There were two standout production bikes of 2018 at EICMA: Ducati?s Panigale V4 and the KTM 790 Duke. And, after Chris pulled a sicky, I hopped on the flu-ridden easyJet flight to Gran Canaria for the launch of KTM?s all-new naked middleweight contender.    
The 799cc LC8c parallel twin is the first all-new motor from Mattighofen since 2003. KTM engineers opted for this configuration for compactness, and it is a tangibly slender chunk of metal that packs 105bhp. Thanks to the firing intervals ? 75 degrees apart ? the 790 still sounds like a v-twin, but without the low-end chugga lugging and lumpiness. At the other end of the rev spectrum, forged pistons and a secondary balancer shaft in the cylinder head cope with the 10k redline.
Another first for KTM is the engine being a stressed member of the chassis. WP split-function forks are non-adjustable (like the old 690) and KTM worked alongside a Spanish company to furnish the 790 with brakes. For the vertically challenged amongst us, the standard seat height is 825mm and a low seat option is 805mm. There?s also a 780mm chassis lowering kit. And then there?s the extensive electronics suite; launch control, adjustable traction control, anti-wheelie and multi-option ABS – all controlled by lean angle sensitivity ? plus a quickshifter and blipper. Contrary to rumours, the ?Track? mode, which is rider configurable, comes as standard and allows anti-wheelie and TC to function separately. And finally, after however many year...