Could This Be KTM’s Duke 790?
| August 25, 2015
Spy photos have recently surfaced at German magazine Motorrad and Indian website motorbeam.com of a new mysterious KTM, possibly the much rumored 790 Duke.
The photo shown here suggests a model far larger than the 390 or 690 Duke machines, both powered by single cylinder engines, yet subtle changes, including the twin exhausts at the front of the engine (suggesting the new motor will be a parallel-twin four-stroke), as well as beefier WP front suspension, swingarm, twin Brembo brake calipers, different headlight assembly and bodywork all hint towards this being the model that KTM will pit against the Triumph Street Triple R, Ducati 821 Monster and MV Agusta Brutale 800.
That, and this bike’s covered in the ubiquitous camo-bodywork that adorns new prototype models.
This is not the replacement to the Duke 690, as KTM will be bringing out a revamped version of their best-selling single for the 2016 model year. The new bike will thus bridge the gap between the 690 and big-bore 1290 Super Duke, and considering KTM has had the idea of building a parallel-twin for some time, we could see the Austrian manufacturer putting this new engine in something like a mid-capacity adventure bike to take on the F 800 GS from BMW and Triumph Tiger 800 XCx.
