The upcoming KTM 790 Duke will rival directly against the likes of the Triumph Street Triple RS and the Kawasaki Z900
The display model of the much-awaited KTM 790 Duke was spotted recently in Bangalore with a temporary number plate which fueled the rumours of its launch once again. The Austrian manufacturer will most likely commence the official booking of the motorcycle from late-September 2019 onward.
Here are the 5 things you should know about the upcoming KTM 790 Duke
1. Styling inspired from the 1290 Super Duke R
The KTM 790 Duke takes its entire styling inspiration from the 1290 Super Duke R. The 790 Duke features a split LED headlamp setup followed by a large TFT instrument cluster that provides plenty of information to the rider and a muscular fuel tank with sharply extended tank shroud. The motorcycle has a compact dimension but it is relatively larger than the 390 Duke.
2. Outstanding performance
The middleweight naked streetfighter is powered by a 799cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin LC8 engine. The engine paired with a 6-speed gearbox produces about 105PS of peak power at 9000rpm and 87Nm of peak torque at 8000rpm. The motorcycle has a dry weight of just 169 kilograms and is one of the lightest sports naked motorcycles of its segment.
The 790 Duke has the power to weight ratio of 621PS per ton which is enough to pull some quick wheelies. The advanced engine uses forged pistons and two counterbalancers that keep the vibrations away It also gets a slipper clutch and up/down quick-shifter.
3. Plenty of electronic rider aid on offer
The 790 Duke gets four different rider modes -Sport, Street, Rain, Track. An adjustable wheelie control and cornering ABS with Supermoto mode, IMU-based 9-level traction control, and an engine brake control.
4. Suspension and brakes
The 790 Duke relies on a thick 43mm WP upside-down fork and a WP mono-shock absorber at the rear. The braking duties of the motorcycle are handled by twin 300mm disc brake at the front with radially mounted four-piston callipers and a single 240 mm disc with single-piston floating callipers at the rear.
5. Pricing and launch details
The upcoming KTM 790 Duke will likely be priced around Rs 8 lakh (ex-showroom) mark. The motorcycle will arrive in India via the CKD route.
