790cc parallel twin. All new engine in an ultra lightweight hyper-responsive chassis. Intended to take on the Yamaha MT middleweights. Expect it to have 90-100 bhp and 70+ lb of torque and under 170 kg. Won't be in showrooms till 2018 and by then it won't look like that once Euro regs have given it a good beating with the ugly stick. But until then isn't is lovely? Its just screaming, get some slicks on me and rag me round a 600 track. If they price it well and it looks even half as good as that it'll fly.. Come on Ducati, the bar is steadily rising. KTM 790 DUKE PROTOTYPE - Motorcycle.com
I'm extremely tempted by either a current 1290 Superduke due to more reasonable pricing for the last remaining 2016 bikes, or even holding out for the 2017 model.....all be it that's back up at £14k+ by the time you add the quick shifter I see that the special edition 1290 can be had in short supply for circa £12k I do love a ktm, very tempted indeed
I paid 12K for my standard orange SDR. I don't feel too bad about that. I'm not keen on the colour of the SE but you get a lot of bling for the same money of the standard at 12K. If I was buying the SE I'd sell the Akra slip-on before I'd turned a wheel. They save a couple of kilos but make no difference whatsoever to performance, and they're the best part of £700 as a catalogue accessory. Should get £500 S/H for a brand spanker and that's a useful whack off the full Evo system, which has a dramatic impact on performance. And sound. The 2017 SDR engine will be more refined, though the bike has gained weight. The electronics are more sophisticated and can be customised and the suspension has been up-rated. Most of the other new upgrades offered are catalogue extras. They haven't changed the list price over the out-going model and with the improvements its a very competitive buy in that sector for the performance you're getting. The niggle is, those in the know never pay list price for KTMs. They always discount if you wait, usually substantially. Its just how they do it. However good a deal you can get you can almost guarantee they'll be a better one along shortly if you wait. And you're a cash buyer.. How patient are you prepared to be?
Yep - the 790 is beautiful....theyve hit the nail on the head with that one. I was in fowlers last weekend getting the RSV4 MOT'd and was looking at the fully loaded SDR from recollection 11k which i thought was a steal....even to the point i was tossing it around in my head..."sell the RSV and the Zed, get one of these...." but decided against it as id just end up in the "throwing money at it for upgrades route"... When these come out - if the price is right id be up for one....if it doesnt end up looking totally different once a piece of euro4 legislation has been stuck to it...
I doubt the 790 will have that sexy under-seat pipe. Can't see a cat on it anywhere. Add a pair of poncy Honda Benley mirrors and a humungous number plate hanger. However, what's the betting it'll have all the necessary "race" parts on offer in the accessories catalogue to turn it back into what its supposed to be. Ideally, it needs to be under 9K to compete with the Yamahas. Bet it'll be 2K to de-Euro it though.. Re the '17 1290 SDR, have a look at this. Its in Italian with subtitles but its about the clearest real life, non-photoshopped glimpse I've seen so far: I don't dislike the headlight now I see it. The heat sink is a bit shit but the slimness and angry insect profile make up for it. I'm not over keen on the extended front side panels though. I'm neutral on the exposed rear subframe. Unsure about the new dash. Prefer the good old swinging needle rev counter really and it could be quite busy because there's a lot of information on the menu which on the current model has its own screen, but as long as the new one works, who cares. The current dash does produce quite a lot of screen glare. Whatever the height of the sun in the sky, if its anywhere behind you the dash seems to reflect it straight into your eyes. It would be good if they've fixed that with the new one. I need to ride it to see if its as aerodynamically efficient as the current model because that is just superb. You can hold triple figure speeds forever with ease. Overall, the new one looks nice but I'm relieved to say its not left me hankering to trade in the big orange un just yet, especially as the new one doesn't seem to be available in orange.. How can they make a new KTM and not offer it in the right colour..? I'm not fussed about the improved electronics. I've got mine turned off. Unless you can't live without your fancy rider aides I think for anyone who's tempted by an SDR, the bargain-buy '16 model deals are a no brainer. Buy the SE and the discount will pay for the Evo exhaust system and a year's insurance and still leave you change against the new one. They ain't gonna get cheaper than that.
I should add, if you're a pcp buyer, the new one is tempting. KTM seems to update or replace altogether their big twins every three years. Ideal for chopping in and always having the latest model.
Just saw that... Looks the tits. Ktm have honed their design style... Hitting all the nails on all the heads at the moment... I love it... Like smaller pointier version of the 1290 Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
A 790 Adventure is also said to be on the way after the launch of the Duke: KTM's secret 790 Adventure spied | MCN 2018 KTM 790 Adventure Spied During Road Testing - ADV Pulse
Looks like a retake on the Husqvarna Nuda that they killed - KTM bought Husqvarna and canned the Nuda
Agreed but the exact same concept. It does look like a lovely thing and hope the production EU compliant bike retains the raw aggression and doesn't get too bloated.
