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Yet another bike that catches my attention, KTM 790 Duke

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Interesting bike indeed. Never looked at a KTM. Wild West Honda in Houston carries KTM.

Any comments or owners out there?

KTM - READY TO RACE

Adventure, Purity, Performance, Extreme - KTM is READY TO RACE
www.ktm.com www.ktm.com
 
I sat on one the other day. Neat little bike. I kinda want one.

I wish they had something (with all the new fancy gadgets) between the 790 and 1290 though.
 
I've been reading a lot of reviews about the midsize naked bikes lately. 790 Duke, Street Triple, Monster 821, MT-07, MT-09, etc.

There seem to be a lot of cool bikes in that ballpark. I need to go ride a couple and see how I like it.
 
Lucydad said:
Interesting bike indeed. Never looked at a KTM. Wild West Honda in Houston carries KTM.

Any comments or owners out there?

KTM - READY TO RACE

Adventure, Purity, Performance, Extreme - KTM is READY TO RACE
www.ktm.com www.ktm.com
Click to expand...

I think it’s incredibly cool and buying one crossed my mind more than a time or two during my most recent purchase process. In the end the FJ09 just seemed like a better fit for me. I’ve always loved the Duke series of bikes, ever since they were basically a supermoto. I’m sure I’ll end up owning some variant at one point or another.
 
Funny discussion this one. I just bought another 2008 Super Duke 990. I was lusting pretty hard for the 790 Duke, and I had the chance to look one over the other day.I had gotten to look at the prototype a couple of years back at MotoGP in Austin and loved it. That said, I gave it a good hard look over at Munn Racing the other day. I like the bike, did not like the seat, very stiff. The bike is small, but I think the 990 Super Duke is almost as small. At about 408 pounds the 990 is a nice balance of power and weight. This is my second 990 Super Duke. I traded my first one on the 1290 Super Duke R. That was a completely insane scooter but I didn't love it like the 990.

So when I rode the 990 the other day, after I became reaquainted I decided that it was what I needed and I no longer consider the 790. I guess the main reasons are as follows; the V-Twin sound of the 990 is beyond compare, the power hit of the 990 has to be much greater than the 790, and the 990 has probably the only all day comfortable seat I have ever experienced from a stock seat. And it was about a third of the price of the 790.

They are becoming rare but OEM and aftermarket parts are still available. She holds 4.8 or so gallons of gas so you get a respectable riding distance as well.

The 990 Superduke is sex on two wheels indeed.

Finally, I just love it more. YMMV.

My first Super Duke

PA221298.jpg


PA221314.jpg


My 1290R

IMG_1576.jpg


IMG_1594.jpg


My current one

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unnamed.jpg
 
It is sort of like Supermotards vs. sportbikes. The Supermotard is all you need to go pretty fast, but the sportbike is overkill-ish. I love them all, but the 1290 Super Duke R while spectacular is more techno, less soulful. Sort of the reason I got my NA (first generation Miata with the flip up lights) Miata because it is a basic car, lots of fun and has a lot of character. I had a 2013 Miata Club but it didn't blow my hair back for the same reasons the 1290 doesn't. The 990 just feels right to me, so I need look no further. I am learning that I should stick with what I like and apparently it is the more basic of machines. All the electronic farkles are nice, but I like to spin the tire and do stoppies. I had to buy a dongle for the 1290 to allow me to leave the ABS off at the track without having to go through the iterations of turning it off and on each time I turned on the key. So, I really should say, More can be better, but for me it wasn't. Function is better than being cool. YMMV.
 
OldTLSDoug said:
It is sort of like Supermotards vs. sportbikes. The Supermotard is all you need to go pretty fast, but the sportbike is overkill-ish.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the feedback. I've read this over and over, that the 1290 Super Duke is just too much in most scenarios. I see lots of people opting for something less powerful than it over time falling somewhere between 750 and 1000cc a lot of times.
 
Jarrett said:
Thanks for the feedback. I've read this over and over, that the 1290 Super Duke is just too much in most scenarios. I see lots of people opting for something less powerful than it over time falling somewhere between 750 and 1000cc a lot of times.
Click to expand...

Tick tock
Till the new bike comes around the block

[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]
 
I mean, if it had DCT, it would already be a done deal :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The Church of MO guys seem to like the Duke 790 a lot... even more so than the Street Triple that they hold in very high regard.

https://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-ou...force-ktm-790-duke-vs-triumph-street-triple-r

I still don't see getting a parallel twin over a sweet Triumph Triple, especially with the edgy praying-mantis styling. Plus I have yet to own an underseat exhaust bike that didn't broil my thighs and roast my nuts in the Houston heat. But if the KTM catches your fancy, they seemed to have nailed the secret sauce on this one.
 
The 990 superduke does not broil one's thighs, the passenger might not like it as much, but I took the pegs off. I agree with the parallel twin not being as soulful. I never got excited about the Speed Triples although they make a wonderful noise. I think motorcycle journalists have to talk about the latest/greatest to stay relevant. I do like most of the nekkid bikes though, so ride what you love is my thought.
 
I owned a 2015 Street Triple RX: great bike, but my dealer dropped Triumph. Traded the trumpet for my MV. There is something... amazing about 3 cylinders! Rode my MV this morning... just love the machine, and hope it does not have issues. The KTM 790 Duke, to me, seems to hit a lot of sweet spots. Styling is somewhat out there like a "Klingon Warbird"... but endearing in its own way. The twin saves weight? And maybe more low end torque than a triple? I am about convinced to go test ride one at the Katy dealer. Could be an expensive test. One niggle, and this is my own personal, admitted bias: bike is made in China. That is a downside to me. Wish it was actually made in Austria.
 
Lucydad said:
I owned a 2015 Street Triple RX: great bike, but my dealer dropped Triumph. Traded the trumpet for my MV. There is something... amazing about 3 cylinders! Rode my MV this morning... just love the machine, and hope it does not have issues. The KTM 790 Duke, to me, seems to hit a lot of sweet spots. Styling is somewhat out there like a "Klingon Warbird"... but endearing in its own way. The twin saves weight? And maybe more low end torque than a triple? I am about convinced to go test ride one at the Katy dealer. Could be an expensive test. One niggle, and this is my own personal, admitted bias: bike is made in China. That is a downside to me. Wish it was actually made in Austria.
Click to expand...
Well the Street Triple you had was made in Thailand. I think the qc has gone down on those though. My 2012 has 78,000 miles on it and still runs like new. I recently demoed a Street Triple RS and wanted to buy the bike. That said, the ride by wire throttle was doing wacky things. Also, the bike wouldn’t shift into second gear by the end of the ride. That bike is still listed for sale on the dealers site, and I made sure the owner was made aware of the issues. I’d personally pass on a bike manufactured in China but that’s me.
 
Grozny,
My STRX was a 2015 and was pretty much flawless. That was back when Mancuso SW was trying harder I think. Yes, made in Thailand. But, in my book Thailand is not China. The biggest negative I can find about the KTM: made in C.. Both Triumph dealers in Houston have dodgy reputations. If I buy another new bike I am looking for the combo of competent dealer, and bike that checks all my boxes. We shall see.
 
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