KTM 790 Duke First Ride Review
Sharp, Angular, Aggressive, and Exhilarating; the phrasesthat very firmly describe the KTM motorcycles. Back in the day – 2012 to beprecise – KTM had every purist lauding as they stepped in the market with thelocally produced 200 Duke. It was not just for that snazzy orange shade –although it does look very enticing – but for the fact that the 200 Dukeallowed the masses to experience breath-taking performance at a very affordableprice tag. It was, in fact, the start of a golden era.
Along came the more powerful and torquey 390 Duke, with juststupendous levels of performance. And soon enough, it took the crown jewel forthe most exhilarating – and yet, affordable – motorcycle. Over the years, the390 remained to be the go-to performance tool for the purists.
But things are about to change, as KTM has now a bigger anda more powerful Duke in their hands – the KTM 790 Duke, which is all set tomark the entry of the Austrian marque in the middle-weight naked segment.Recently, we got our hands on this bike for a quick spin at Bajaj’s test trackin Chakan. Here’s a glimpse of the bike, from our KTM 790 Duke review.
First of its kind!
At the heart of the 790 Duke is a first-ever parallel-twinmotor in a KTM motorcycle. The engine is capable of churning out 105bhp and87Nm of torque, which seems really good as the bike just weighs 168 kilos indry weight.
Fire up the engine, and the motor feels extremely refinedfor a parallel-twin. The low-end grunt is impressive, and the mid-range isextremely good. The engine is extremely rev-happy and the throttle response isstupendously quick. The engine is mated to a six-speed transmission, with quiteshort ratios.
But the engine is not the forte of this KTM. You see, KTMlabels the 790 Duke as a ‘Scalpel’ in the generosity of its razor-sharphandling characteristics. Just like the 390, the 790 boasts a narrow body. As aresult, it allows the rider to grip it tightly. Add to that the light kerbweight and nice steering damping, and the motorcycle feels extremely easy – fora 790cc offering, that is – to tackle around corners.
What further accentuates the experience is the beefy 43mm WPfront forks and the pre-load adjustable WP shock at the rear. That combinedwith the lightweight makes it a very fun motorcycle to ride.
For a short time, we had the 790 on track, it simply amazedwith its handling characteristics. The precision of its handling and thedynamics are just spot on. Just think of it as razor-sharp, or as KTM likes tocall it, ‘Scalpel’ sharp. But, let’s stop and take a look at the design now,shall we?
Simplicity at its best!
Simple is the most precise way to describe the design of the790 Duke in a nutshell. To be honest, though, it isn’t as formidable as itsmainstream rivals. And it certainly won’t demand your attention or pry anyextra eyeballs like an Italian machine. But, nevertheless, its simplicity is acharm that may appeal to some.
The sharp headlamp is filled with LEDs, just like the 390.The sharp creases on the fuel tank add a lot of character. The fuel tank andsome other bits like the fender and headlamp cover are finished in the mightyorange shade. However, the quality levels aren’t exceptionally good, as shownby the hard materials on the switchgear.
Nonetheless, the party piece of the 790 Duke has to be thecoloured instrument cluster. And that’s where KTM has trumped the competition.So, not only the purists, KTM had the tech-savvies in mind too, it seems. So,does it pack any hardcore wizardry?
Brimmed with Tech
Yes, in fact, that’s where KTM focussed on while developingthe 790 Duke. And that’s where it out-shadows the competitors too. You see, theKTM is loaded to the brim with high-tech wizardry so that so you don’t killyourself with the bonkers performance.To start off, there is ABS, cornering ABS, different levelsof traction control, launch control, wheelie control, a slipper clutch, and aquick shifter.
It also comes with four different riding modes that allowthe rider to adjust the ABS settings, traction control, throttle, and the poweroutput to the heart’s content. You can also pair your phone to the in-builtdisplay with Bluetooth, which certainly enables a number of connectivityfeatures. So, I must say, there’s no other bike in the segment which comes withsuch a vast variety of electronics.
Ready to Race?
The KTM is officially launched at a starting price of Rs.7.8 lakh (ex-showroom). So, should you just visit the nearest KTM showroom andget one? Now, before I answer that question, let’s first address the elephantin the room; the competition.
The Suzuki GSX750 is by far the most affordablemiddle-weight naked in the country. The engine is supremely refined and it hasa better road presence than the KTM. However, it loses out on the tech front.Then there’s the Kawasaki Z900. The Z900 offers a commendable ridingexperience, but, then again, it loses out on the tech front. Then there are themuch expensive Italians, which in my opinion, offer the best street presencefor the money. But then again, the measly technology only gravitates me moretowards the KTM.
