The Austrian manufacturer had a superlative field day at the recently concluded EICMA in Milan, Italy. Taking the covers off its brand new 790cc Duke, KTM shows of having no plans to be dethroned as the brand that gives us outright thrill seeking motorcycles in a compact and functional package.

This is KTM’s entry to the hot naked middleweight market that has been all been currently roped up by the Street Triples and the Monsters. They better get ready for a battle because this Duke is here to stay.

2018 KTM Duke 790

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2018 KTM Duke 790
  • Horsepower: 105
  • Torque: 64
  • Transmission: 6
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

STYLING

KTM’s naked revolution started with the new flagship 1290 Super Duke R that literally pushed the envelopes of the wild. It blew us away and reigned supreme in the naked market. To repeat the same KISKA design with the middleweight category, KTM’s new Duke 790 gets an entirely new frame and styling package to kick the competition right from the bottom.

Starting with the all-LED lighting package, the Duke borrows many gizmos from its eldest sibling, the Super Duke. It gets the TFT dashboard with optional KTM MY RIDE to tether your phone with the bike, and the straight cut futuristic body panels will remind you of the Super Duke. The multicolored panel also adapts its illumination to the ambient light and gets racy when TRACK mode is selected.

The tank spoiler acts as a multiple function surface of a spoiler and as an ergonomic surface for the knee ingress. Taillight mounted on the license plate holder comes off easily for track days, and KTM has purposefully made the 790 look sharp and fast giving it “clarity and the promise of a radically thrilling ride.”

The airbox sits snugly inside the subframe, with the air intake on the sides. Adjustable handlebar and WP steering damper complete the front end. And the 2-into-1 exhaust unit is one of the best ones seen in the business put onto a production model. The cast aluminum footpegs keep things clean. Bar-end mirrors and Akrapovic exhaust units with carbon-fiber ends are optional.

KTM 790 Duke
KTM

Overall Dimension

Make Model

2018 KTM Duke 790

Triumph Street Triple R

Length

n / a

81.2 in

Width

n / a

35.6 in

Height

n / a

41.7 in

Wheelbase

58 in

55.5 in

Seat height

32.4 in

31.8 in

Weight

372 lb

414 lb

Fuel Tank

3.6 gal

4.5 gal


POWERTRAIN

Powered by a new super-compact LC8c (‘c’ stands for compact) 799cc parallel-twin, first by KTM, 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. And at just 418 lbs wet, it sure can hoon around the streets without breaking a sweat with the best power to weight ratio in its class.

Weighing at just 425 lbs, this Duke 790 boasts of a best power-to-weight ratio in its class. The engine features a four-stroke DOHC unit with eight valves actuated via DLC-coated finger followers, electronic fuel-injection, balancer shafts, semi-dry-sump lubrication with oil cooler and a six-speed transmission.

Ride-by-wire handles precision fueling, great refinement as well as low fuel consumption and emission figures. Two balancer shafts take care of all vibrations for a smooth move. The open deck cylinder construction allows for optimal cooling and improved production tolerances. The aluminum crankcase has reduced wall thickness for that lightweight.

A PASC slipper clutch prevents destabilizing rear wheel chatter when braking sharply or decelerating and helps rider operate with minimal efforts. The stainless steel exhaust unit gives in for centralizes mass and allows for a relatively small muffler that plays a dramatic soundtrack. Titanium Akrapovic exhaust unit comes in as an optional package.

Engine Specification

Make Model

2018 KTM Duke 790

Triumph Street Triple R

Capacity cc

799

765

Bore / Stroke mm

88 / 65.7

78 / 53.4

Output

105 hp

116 bhp @ 12000 rpm

Torque

63.5 lb-ft

57 lb-ft @ 9400 rpm

Type

2-cylinder, 4-stroke, parallel twin

Liquid-cooled, 12 valve, DOHC, in-line 3-cylinder

Clutch type

PASC antihopping clutch, mechanically operated

Wet, multi-plate, slip and assist

Transmission

6-speed with quickshifter

6-speed


RIDE AND HANDLING

The extra strong CroMo steel trellis frame seen on this 790 is all-new that makes use of the engine as a stressed member to save weight. The bike’s excellent chassis geometry will allow the rider to flick the bike into corners without many efforts. Both rider and pillion seats have been developed keeping with the wide range of riders and riding styles. The seat cover is grippy but still allows the rider to move around the bike easily.

The aluminum handlebar is wide enough to put the rider in full control. The triple clamps can be adjusted by 4 levels and rotated by three positions for optimum leverage. Cast aluminum footpegs are positioned to give maximum ground clearance to allow for a high lean angle. Adjustable footrests are available as a POWERPARTS option for those who would like to go all out.

43mm split-function upside-down WP forks upfront allows for better tuning of the fork behavior. A gas-assisted shock at the rear handles the suspension using a direct link to attach with the die-cast swingarm. A 300mm twin disc setup with 4 piston calipers at the front and a single 240mm disc at the rear with 2 piston caliper take onto braking. All this stopping power is supported by KTM’s Cornering ABS.

WP steering damper comes as a standard unit. Lightweight alloy wheels minimize the unsprung masses and moment of inertia, with a positive impact on the handling and ride dynamics. Maxxis Supermaxx ST tires are grippy in both wet and dry conditions and come in handy especially in the fun-loving Supermoto mode.

With so much potential in this beast, you need electronic rider aids to tame it. Luckily, the Duke 790 gets motorcycle stability control (MSC), lean-angle sensitive traction control, quickshifter, motor slip regulation (MSR) 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.

Chassis Specifications

Make Model

2018 KTM Duke 790

Triumph Street Triple R

Frame

Chromium-Molybdenum-Steel frame using the engine as stressed element, powder coated

Front - Aluminium beam twin spar. Rear - 2 piece high pressure die cast

Suspension / Front

WP upside-down 43 mm

Showa 41 mm upside down separate function big piston forks (SF-BPF), 115 mm front wheel travel. Adjustable compression damping, rebound damping and preload

Suspension / Rear

WP shock absorber with preload adjuster

Showa piggyback reservoir monoshock, 131 mm rear wheel travel. Adjustable spring preload (lock-rings), compression damping and rebound damping

Brakes / Front

Four-piston radial fixed caliper 300 mm disc. Bosch 9MP two-channel ABS

Twin 310 mm floating discs, Brembo M4.32 4-piston radial monobloc calipers

Brakes / Rear

Single-piston floating caliper, 240 mm brake disc. Bosch 9MP two-channel ABS

Single 220 mm fixed disc, Brembo single piston sliding caliper

Tires / Front

Maxxis Supermaxx ST 170/20Z R17

120/70 ZR17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa

Tires / Rear

Maxxis Supermaxx ST 182/20Z R17

180/55 ZR17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa


PRICE

Pricing and availability are TBD. But be sure of this bike making onto the shores of North America only as a 2019 model while it will be sold in European markets starting from March 2018 and is priced there at £8,499 ($11,299).

KTM gives its riders a plethora of accessories and optional package to take the madness even higher. CNC parts, Akrapovic exhaust, ignition and clutch cover protection, alarm systems, factory triple clamp, lowering kit, stickers, wavy discs, chain and sprocket, lever protections, heated grip, USB socket, ergo seats, windshields, phone brackets, luggage and many more.

Make Model

2018 KTM Duke 790

Triumph Street Triple R

MSRP

$ 11,299 (Est)

$ 12,500


COMPETITION

Triumph Street Triple R

Designed to be an addictive and intuitive performance street motorcycle, Triumph’s attempt here is authentic. It is pretty safe to say that the Street Triple was arguably one of the best-looking roadsters designed by the company and we especially liked the twin headlights, the angular windshield and sharp lines of the body, of which makes the scene even in the new one. Said to have been inspired by the ‘nose-down’ focused attitude, the Street Triple showcases significant styling evolution over its previous generation. It gets all-new bodywork, flyscreen, radiator, cowls and integrated air intake.

It carries a 765cc powerplant, again derived from the brand’s Daytona 765, which has more power and a better performance package compared to the outgoing model. The R variant is the gets a whopping 116 hp and 57 lb-ft of torque making it feel closer to the liter-class counterparts, courtesy of a unique engine set-up, ECU and tune and is the most explosive Street Triple built by the British legends.

This new Street Triple focusses on state of the art rider-centric technology giving everyone maximum control and safety. Triumph has equipped the Street Triple with ride-by-wire for precise throttle response and improved on/off throttle transition.

Mechanically the Triple R is fitted with a 41mm Showa USD forks, a Showa piggyback reservoir mono shock unit attached to a new ‘Gullwing’ swing-arm, Nissin sliding calipers on Brembo brake units and premium Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa tires.

VERDICT

With the super-naked category running as hot as ever, without a doubt, has become the most competitive and crowded class in the motorcycling arena. When launched in 2014, the Super Duke R grabbed top honors in the segment filled with bikes that ooze ultra-high technology and bonkers performance figures.

And with the release of this dragon, KTM has positioned themselves as a fierce competitor also in this middleweight category. The Duke 790 is in a clear lead when it comes to the fun factor and thrill seekers will give due respect for this machine. KTM is world renowned for giving us bikes that love going around corners and this 790 can hunt apexes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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. The light, state-of-the-art chassis coupled the new LC8c engine facilitates insane acceleration blasting out of corners with precision. Advanced ride by wire, integrated connectivity options, personalized traction control and next-generation rider aids gives the 790 enough wepaons to win the batle.