Hello from sunny SoCal, where we are about to go ride the new KTM 790 Duke, which is finally coming to the United States as an early 2019 model.
The first of KTM’s parallel-twin middleweights, the new Duke packs a lot of features into an affordable body, with promises of being a potent streetfighter.
To test that theory, the Austrian brand has brought us near its base of operations in the United States, and today we will tackle the roads along the Oceanside coast, and then head up to the famous Palomar mountain for some twisty fun.
The KTM 790 Duke has been on our short-list of bikes we have wanted to swing a leg over, ever since we saw the concept for the machine debut two years ago at EICMA.
A follow-up to the KTM 1290 Super Duke R, the “Scalpel” is designed to be a more affordable option, while still offering a bevy of fun and key features – namely, IMU-assisted traction control and cornering ABS.
The twin-cylinder engine is the basis for the soon-to-be released KTM 790 Adventure R, and we expect other models in the 790 family to debut in the coming model years, which makes this first iteration especially important.
Spec-Sheet Comparison of Relevant Models to the KTM 790 Duke:
| KTM 790 Duke | Triumph Street Triple 765 RS | Ducati Monster 821 | MV Agusta Brutale 800 | |
| Horsepower | 103 hp | 121 hp | 107 hp | 109 hp |
| Torque | 64 lbs•ft | 57 lbs•ft | 63 lbs•ft | 61 lbs•ft |
| Weight | 373 lbs (dry) | 366 lbs (dry) | 395 lbs (dry) | 385 lbs (dry) |
| Engine | 799cc / Parallel-Twin | 765cc / Triple | 821cc / V-twin | 798cc / Triple |
| Price | $10,499 | $12,500 | $11,995 | $13,498 |
Photos: KTM
