THE EVIL TWIN

KTM have taken the popular 790 Duke and made it even more, well, KTM

- Alan Cathcart

KTM 890 Duke R

KTM has had a smash hit with the 790 Duke, its first-ever parallel-twin model launched two years ago powered by the LC8c (as in, liquid-cooled eight-valve compact) engine. Dubbed The Scalpel for its focused design and pared-to-the-minimum weight and bulk, it has provided KTM with a unique contender in the middleweight marketplace. It has been a top seller, thanks to being competitively priced and super fun to ride. With its highly distinctive sharp-edged styling by Kiska Design, the 790 Duke has filled the pretty big gap between the 690 Duke single and 1290 Super Duke V-twins in the Austrian firm’s street bike range, and in doing so has brought an entirely new level of electronic sophistication to the mid-size sector, with features that some Japanese one-litre sportbikes don’t even have.

COVERING NEW GROUND

Now KTM has gone one step further – make that several steps – with the debut at this year’s EICMAMilan Show of the 890 Duke R. Lighter, more powerful and even more purposeful than its kid sister, this is clearly aimed at topping the middleweight sector in terms of outright performance and razor edge handling, once again at an affordable price. “We’re focusing here on the hardcore KTM naked rider, with a bike that’s developed for very aggressive street and track riding,” says Dutchman Adriaan Sinke, KTM’s Head of Product Management. “We wanted to create the ultimate mid-class sports naked that’s also a serious option for riders of bigger bikes who are looking for something more agile, but still powerful, and exciting to ride.”