KTM Duke 790 has just been launched in India. It enters the middle weight motorcycle segment at Rs 8.63 lakh, ex-sh. In the first phase of launch, the bike is only available in 9 Indian cities. These are – Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. More cities will get the flagship KTM post April 2020.
It is the brands first high performance motorcycle in the country. New KTM Duke 790 is brought in as a CKD (completely knocked down unit) with only 100 units on offer for 2019. To make the bike more accessible, interesting ownership plans / finance schemes have been launched as well.
KTM Duke 790 bridges the gap between the 690 Duke and 1290 Super Duke R in their global line-up. It sits on a trellis frame with a single piece aluminum rear sub frame. It takes design cues from the KTM flagship sportsbike.
Speaking on the occasion Sumeet Narang, President (Probiking) at Bajaj Auto Ltd. said “The super-premium motorcycle segment in India has been picking steam over the last few years, backed by a growing performance biking culture. KTM has nurtured a base of over 2 lac biking enthusiasts in the last 7 years through its Duke and RC range, with never seen before technology and performance.
With 790 Duke, we present our best and most unique offering loaded with a host of first-in-class features like Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC) with Cornering ABS, Motorcycle Traction Control (MTC), Motor Slip regulation (MSR), 4 ride modes and Quickshifter+ that marks KTM’s emphatic entry into the rapidly growing superbike segment.”
It sits on 17” alloy wheels fitted with, Maxxis Supermaxx ST tyres. It receives a fully digital TFT instrument console, LED head and tail lamps along with turn signals and four rider modes of Sport, Street, Rain and Track. Electronic rider aids include stability control with cornering ABS, Motor Slip Regulation, traction control system with lean angle, ride by wire and traction control. Dry weight stands at 169 kgs making the new Duke 790 one of the lightest in its segment.
Engine specifications include a new LC8 799cc, liquid cooled, parallel twin engine offering 105 PS power at 9,500 rpm and 86 Nm torque at 8,000 rpm mated to a 6 speed transmission. With new emission norms such as Euro V and BS VI coming into effect from early next year, the company will be working on upgrading the engine lineup to meet these norms.
New 790 Duke gets a bi-directional quick shifter for clutchless up and downshifts. Suspension is via WP sourced USD fork in the front and monoshock at the rear with braking via 300mm dual disc in the front and 240mm single disc at the rear with calipers from J.Juan.
The new KTM Duke 790 in India will compete with Suzuki GSX-S750, Kawasaki Z900, Triumph Street Triple S and Ducati Monster 821. These are respectively priced at Rs 7.46 lakhs, Rs 7.69 lakhs, Rs 9.19 lakhs and Rs 10.99 lakhs, ex-sh. Bookings of KTM Duke 790 are now open at company dealerships. Deliveries will commence soon. Test ride and display units have arrived at select KTM India dealers.
