Nicknamed ’The Scalpel’, the 790cc brutal twin-cylinder was KTM’s entry to the hot naked middleweight market. With a quirky 105 hp on tap, this 370 lb orange streetfighter is the sharpest tool under the KTM roof all out to dominate streets.

Now, our friends at MoreBikes have stumbled upon the Austrian manufacturer testing the production version of the sportier ‘790 Duke R’ in action. The snaps showcase the bike sans any graphics and orange wheels instead of the black ones that come on the standard 790 Duke.

The Duke R will, however, be powered by the same super-compact LC8c (‘c’ stands for compact) 799cc parallel-twin. The powerplant easily punches out 105 hp and 63.5 lb-ft of torque, enough to see it rise to the top of the charts. The Duke R might see a bump in these figures, thanks to new engine mapping and electronic settings.

Ride-by-wire handles precision fueling, great refinement as well as low fuel consumption and emission figures. A PASC slipper clutch prevents destabilizing rear wheel chatter when braking sharply or decelerating and helps rider operate with minimal efforts. The Duke 790 R will probably get the Titanium Akrapovic exhaust unit as standard instead of as an optional package on the regular.

KTM might equip the Duke R with CNC parts, factory triple clamp, lever protections, heated grip, ergo seats and a few other bits to up the charisma of the already potent 790. Expect the Duke R to come with Brembo monoblock front calipers and fully adjustable WP suspension front and rear.

The Duke 790 R will also come equipped with motorcycle stability control (MSC), lean-angle sensitive traction control, quickshifter, motor slip regulation (MSR), cornering ABS and launch control. Four riding modes (Sport, Street, Rain and Track) handle throttle valve positions perfectly suited to the riding conditions. The track mode additionally comes with Anti-wheelie and Traction Control spin adjuster.

We can expect KTM to unveil the feisty 790 Duke R later this year at the 2018 EICMA show in Milan as a 2019 model. The Duke 790 is already in a clear lead when it comes to being a thriller, and the thought of the Duke R taking that up a notch is making me create saliva bubbles.