It had already been spotted in the wild, but KTM has now officially lifted the curtain on the 990 DUKE, the sporty razor with which the Austrians focus on the premium mid-range segment. The 990 DUKE succeeds the 890 DUKE, but with a claimed power of 123 hp and a curb weight of 179 kilos, the differences are not very large.
It had been an open secret for some time that KTM was working on the third generation LC8c parallel twin. Not only had the RC 990 been spotted more than once during test work, but leaked design drawings also confirmed the arrival of the one-litre parallel twin.
The step that KTM has now made is less significant than the step from the first to the second generation. When the engine capacity was increased by 90 cc from 799 cc to 889 cc, KTM increased the engine capacity of the third generation to 947 cc – ‘only’ 58 cc more than its predecessor. Like the second generation, KTM has achieved this by increasing both the bore and stroke, to now 92.5 x 70.4 mm.
Increasing the engine capacity has resulted in a slight increase in both power and torque, although the differences are not shocking when you compare it with the 890 DUKE R. KTM claims a top power of 123 hp at 9,500 rpm and a maximum torque of 103 Nm at 6,750 rpm, compared to its predecessor’s 115 hp @ 9,000 rpm and 92 Nm @ 8,000 rpm for the 890 DUKE and 121 hp @ 9,250 rpm and 99 Nm @ 7,750 rpm for the 890 DUKE R was.
Compared to the very first 990 DUKE, the 990 Super Duke, the differences are just as small. The 999cc 75° V-twin was good for a top power of 120 hp at 9,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 100 Nm at 7,000 rpm, but that was more than 15 years ago. In terms of performance, the 990 DUKE has hardly improved.
That is to say: not in terms of performance of the engine, but in terms of weight because where the 990 Super Duke had a claimed curb weight excl. petrol of 186 kilos, the 990 DUKE now only weighs 179 kilos. Compared to the 890 DUKE it is difficult to calculate, for that bike KTM talked about a dry weight of 169 kilos.
According to KTM, the 990 DUKE has been designed around a completely newly developed tubular steel frame, with specifically calculated stiffnesses, which must have resulted in a sporty feeling and positive feedback, so that you always know what the machine is doing when you are riding at the limit.
In figures: the new frame has an 8% increase in lateral stiffness and 5% more torsional stiffness, for improved handling. On the other hand, the stiffness of the new cast aluminum swingarm (not a high-pressure die-cast, but a gravity die-cast casting process) has been reduced by 35%, to improve traction when pushing to the limit. The new swingarm has resulted in a weight saving of 1.5 kilos.
Just like the 890 DUKE, the 990 DUKE is equipped with WP APEX suspension, with the 43 mm WP APEX upside down front fork at the front that is fully adjustable with 5 clicks of compression and rebound damping. At the rear, the WP APEX monoshock can be adjusted in 5 clicks, with manual adjustment of the spring preload also possible.
In terms of braking, KTM has fitted dual 300mm discs with KTM-branded radial 4-piston calipers and a radial brake pump at the front, while the rear wheel is controlled by a 240mm disc. The brakes are supported by KTM Supermoto ABS.
According to KTM, the 990 DUKE is packed with technology, making it the leader in the sub-1000cc segment, with LED lighting all around, a 5″ TFT color display and 3 riding modes plus the option for a further 2 riding modes. Standard are the RAIN, STREET and SPORT modes, where PERFORMANCE and TRACK can be optionally added.
The optional PERFORMANCE riding mode gives you a certain freedom in settings, with adjustable traction control and throttle response. In addition, the anti-wheelie function can be turned off and LAUNCH CONTROL can be turned on for perfect traffic light sprints. You also have access to cruise control and access to KTMconnect.
The TRACK mode has the same setting options as PERFORMANCE, but now the focus is 100% on READY TO RACE. You also get a little more information in the display, with a focus on lap times and telemetry data. In this mode, only the most essential information is shown, the rest is removed. Anti-wheelie can be switched off and LAUNCH CONTROL available, but cruise control and KTMconnect are not.
Then just sit down. Compared to the 890 DUKE R, the seat angle has been moved 2° upwards in the front section to eliminate the problem of forward sliding. The seat is positioned at a height of 825mm, 14mm lower than the 890 DUKE R, while the pillion seat is 20mm higher for improved seating comfort for the pillion. The 760 mm wide aluminum handlebar is adjustable in 4 positions: two on the triple clamp and two others by rotating the risers.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.