And yes, it really is the most tech-savvy motorcycle in thesegment. Add to that a supremely powerful engine and razor-sharp handling, andthe KTM really shines a lot when it comes to riding pleasure. To read our full KTM790 Duke review, be sure to tune in to autoX.
Along came the more powerful and torquey 390 Duke, with juststupendous levels of performance. And soon enough, it took the crown jewel forthe most exhilarating – and yet, affordable – motorcycle. Over the years, the390 remained to be the go-to performance tool for the purists.
But things are about to change, as KTM has now a bigger anda more powerful Duke in their hands – the KTM 790 Duke, which is all set tomark the entry of the Austrian marque in the middle-weight naked segment.Recently, we got our hands on this bike for a quick spin at Bajaj’s test trackin Chakan. Here’s a glimpse of the bike, from our KTM 790 Duke review.
First of its kind!
At the heart of the 790 Duke is a first-ever parallel-twinmotor in a KTM motorcycle. The engine is capable of churning out 105bhp and87Nm of torque, which seems really good as the bike just weighs 168 kilos indry weight.
Fire up the engine, and the motor feels extremely refinedfor a parallel-twin. The low-end grunt is impressive, and the mid-range isextremely good. The engine is extremely rev-happy and the throttle response isstupendously quick. The engine is mated to a six-speed transmission, with quiteshort ratios.
But the engine is not the forte of this KTM. You see, KTMlabels the 790 Duke as a ‘Scalpel’ in the generosity of its razor-sharphandling characteristics. Just like the 390, the 790 boasts a narrow body. As aresult, it allows the rider to grip it tightly. Add to that the light kerbweight and nice steering damping, and the motorcycle feels extremely easy – fora 790cc offering, that is – to tackle around corners.
What further accentuates the experience is the beefy 43mm WPfront forks and the pre-load adjustable WP shock at the rear. That combinedwith the lightweight makes it a very fun motorcycle to ride.
For a short time, we had the 790 on track, it simply amazedwith its handling characteristics. The precision of its handling and thedynamics are just spot on. Just think of it as razor-sharp, or as KTM likes tocall it, ‘Scalpel’ sharp. But, let’s stop and take a look at the design now,shall we?
Simplicity at its best!
Simple is the most precise way to describe the design of the790 Duke in a nutshell. To be honest, though, it isn’t as formidable as itsmainstream rivals. And it certainly won’t demand your attention or pry anyextra eyeballs like an Italian machine. But, nevertheless, its simplicity is acharm that may appeal to some.
The sharp headlamp is filled with LEDs, just like the 390.The sharp creases on the fuel tank add a lot of character. The fuel tank andsome other bits like the fender and headlamp cover are finished in the mightyorange shade. However, the quality levels aren’t exceptionally good, as shownby the hard materials on the switchgear.
Nonetheless, the party piece of the 790 Duke has to be thecoloured instrument cluster. And that’s where KTM has trumped the competition.So, not only the purists, KTM had the tech-savvies in mind too, it seems. So,does it pack any hardcore wizardry?
Brimmed with Tech
Yes, in fact, that’s where KTM focussed on while developingthe 790 Duke. And that’s where it out-shadows the competitors too. You see, theKTM is loaded to the brim with high-tech wizardry so that so you don’t killyourself with the bonkers performance.To start off, there is ABS, cornering ABS, different levelsof traction control, launch control, wheelie control, a slipper clutch, and aquick shifter.
It also comes with four different riding modes that allowthe rider to adjust the ABS settings, traction control, throttle, and the poweroutput to the heart’s content. You can also pair your phone to the in-builtdisplay with Bluetooth, which certainly enables a number of connectivityfeatures. So, I must say, there’s no other bike in the segment which comes withsuch a vast variety of electronics.
Ready to Race?
The KTM is officially launched at a starting price of Rs.7.8 lakh (ex-showroom). So, should you just visit the nearest KTM showroom andget one? Now, before I answer that question, let’s first address the elephantin the room; the competition.
The Suzuki GSX750 is by far the most affordablemiddle-weight naked in the country. The engine is supremely refined and it hasa better road presence than the KTM. However, it loses out on the tech front.Then there’s the Kawasaki Z900. The Z900 offers a commendable ridingexperience, but, then again, it loses out on the tech front. Then there are themuch expensive Italians, which in my opinion, offer the best street presencefor the money. But then again, the measly technology only gravitates me moretowards the KTM.
And yes, it really is the most tech-savvy motorcycle in thesegment. Add to that a supremely powerful engine and razor-sharp handling, andthe KTM really shines a lot when it comes to riding pleasure. To read our full KTM790 Duke review, be sure to tune in to autoX.