It's something you'll get used to on the $23,000 bike (machine price only).

The White Power suspension on the Super Duke has been set up more on the firm side - something which Ronzheimer requires for stunt work.

Dropping the front wheel hard after a wheelie requires extra damping on the front forks so that it does not wriggle violently.

Carving corners on winding roads is surprisingly pleasant and precise on the KTM, as its wide handlebars aid the transition into corners.

With power to boast, the weight of the bike goes unnoticed.

The only pain is felt when you're caught in a jam - your fingers will need to work extra hard to engage the "springy" lever on the hydraulic clutch.

This article was first published in The New Paper on Dec 27, 2008.