The KTM 790 Duke is a naked

parallel-twin A straight-twin engine, also known as an inline-twin, vertical-twin, or parallel-twin, is a two-cylinder Reciprocating engine, piston engine whose cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. Straight-twin engines are primarily u ...

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

, manufactured by

KTM KTM AG (Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, formerly KTM Sportmotorcycle AG) is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and sports car manufacturer owned by Pierer Mobility AG and the Indian manufacturer Bajaj Auto. It was formed in 1992 but traces ...

from 2017. The Duke's liquid cooled eight-valve

DOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...

engine uses a 285° crankshaft in order to mimic KTM's 75° V-Twins. Its power output is 105 bhp. The Duke is KTM's first parallel-twin bike; previously the factory had produced only singles and V-twins. Released in 2018 for the European market, KTM propose to release the Duke as a 2019 model to the US market in late 2018. Starting in 2021, this new model will be produced in China. It appears that no changes will be made to KTM's warranty, which covers the lesser of two years or twenty-four thousand miles, and guarantees the frame, swingarm, ignition system, engine parts inside the crankcase. The Duke is also the first middleweight naked with an inertial measurement unit within its electronics that include ride-by-wire, fuel modes, and multi-level traction control. It also includes a bi-directional

quickshifter A quickshifter (or quick shifter) is a device that eliminates the need to use the clutch or throttle when shifting gears on a manual transmission. This can increase the safety and comfort of the vehicle and allow for faster gear shifting (usually s ...

. With a dry weight of 169 kg, the pared-down design is said to make the Duke the lightest bike in the middleweight naked market. KTM cooperated with

Maxxis Cheng Shin Rubber Industry Co. () is a Taiwanese and the ninth largest tire company in the world. Established in 1967, in Yuanlin City, Changhua County, Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, a ...

to develop special tyres for the Duke.

Reception

The KTM Duke has received positive reviews. In

Motor Cycle News ''MCN'' or ''Motor Cycle News'' is a UK weekly motorcycling newspaper published by Bauer Consumer Media, based in Peterborough, United Kingdom. It claims to be "the world’s biggest weekly motorcycle newspaper". The title was founded in lat ...

,''Motor Cycle News'' 14 March 2018 senior bike tester Michael Neeves wrote that the KTM "manages to combine the best bits of its rivals", with "the speed and electronic sophistication of the Triumph Street Triple R, the punch and simplicity of the MT-07 and the cheekiness of the MT-09 ... with a dash of crazy 1290 Super Duke R". Neeves praises the KTM's riding position and comfort, but points out that wind protection is non-existent. His overall verdict: "Its engine is a peach, the chassis balanced and it's topped off with superbike-spec electronics".

References

External links

*{{Official website, https://www.ktm.com/us/naked/790-duke/, name=Official website, 790 Duke KTM motorcycles Motorcycles powered by straight-twin engines Motorcycles introduced in 2018 Standard motorcycles