The KTM 790 Duke was the first middleweight KTM that ever made its way to Indian shores. KTM India brought in 100 units in the BS4 guise, all of which have been sold out. Now, KTM has decided not to upgrade the 790 Duke to meet the Euro5 norms which means, it won’t be eligible for BS6 either. What this essentially means is that it is time to bid adieu to the 790 Duke.
Read our first ride review of the 790 Duke here.
This is sad news, but fret not, there is a good chance that we enthusiasts will get to see the ‘Super Scalpel’ that is the KTM 890 Duke R — successor to the 790 Duke — on Indian shores next year. This should be reason enough to not get too teary eyed about the departure of the 790. Because, on paper, the 890 Duke R is the 790 on steroids. The engine bore has been increased while also lengthening the stroke bumping the displacement up to 890cc. This means the bike gets 119bhp and 99Nm which is a gain of roughly 18bhp and 12Nm of power and torque, respectively. The frame has also been tinkered with slightly to further emphasize the ‘Super Scalpel’ moniker. The electronics suite has also been updated adding more telemetry. Another major overhaul is the addition of Brembo Stylema calipers.
The KTM 790 Duke when launched in India, was sold at Rs 8.64 lakh, ex-showroom. Therefore, with all the component updates and the Euro 5 compliance, we expect the 890 Duke R to cost around Rs 10.5 lakh, ex-showroom. We can’t wait to thrash the 890 Duke R and see if it really is a worthy successor to the ‘Scalpel’ and also how it stacks up against competition. Which obviously includes the class-topping Triumph Street Triple RS.