Run through the hills
The KTM 790 Duke takes a spin through the Welsh valleys to the sea
IN MY LAST report I told you how well-suited the KTM 790 Duke was for a track evening at Cadwell Park — no surprise really. So what kind of experience would the 790 give me on a mini-tour of Wales? I came up with a rough plan of riding to the bottom of Wales then working my way north. From Peterborough to South Wales was a chance to see how the bike would fare on motorways. The lack of wind protection is something I’ve adjusted to but the riding position actually works in this scenario. A bit of bum-ache set in after around 100 miles but the seat is spacious enough to find another sweet spot. The real pain came from my 15-year-old tankbag, which I fitted just before setting off. Because of the Duke’s angular tank, the bag would annoyingly fall on to either arm. Bad choice by me. Maybe trying out the Powerparts tankbag would make life easier.
My late arrival at the first stop, Swansea, meant a quick dinner then bed. The next morning was met with
glorious sunshine, so I set off a further 13 miles south to Oxwich Bay to catch some rays on the sand before I started my day. The grand start was made even better when the car-park guy took a fancy to the 790 Duke and kindly waived my £2 parking fee.
The climb up to north Wales to Betws-y-coed for my second and final stop of the trip was where I could really have fun. After I got the boring M4 out of the way, the A476 through Llandeilo was just lush on the Scalpel — sweet scenery and roads. Things got even better on the A487 with it’s lovely sweeping bends through Machynlleth and Mach Loop; not even the rain could dampen my spirits.
In terms of economy, the best I got from a tank was 160 miles with a litre or so to spare. I thought the range would have been better based on my previous figures, so I put it down to the added weight of luggage and higher average speed.