KTM 790 Duke on sale June 2018
It’s known as ‘The Scalpel’ within the halls of KTM, and Aussie punters will soon have the chance to buy itKTM Australia has confirmed its 790 Duke nakedbike will be launched locally by June 2018.
Powered by an all-new liquid-cooled 799cc engine dubbed the LC8c, it’s the first parallel twin to come from the Mattighofen factory and is capable of a claimed 105hp and 86Nm.
Looking every bit a Duke sibling with its angular bodywork and tubular-steel trellis frame, it gets fully adjustable split-function upside-down WP forks and a preload-only adjustable gas-charged rear shock. The dry weight is a claimed 169.5kg, and a wet weight of 189kg.
There’s a bevy of electronic rider aids as standard fitment, including cornering ABS and lean-angle sensitive traction control, and the 790 Duke has four riding modes: Rain, Street, Sport and the customisable Track, the latter featuring launch control, slip adjuster, free choice of throttle response and allows you to “pull epic wheelies” when the anti-wheelie function is turned off.
There’s also a Supermoto setting to allow riders to disengage ABS on the rear.
Other electronics include a bi-directional quickshifter and a full colour TFT dash.
The LC8c produces its maximum torque at 8000rpm, and the power peak chimes in at 9000rpm. It has a torque-to-weight ratio of 50Nm per 100kg, compared to 46Nm per 100kg for the top-spec Triumph Street Triple 765 RS.
The 790 Duke should be a lot of fun, and Bikesales will be riding it at the international launch on March 8, by which time we should know what the retail price will be.
The 790 Duke will replace the (still excellent!) 690 Duke as KTM's middleweight naked offering.
Related reading
EICMA 2017: KTM 790 Duke and Adventure R prototype
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