KTM’s new 790 Duke neatly fills the gap between the 690 Duke and 1290 Super Duke R, aka The Beast. Most riders will probably find that this 105-horsepower surgical scalpel is all the bike they need. Photography by Simon Cudby.
When one thinks of KTM’s Duke naked sportbikes, the 1290 Super Duke R, a.k.a. “The Beast,” is usually the first to come to mind, especially if you have had the good fortune to twist the throttle on one. With its 1,301cc, 90-degree LC8 V-twin churning out a claimed 177-horsepower in a 430-pound (dry) package, it’s an arm-straightening, wheelie-popping, soul-stirring experience that stays with you…maybe even wakes you up at night.
Read our Long-Term Review of the 1290 Super Duke GT here. KTM’s other Dukes sold in the U.S., the 690 and 390, are no less potent in their own right, but the power and performance gap between the single-cylinder, 73-horsepower 690 and the fire-breathing 1290 SD-R is a bit too wide, perhaps leading some to choose neither.
Rather than filling the gap with a larger single or smaller V-twin, KTM designed an entirely new engine called the LC8c for the new 790 Duke–its first parallel twin. This engine layout allowed a shorter wheelbase and lower seat height than a Vee, yet the parallel-twin’s 75-degree crankpin angle and 435-degree firing order give it a righteous V-twin feel and sound, and KTM has coaxed a claimed 105-horsepower and 64.2 lb-ft of torque from the new mill.
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