Can KTM’s 790 Duke kick the Street Triple R where it hurts?
Triumph’s Street Triple R will take some beating, but KTM’s all-new 790 Duke gives it a good go
KTM have got it so right with their new 790 Duke, you’d never believe it’s their first crack at making a parallel twin.
Nestling in a minimalist steel chassis the 105bhp 799cc motor is as diminutive as a single, but delivers the booming punch and the thrappy, motocross-crisp soundtrack of a big V-twin. Anyone standing within bomb blast of the MCN250 route today will have their eardrums assaulted by the KTM’s thunderous growl. Unapologetically single-minded, the 790 is at its happiest rolling around corners and getting tangled
in twisties such as the tree-lined curves of the Cotswolds and the ribbon of undulating B660, north of Bedford.
Fellow tester Paul Berryman sums up the orange pretender perfectly. “It’s like a modern-day RD350LC,” he grins. “It might not be as fast as a superbike, but it begs you to thrash it and have fun. It handles so well and would easily give bigger bikes the hurry-up.”
He’s right. KTM have nicknamed the 790 Duke ‘The Scalpel’ and for once the cheesy marketing speak is bang on the mark. The lightweight naked is a tango of speed and bass-driven drama, with precision handling and big grip. It has just the right amount of power to reward any rider with easy, but not excessive, speed. For the road the 790 is actually smoother, more involving and fun than its 1290 Super Duke R big brother. It’s just as happy to play the fool, too.
Radial brakes, a colour dash and LED headlights give the Austrian machine a glossy feel of quality while a tall, forward-canted supermoto-style riding position is easy on the wrists and arms. The seat won’t torture your behind and for a six-foot rider with knees that have seen their fair share of operating tables, the generous gap between the 790’s seat and pegs is a godsend. First class legroom adds to longdistance enjoyment and lets you reach the back brake without a kneecap-induced wince.
As far as the KTM’s rivals go, think of it as a faster, tougher, higher-spec Yamaha MT-07, or a sportier MT-09/ MT-09SP. But the bike it really has to beat is the Triumph Street Triple, the closest machine to the 790 in terms of price, electronics and suspension is the mid-spec R.
So here we are with the cream of