The huge annual motorbike commerce present, EICMA, is in full swing—and new releases maintain popping out of the woodwork. This time it’s the flip of the Austrian powerhouse KTM, with the announcement of the brand new and far wilier KTM 990 Duke.
Following the success of the 790 Duke and 890 Duke, the KTM 990 Duke comes dangerously near blurring the traces between middleweight and liter-plus bikes. KTM has dubbed it ‘The Sniper,’ and calls it the “lightest, sharpest, most performance-focused mid-class bare” to ever come from their Mattighofen manufacturing unit.
Powering the 990 Duke is a model new Euro 5+ compliant 947 cc LC8c parallel-twin engine. It options vital camshaft and valve timing modifications to make it extra rideable, and is cooled with the assistance of an even bigger radiator. The all-new exhaust is a full chrome steel affair, with revised lambda sensors that promise extra correct knowledge administration.
The brand new LC8c is nice for 123 hp at 9,500 rpm and 103 Nm of torque at 6,750 rpm, with a dry weight of 179 kilos [394.6 lbs]. That’s a small bump over the 120 hp that the present KTM 890 Duke R places out, and a extra noticeable enhance over the 790 Duke’s 105 hp. It’s nonetheless a means off the 180 hp supplied by the marque’s flagship 1290 Tremendous Duke R—however, curiously, the brand new 990 is nearer to the 1290 than it’s to the 890, visually.
Its new 14.5-liter [3.8-gallon] metal gasoline tank is flanked by sharp aspect panels, styled according to the Duke vary’s normal kinetic aesthetic. The 990 Duke carries on KTM’s high-quality custom of weird, alien-like headlights too, with a brand new hollowed-out LED unit that resembles the mandibles of a robotic insect.
Little question, the Duke (which, coincidentally, turns 30 this yr) is an acquired style. However there’s no denying that the 990 Duke appears to be like quick and razor sharp—and the cohesiveness of its frenetic geometry and myriad parallel traces is spectacular. For 2024, you will get the 990 Duke in both orange or metallic black.
The 990 Duke’s seat’s been angled up on the entrance in comparison with the 890’s, to make the using place extra steady and cease the rider from sliding ahead. The seat top clocks in at 825 mm, and the passenger seat sits 20 mm larger than earlier than. 760 mm-wide handlebars are adjustable 4 methods; two on the cast aluminum offset yokes, and two on the risers, which might be rotated.
Every little thing sits on a brand new tubular metal body, with 8% extra sideways stiffness and 5% extra torsional rigidity than earlier than for sharper dealing with. The asymmetrical double-sided swingarm is new too, with a 35% discount in stiffness that KTM says improves rear wheel traction throughout laborious using. It’s lighter too, and attaches to a revised swingarm pivot level with a solid pivot bolt.
One of many KTM 990 Duke’s raddest components is its die-cast aluminum subframe. It’s not solely been designed to supply most power with the minimal quantity of components, but in addition to host the air consumption and airbox. So these perforated panels below the seat are useful, feeding air to the consumption.
As you’d anticipate from KTM, WP APEX Suspension elements adorn the 990 Duke at each ends. The 43 mm upside-down forks use an open cartridge design, with compression and rebound damping dealt with by separate fork legs.
The 990 Duke will get its 17” alloy wheels from the 1290 Tremendous Duke R, with modifications to the rear wheel to make it match the 990’s swingarm. They’re wrapped in 120/70-R17 and 180/55-R17 Bridgestone S22 tires. Twin 300 mm brake discs sit up entrance, with a single 240 mm disc on the again; it goes with out saying that ABS is commonplace too.
Within the cockpit, a 5” TFT show (and a USB-C charger) affords entry to the bike’s 5 digital rider modes and varied settings. KTM’s new menu design even permits riders to allocate options to 4 ‘favorites’ slots on the show’s residence display—together with readouts like lean angle knowledge. And there’s a track-specific rider mode that allows you to mess with the anti-wheelie and launch controls.
KTM’s PowerParts catalog is stacked with a bunch of look-fast bits for the 990 Duke, together with a bunch of software program upgrades. Should you’re not aware of KTM’s present modus operandi, they’re within the behavior of pre-installing issues like a quick-shifter or extra using mode options, however leaving them disabled till you spring for the improve.
It’s the identical story with the 990 Duke, besides that KTM has now launched a ‘demo’ characteristic, which turns all of the non-compulsory software program extras on for the primary 1,500 km.
We’ve sampled each the KTM 890 Duke R and 1290 Tremendous Duke R, and each are remarkably agile and trackable. If the 990 Duke’s modifications are as efficient as KTM claims, it needs to be an absolute riot. And though we’re nonetheless on the fence about the way it appears to be like, we’re secretly crushing on the all-black colorway.
Supply: KTM | Outside and motion photos by Rudi Schedl
