RideFast June 2020

we create our own niche.”
“Potential competitors would be
a Triumph Street Triple RS, an MV
Agusta Brutale, maybe a Kawasaki
Z900 or a Yamaha MT-10: we
trump all those bikes on individual
points and all of them with our
overall package of handling,
torque, power and electronics.”
What?
So, the KTM 890 DUKE R is not a
‘suped-up 790’. How have KTM
gone about reinventing the best
parts and fabricating something
new? Well, the parallel twin
platform is vaguely similar,
but increased bore and stroke,
higher compression and a higher
maximum RPM mean a hike
to 121 HP and 99 Nm: 15 more
horsepower. A new cylinder head,
new camshaft and new balancer
shafts all help to deal with the
boosted revs and rotating mass.
The chassis has been
engineered to be sportier, more
aggressive and lighter with
altered ergonomics to suit the
KTM 890 DUKE R’s role as a bike
that will attack the twistiest of
roads and the most inviting circuit
layouts. The ride is smoothened
by adjustable linear spring WP
APEX front forks with split function
damping, compression and
rebound settings, and to counter
all of that extra potency the new
KTM relies on the latest Brembo
Stylema monoblock calipers
with 320mm floating front disks.
These and more differences to the
KTM 790 DUKE only increase the
distinction of the KTM 890 DUKE R.
When?
The special orange frame of the
KTM 890 DUKE R will be bouncing
off shiny showroom floors by the
time this story hits the KTM Blog.
But will the 2020 emergence of the
motorcycle cause any ripples in
the overall DUKE family catalogue?
The KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R
reached a third-generation model
in 2020 with the best iteration of
‘THE BEAST’ yet and the KTM 790
DUKE already ruffled middleweight
feathers since it appeared almost
two years ago. KTM may claim that
they have taken ‘all the things we
love about the KTM 790 DUKE and
turned it up to 11’ but the KTM 890
DUKE R comes at a time when it
can find its own path. For those
riders optimistic of mining the
full list of KTM’s PowerParts to
make their KTM 790 DUKE reach
the same ballpark of performance
then disappointment lies in store.
“The KTM 890 DUKE R is
much more than just a tune-up,”
underlines Sinke. “The engine
character with the different valve
train and crankshaft is so different
from the KTM 790 DUKE engine that
the entire feeling of the motorcycle
has changed. The differences to the
chassis setup and brakes complete
the feeling of being on a different
bike altogether.”
“The upgrades we made on the
suspension and brakes would not
be easy to match,” he admits. “A
power increase of more than 15
horsepower is very hard to reach
and very expensive, especially
when the bike has to remain street
legal. And even if a talented tuner
could reach our values putting it all
together with the very advanced
level of electronics – Cornering
ABS, Cornering MTC and so on – in a
functional package that make a bike
that works on the street as well as
it does on the track is not realistic.”
The KTM 890 DUKE R may not
Brad was so surprised
at the amount of
grunt the 890 Duke R
had at low RPM.
strike fear into a speed camera
like a KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE
R but this bike adds a whole
new dimension of demand and
necessity to KTM’s Naked bike
line-up. Thus, leading onto…
Why?
Ultimately, why should KTM
owners (or prospective owners)
consider switching from a KTM
790 DUKE to the KTM 890 DUKE
R? Or have their eyes pulled away
from the peerless KTM 1290 SUPER
DUKE R to rest on the new younger
brother? By making such an impact
with their two models at the top
of the Naked bike sector KTM are
placing the KTM 890 DUKE R in a
competitive and ‘crowded’ space
within its own family.
“Good question, it really depends
Recognise this rider? Yup,
factory KTM MotoGP rider Brad
Binder takes the RAD Moto KTM
890 Duke R demo bike for a spin.
He now wants one in his garage.
on what you are looking for in
an upgrade,” outlines Sinke. “Do
you want absolute power and
BEAST levels of torque? Get a
KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R. Do you
want agility, precision, power to
weight, compactness, and a lot of
horsepower, torque and stopping
power? Then now is the time to get
an KTM 890 DUKE R.”
Not quite a BEAST but sharper
and more lethal than a SCALPEL:
looks like the KTM 890 DUKE R is a
weapon regardless.
Ok, so that answers my question
of “Why the 890 R” to perfection. I
also managed to have a chat with
my mate, Riaan Neveling, who is
now the man in charge of Street
Motorcycles for the KTM brand
worldwide, and he had a bit more
straightforward answer; “We
needed to bridge the gap from 790
60 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020