‘What I’d buy right now with’ £9000
2020 KTM 890 Duke R
After an illustrious racing career (he’s now ‘semiretired’...) that included winning a 250GP, Jeremy McWilliams has eased into a new role as a sought-after development rider and tyre tester. He has worked for many companies and since 2011 has been part of KTM’s test team. So how would the man who has gone elbow-to-elbow with (and beaten) Rossi spend his cash? “I’m lucky because I already have a 1290 Super Duke R in my garage,” says Jeremy, “which KTM have given me to ride because I’ve helped develop the bike from its first generation to its current incarnation. But lately I’ve found myself more and more attracted to middleweight nakeds such as the 790 and 890 Duke and especially the 890 Duke R, which is a fantastic bike and is the one I’d actually buy. “Middleweights have improved so much in recent years to the stage they are now far from a compromise. The 890 Duke R is so capable, whenever I ride one I’m blown away by it. “I’ve done a lot of miles on the R during testing and it is such a great all-rounder and brilliant fun to ride on the road while also incredibly impressive on track. The upgrades the R has over the 890 Duke take it to another level and the enhanced WP suspension, Brembo brakes and sticky Michelin tyres mean it can really cut it on track. And I love the way you can just get on and go with the 890 Duke R, which you can’t do so much on the heavier and more intimidating Super Duke R. “Oddly, I also kind of want a Ducati Diavel in black in my garage. I quite like the way it doesn’t fit into any particular category and is quite extreme with so much street presence, although I’ve never actually ridden one so I think I’ll probably stick with the 890 Duke R as I know I’ll enjoy that.”
JEREMY McWILLIAMS
Every week we give a different rider a wodge of fictional cash and ask them to ‘buy’ the bike that sets their soul on fire.