SCOOP: Completely Revamped KTM 990 Duke Spotted Testing Near KTM’s Factory In Austria
It’ll boast an up-specced engine based on KTM’s LC8c platform seen on the 790 Duke and the 890. Expect the official debut by end of the year
by Punya Sharma, onThe KTM 990 Duke was the OG Super Duke before the ballistic 1290 version came along, and if you’re a fan of the former, we’ve got good news for you.
An all-new twin-cylinder KTM naked has been spied testing near the bikemaker’s factory in Mattighofen, Austria. The test mule was flaunting a revised version of its LC8c engine, thus confirming a resurrection of the 990 Duke. This makes total sense. After all, it’d be an ideal next step in KTM’s middleweight lineup, comprising the 790 Duke, 890 Duke, and the 890 Duke R.
2023 KTM 990 Duke Spied Testing
One look at the KTM 990 Duke’s test mule and it looks exactly like….a Suzuki GSX-S1000. Yes, unlike the existing KTM 790 and 890 Dukes, the 990 Duke boasts a totally different fascia with two vertically stacked LED projectors, extremely similar to the 2021 Suzuki GSX-S1000. However, fascia aside, all other bodywork - tank shrouds, fuel tank, and the tail section - are all super radical in typical KTM fashion.
One interesting thing to note here is the comparatively chunky tail section than the existing 890 Duke or even the 1290 Super Duke, hinting that KTM might have moved the fuel tank to the rear.
Similarly, the 990 Duke test mule also has a redesigned swingarm with new casting and a different brace arrangement compared to the 890 Duke. Other than that, though, the cast-alloy rear subframe appears similar to the existing bike.
Coming to the suspension, the test mule boasts fully adjustable WP Apex forks and mono-shock, both identical to the 890 Duke R. However, this one gets KTM-branded brakes instead of Brembos, a hint that this is the base-spec 990 Duke comparable to the non-R 890 Duke.
Finally, we come to the bike’s party piece - its powerhouse. Judging from what we see, the engine setup here is identical to the LC8c, parallel-twin mill which debuted on the 790 Duke, but with a different casing, cylinder head, and bracing, all aimed at bringing it close to the liter-class. Additionally, the bike also gets a new two-into-one exhaust mounted on the lower right side rather than the high-set unit on the 790 and the 890.
Not much can be said about the features currently, but a full suite of electronic aids should be available as standard here
Because of all this, expect a bump in performance to about 130-135 horsepower, 10-15 ponies more than the 890 Duke R.
2023 KTM 990 Duke Expected Launch Timeline
*2013 KTM 990 Super Duke shown for reference
From what we see here, it’s clear that there’s still plenty of testing to come for the all-new 990 Duke, so the launch isn’t exactly close-by.
The official debut, however, will most probably take place by the end of 2022, followed by an official launch in early 2023.
Image Source: 1000PS
