KTM 990 Duke R: Tougher version presented
KTM has now added an upgraded R version of the 990 Duke with a higher-quality chassis and more powerful brakes to its range.
(Image: KTM)
- Ingo Gach
It was to be expected that the 990 Duke presented at the beginning of the year would be followed by an R version with more power and a higher-quality chassis. However, it was not expected that it would have a linkage on the swingarm for the spring/damper leg. KTM wants to attack the upper middle class with the 990 Duke. As the competition in the naked bike segment is very strong, the traditional Austrian brand has had to go to great lengths to survive. Contrary to its somewhat optimistic model designation, the 990 has "only" 947 cm3 displacement in its in-line two-cylinder engine, but it delivers 123 hp. The response to the new Duke has been consistently positive, even if many people are not happy with the new face of the Duke model family, which no longer exists.
130 hp top performance
It is a tradition at KTM that the basic model is followed by a more powerful R model. The marketing department likes to use bold designations: While the 990 Duke was the "Sniper", the 990 Duke R is now the "Punisher". The only question is who is to be punished here. The developers have upped the ante and increased the maximum power to 130 hp at the same engine speed of 9500 rpm. Nothing has changed in terms of maximum torque, which remains at an impressive 103 Nm at 6750 rpm. Its speed reserves extend up to 10,500 rpm before the limiter kicks in. According to KTM, the increase in power was achieved by changing the map in the control unit.
KTM 990 Duke R I (9 Bilder)
KTM
)Lone fighter
A passenger is just ballast on a sports motorcycle, which is why KTM consistently dispenses with a pillion seat on the R. Instead, a cover is used. Instead, a cover is used and the pillion footrests are also omitted, which conveniently also saves weight. According to the manufacturer, the unladen weight of the 990 Duke R has been reduced by two kilograms to 190 kilograms, even though neither the engine nor the tubular steel frame have been slimmed down. The aim is of course to make the Duke even more suitable for the racetrack. Above all, this requires an excellent chassis, which KTM believes it has found in components from its own WP brand. At the front, a fully adjustable APEX suspension with a 48 mm diameter and 143 mm travel is used. It is said to be 34 percent stiffer than that of the standard 990-Duke. Its fork bridge is now made of forged aluminum.
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Fully adjustable chassis
At the rear is a fully adjustable shock absorber from WP, whose spring travel has been shortened by ten to 140 mm. The swingarm has been retained, but the connection point to the shock absorber has been revised: The R version has a linkage here, while the spring/damper leg is directly linked in the basic version. KTM has apparently been engaged in a war of faith here for a long time, as its motocross series has had a linkage on the shock absorber for several years, while the EXC sport enduro bikes stick to the direct linkage shock absorber. Overall, the rear of the 990 Duke R is higher and the rider sits at a height of 840 instead of 825 mm. The developers also tweaked the ergonomics, moving the footrests 33 mm to the rear and 12 mm upwards. This allows the rider to apply more pressure to the front wheel and, according to KTM, increases the lean angle clearance by three degrees on each side.
KTM 990 Duke R II (6 Bilder)
KTM
)Stylema brakes from Brembo
The standard Duke-990 was occasionally criticized for its poor braking performance on the racetrack. KTM counteracts this with the R with radially mounted Stylema four-piston brake calipers from Brembo and brake discs enlarged from 300 to 320 mm. The developers have fine-tuned the chassis geometry: the wheelbase has been increased by five to 1481 mm and the steering head angle has been steepened by 0.1 degrees to 65.9. The 990 Duke R is fitted ex works with the very grippy Michelin Power Cup 2 tires in the usual 120/70-17 and 180/55-17 dimensions.
Price comparison of suitable tires for the Duke R
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8.8-inch TFT cockpit with touchscreen
The cockpit is brand new with a wide 8.8-inch TFT touchscreen. It enables a two-part view so that, for example, a navigation system mirrored from a cell phone via Bluetooth and the speedometer/tachometer can be displayed simultaneously. In addition to the Rain, Street and Sport modes already available as standard, the individually adjustable Custom mode has now been added. The ABS can also be set to Sport and Supermoto+ modes, in the latter the ABS on the rear wheel is deactivated. Track mode with launch control and five-stage wheelie control is available for the racetrack.
Tough competition
The test will show how well the 990 Duke R really performs. However, it will face tough competition from its own rivals, including the 1390 Super Duke R (test) with 190 hp and 145 Nm, which is only marginally heavier at 200 kg kerb weight. However, the 990 Duke R will certainly be cheaper than the larger model, even if KTM has not yet announced the price. The predecessor Duke 890 R can be used as a rough guide. This was 1100 Euro more expensive than the basic version and the current Duke 990 costs 14,490 Euro.
