First, face stuffed at Harry's Cafe Second: KTMs They have this 890 Duke all carboned up @ £10,099. The 890 Duke is actually lighter than the 790 Duke, even without all the carbon shit @ 166Kg dry! It also has the WP Apex suspension. The 790 Duke is 176Kg dry. So, this carboned up KTM is lighter (slightly) than a Ducati Monster and a lot cheaper. I could buy this now. Fowlers are heavily exposed on KTM (if hey have paid for them yet) as they must have sixty or seventy in their showroom plus whatever is in their store. Question is: Risk it? Would you?
I’d rather save 4K and buy the 790, the extra money isn’t worth the slightly lighter bike with just 10hp more and adjustable suspension just isn’t value for me.
That is a 2023 model, hence the price. With the 2025 models soon to be in the showrooms, that bike will depreciate, heavily. With the future of KTM very much in the balance, the already sparse UK dealer network, could shrink even further. If I’ve left you in any doubt, I’m a ‘no’. Andy
Trouble is: the 790 is a bit heavier and ugly with that fuel tank wrapping around the engine. If it is between the 790 Duke and a Ducati Monster, then the Monster wins for me. Even KTM are embarrassed about the new 790 Duke looks. Their website is deliberately not accurate and does not show the actual new 790 Duke with the black plastic fuel tank wrapping around he engine.
Even with the carbon, its still orange. Has this one got the engine that fails and is making the company potentially bankrupt? If I were to buy a new 2023 KTM 890 R I'd rather pay £9,190.00 as the carbon is like lipstick on a pig. https://www.amsmoto.co.uk/ktm-890-d...=Still agile, but with more,turns it up to 11. Tbh, I expect the prices will fall further with all the current issues. But its your money Perry!
There won't be any more 890 Dukes as KTM dropped the 890 some time ago. So, it will be an old model that Fowlers tarted up with carbon in order to try and get rid of it. I'm not worried about depreciation. All that I would be worried about is that service parts stay available, so that servicing is still possible. But looking on Fowlers wn site for a picture of the 25 model with the fuel tank wrapped around the engine, I found this old style one for sale: Compared to a Monster, that is fecking cheap! Worth the risk, though?
Tbh, one of the first things I thought when I saw the new Monster was that it looks a bit like a KTM (the shape of the tank) and also a Yam FZ1. IMO, the last and only nice looking Monster was the 696/796/1100 shape.
So, if the KTM Duke 890, as well as the new Monster, has taken a beating from the UGLY stick, and I wanna buy new, with lightness being the important quality, what in the current Ducati range - or what in any range?
I've had a long conversation with the ugly stick. The only Ducati in the current range that I like is this and the ugly stick is a stranger to it! I will have to test ride one, in order to make sure that my shoulders and arms could cope with the more "racy" riding position. It is a lot of money new, but I don't have to add stuff to it in order to make it desirable and usable! What I will keep an eye out for is a used Nonster, similar to the one that I had, that died to save me!
What do Fowlers have to say about ongoing parts availability, etc? My guess is that they won't have any idea, but I'd be asking anyway...
When was the last time you used any of your existing bikes? If you hang on til next autumn there should be a lot of cheap KTM's looking for a home.
