The first model built on KTM’s new middleweight platform is the 2019 790 Duke.
At this week?s Intermot show in Cologne, Germany, KTM unveiled its all-new 2019 790 Duke.
Read our 2018 KTM 390 Duke road test review
Powered by an all-new, liquid-cooled 799cc LC8c parallel twin that will serve as a middleweight platform for models such as the forthcoming 790 Adventure, enthusiasts of the Austrian ?Ready to Race? brand have been eagerly awaiting the release of the 790 Duke naked sportbike. The DOHC engine has a balancer shaft to reduce vibration and electronic fuel injection and Bosch throttle-by-wire for precise throttle control. Power is sent to the rear wheel through a 6-speed transmission, a power-assisted slipper clutch and chain final drive. KTM calls the new 790 Duke “The Scalpel,” which suggests the light, compact naked sportbike will have sharp, agile handling.
As with other models in KTM?s street bike lineup, the 790 Duke has a tubular chrome-moly steel trellis frame that uses the engine as a stressed member, a cast aluminum subframe and a die-cast, open-lattice aluminum swingarm. Suspension is by WP, with an 43mm USD open-cartridge fork and a rear shock with a progressive spring and preload adjustment. A pair of radial-mount 4-piston front calipers grip 300mm floating discs and cornering ABS is standard. The light, compact 790 Duke has a 58-inch wheelbase, 24-degree rake, a 3.7-gallon fuel tank and a claimed dry weight of just 373 pounds.
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