Motorcycle specifications KTMDuke 990 2024 30 years of Duke!

The career of the Duke - or Super Duke - is as long as a day without bread! For 2024, we've got two big new models on the way: the Super Duke 1390 R at €21,449, which develops a whopping 190 hp and 145 Nm for an unladen weight of 200.5 kg; and the new weapon from Mattighofen, the Duke 990, with 123 hp and 103 Nm for a dry weight of 179 kg!

Ten years ago, the first Duke 990 was at the very top of the big sporty roadster rankings. It was called the Super Duke 990 and powered by a 999 cm3 V-twin. The new Duke is powered by a parallel twin with an exact displacement of 947 cm3.

With such a cubic capacity, the SuperDuke was once the flagship of the range. Times have changed, and displacements have climbed steadily: from 620 cm3 when the family first appeared in 1993, the Duke and Super Duke have gone on to offer a wide range of displacements: 125, 250 (excluding France), 390, 620, 640, 690, 790, 890, 990 (V-twin and vertical), 1290 and 1390... The list is long, and the pleasure is as intense as ever!

This pleasure can now be enjoyed with the LC8c vertical twin, offering 58 cm3 more than the mill on the 890. This block develops 123 hp at 9,500 rpm and 103 Nm at 6,750 rpm, where the Duke 890 delivered 115 hp at 9,000 rpm and 92 Nm of torque at 8,000 rpm. Compared with the R model of this 890, the figures are admittedly a little less flattering, since it already boasted 121 hp and 99 Nm. That said, compared with the 999 cm3 of the old Super Duke, the 122 hp at 9,000 rpm and 98.1 Nm at 7,000 rpm seemed within the norm. In short, ten years on, the Duke remains a first-strike weapon! Its smoother, more torquey twin should provide plenty of range, especially as the remaining cavalry won't escape the onslaught of power. The Super Duke was a ground-to-ground missile... Many years later, this updated 990 has everything it takes to establish itself as the "ultimate medium-displacement street bike".

Chassis-wise, this newcomer features WP Apex components with a range of adjustments. The fork has 5 positions for rebound (right fork) and compression (left fork). This makes it easy for anyone to study the best suspension settings, without the headache of counting inexorable turns of clicks or half-clicks. Especially since KTM is a champion in the art of suspension tuning! The shock absorber also features 5-click rebound adjustment, and 10-click preload adjustment. Finally, the fork has a travel of 140 mm at the front, and 150 mm at the rear for the shock. Enough to get the most out of any training terrain.

To better control torsion and rider feel, the frame has been reinforced with an 8% increase in lateral rigidity and a 5% increase in torsional rigidity. To enhance riding pleasure, swingarm rigidity has been reduced by 35%, to better anticipate road deformations. High-pressure-molded, it reduces weight by 1.5 kg. As for the brakes, two 300 mm discs are combined with radially-mounted 4-piston calipers and a 240 mm rear brake disc, enough to stop you dead in your tracks!

The new 5-inch TFT instrument panel lets you configure the bike's character in up to 5 different riding modes: Street, Sport, Rain, Performance and Track. That sounds like five, but it's really 3 + 2. The last two modes are available as options, while Track mode offers 10 levels of slip control, with precise throttle response. Finally, a 5-level anti-wheeling system is available, as well as a "launch-control" mode!
All options are available for 1,500 km. Once you've got used to them, all you have to do is buy them from the dealer, such as the optional Quickshifter+. On the one hand, it's nice to have all the standard options, but on the other hand, it's frustrating once you've deactivated them.

Finally, as for its unique look, perfectly in keeping with the KTM style, its dual LED headlights surrounded by a set of daytime running lights set it apart from the rest of the production range. The latter adjusts the position lights automatically via an ambient light sensor, and a small "Coming Home" function keeps them on when the circuit-breaker is switched off, to accompany you to your garage.

It all began in 1993, when the first KTM 620 Duke appeared, followed by the 640 Duke II in 1998. In 2005, the Austrian firm brought us the Super Duke 990! A 122 hp V-twin with a dry weight of 179 kg! A roadster that ended its career in 2013. In the meantime, a number of other models have seen the light of day: in 2008, a Duke 690 will see the light of day, armed with a single-cylinder that develops 65 hp for a weight of 148 kg, its career will last until 2020. In 2011, the Duke 125 comes out, and in 2013 the Duke 390, still offered in the catalog.
In 2015, KTM establishes the nec plus ultra of wild roadster with the appearance of the Super Duke 1290, which boasts an enormous 180 hp for 189 kg dry weight! The cavalry is back in the spotlight this year, with the 1390 and its 190 hp..
To meet the growing demand for medium-displacement roadsters, KTM debuts the Duke 790 in 2017, with its parallel twin developing 105 hp. In 2020, the 790 is replaced by the 890 with 121 hp. But max figures aren't everything, and KTM decided to reintroduce the Duke 790 in 2022, so that young riders could ride a rewarding machine with a 95 hp twin, bridged at 47.5 on an A2 license.

We've come full circle: the Duke 990 is back in the spotlight! It has lost its "Super" superlative, and its noble V-twin has been replaced by the inescapable parallel twin, but it has gained one more horsepower, and its dry weight has remained at 179 kg! It's striking to note that in the space of a decade, a mid-size roadster has become as strong as the big street-fighter of yesteryear.

Michaël Levivier - Manufacturer's photos