A more powerful and sharper 2020 KTM 890 Duke R motorcycle emerges at EICMA 2019
Based on the KTM 790 Duke, which was recently launched in India, the 2020 KTM 890 Duke R motorcycle is more advanced in terms of electronics as well as performance.
If there was one gripe we had against the 790 Duke, it is the bike’s non-adjustable front suspension. Well, the engineers at Mattighofen have listened and introduced a sharper, upgraded KTM 890 Duke R. The street-naked motorcycle will be at home, at the corners on a mountain road, or at a race track.
The 890cc parallel twin engine in the 890 Duke R is liquid-cooled and Euro 5 compliant, and produces 121 PS of power and 99 Nm of torque. In comparison, the 790 Duke produces 105 PS of power and 87 Nm of torque.
The gearbox is a six-speed unit and is fitted with a new quick-shifter, slipper clutch, and launch control. A ride by wire and a lean angle sensitive traction control help it support four riding modes (Rain, Track, Street, and Sport). Also on offer is an engine slip control while the traction control itself is switchable.
KTM offers the 890 Duke R motorcycle with the latest WP Apex suspension, which includes a fully-adjustable, split-open cartridge, upside-down 43 mm fork up front and a monoshock in the rear. The latter also gets similar levels of adjustability. The riding position is very committed with even more rear set footpegs and an adjustable (low set) handlebar. The Michelin Powercup 2 tyres are a significant upgrade over the Maxxis sourced tyres doing duty in the 790 Duke.
Brakes are discs at both ends with KTM bringing in Brembo Stylema kit up front, as seen in the 1290 Super Duke R. The seat height has been increased to 825 mm while the ground clearance is at a healthy 186 mm.
The KTM Duke 890 R will not be manufactured in India. While the bike will be initially be made at KTM’s Mattighofen factory, production will head to CFMoto-KTM’s facility in China.
(Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta)
