Motorcycle specifications KTM790 Duke 2025 Twins but not sisters

The 790 Duke initially looked with suspicion at the arrival of the 990. More watts, more technology... and a lot more euros to ride it. As a result, it is less worried about its place in the range and is being reinvigorated for 2025. On the menu, Euro5+ approval, an extended rear mudguard, a slightly sharper headlight, a new dashboard whose position is closer to the rider, a new interface, automatic adaptation to ambient light, a telemetry screen, 6-level wheelie control, and DEMO Mode, allowing you to sample all the electronic options of the bike for a good thousand KM. After that, you have to pay or say goodbye.

The 790 Duke has a two-stage career. Born at the end of 2017, it was weighed down by the 890 in 2021..... then waited a while..... and returned to the market in mid-2022.
KTM has put it back on the market with new arguments, but... what are they? How do you make a place for yourself when you've got the same face, the same physique, the same technology and the same audience........... with less displacement and power?

That's the problem, and the solution in the same pot. The 790 Duke as we've rediscovered it is a continuation of the old L version, designed for A2 license holders. Apart from an extra 8 kilos and adaptation to Euro5, it differs little from the first model, except that it is now produced in China. This is one of the fruits of the partnership with CF Moto.
From here, it's easy to see why it's back in the Katoche Naked range. Powerful, the machine offers 105 hp in most parts of the world, except in Europe, where its hara is reduced to 95 hp. With this level of power, it forms a sort of bridge between the 390and the 890.

Not quite the middle ground. There's a 51-horsepower gap between the little Dukeand the 790, while the latter gives back only 10 hp to its "big" sister. So it's hardly a beginner's bike, except when limited to 35 kW.
Which raises another question. The 890 was also available in an L version, suitable for any castration required. So is the spectre back? Why?

Because the 890 L has disappeared from the catalog. A sort of game of musical chairs, punctuated by a shock argument: the price! Between the two roadsters, the match will be played on watts, but also on the big difference in price. A difference of almost 2,000 euros - in exchange for a fuller engine and less rigorous suspension. These aren't foam legs, either. It's just that the first 790 Duke didn't offer as much rigor as we'd hoped. The bike incited attack, virulent and motivated, fun and angry; but the suspension could barely keep up.

so , what does this Duke 790 "revival" offer? A 43 mm WP upside-down fork with no adjustment - the 890 doesn't do any better, but the settings are different - a WP shock absorber with preload adjustment, 4-piston radial calipers around 300 mm discs, the inflexible tubular steel frame and well-weighed electronics. Also included are an inertial unit, cornering ABS + Supermoto function, 3 riding modes (Rain - Street - Sport), angle-sensitive traction control, LEDs everywhere and a 5" color TFT screen. As for the shifter, there's no change: you'll have to find it in the options section.

A Race riding mode, engine braking control, cruise control, KTM My Ride smartphone app and tire pressure monitoring are also waiting in the wings, while the Powerparts section offers a whole host of parts.

So, the 790 Duke wants to make a name for itself in the big poker game played by mid-size streetfighters. It's no easy task, given all the hotshots already on the scene and the snarling atmosphere of the sector. But with its price tag, it's a sobering one - almost identical to that of a 750 Hornet, a 660 Trident or an F 900 R.
Be that as it may, the 790 and 890 won't be buddies for long at the KTM table. Two sisters, two hearts, on the verge of resentment.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos