KTM unveils ‘ultimate street weapon’

The new KTM 790 Duke has been developed using the know-how gained from the previous 690 Duke and the 1290 Super Duke R.

The 790 produces 105bhp at 9000rpm from the 799cc engine. That’s 32bhp up from the previous 690. The bike produces 63.4lb-ft of torque at 8000rpm, 8.9lb-ft more than the 690 Duke which develops 54.5lb-ft at 6500rpm.

The 790 has a two-cylinder, fourstroke engine which has electronic fuel injection and two balancer shafts. It features a six-speed transmission with slipper clutch as standard.

It has cornering Bosch ABS with Supermoto mode, lean-angle sensing traction control, quickshifter and launch control.

KTM ride mode technology with customizable track mode is also standard, as is the KTM TFT dashboard with optional KTM MY RIDE for easy smartphone hook-up. OEM Maxxis Supermaxx ST tyres are also part of the basic model.

Similarly to the 690 Duke, the 790 has a three mode traction control. The new model has a track mode, inherited from the racier 1290 Super Duke R. The 790 also shares the same 14 litre fuel tank as the 690.

There are two 300mm front brake discs with radial four-piston Brembo calipers. The rear wheel has twopiston, 240mm caliper brakes.

The chassis is a combination of aluminium and steel with the engine used as a stressed member to keep the weight down. KTM says this results in a dry weight of around 169kg.

The 790 has a 10mm higher seat than the 690 at 825mm and is closer to the ground with a clearance of 186mm, compared to 192mm.

No price has yet been revealed for the 790, but expect it to retail at around £8000 to £8500 based on rival machines such as the Yamaha MT-07 (£6199). The Suzuki GSX-S750 comes close to matching the Duke 790 in power and costs £7699. The current 690 Duke is £7799.