Duel 35 kW: Kawasaki Z900 Vs KTM 790 Duke, recreation A2 !
KTM is strengthening its offering in the competitive mid-displacement roadster segment with its all-new 790 Duke twin-cylinder engine. To gauge it, Le Journal moto du Net pits it against the best French seller in the category: the Kawasaki Z900. Duel MNC special permit A2, in flanged version at 47.5 hp (35 kW).
Duel Z900 Vs 790 Duke – Page 2: captioned photos
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| Trenches. At Kawasaki as at KTM, the square is the tool of choice for designers! Angular lines and sharp angles are omnipresent on the Z900 and 790 Duke, which offer an aggressive and distinctive silhouette. Medor, at the top left, jumps in surprise when he sees them ! |
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| You, my friend ! If the series 790 Duke is much less spectacular than the, some parts remain very original such as its straightened silencer, off-road motorcycle style. Its vigorous sound – rumbling at the accelerator and crackling at the cutoff – eclipses that of the Z900, more muffled and a bit whistling. |
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| Muscular arms. Kawasaki and KTM swingarms, designed to support respectively 125 and 105 hp, have no difficulty in handling the 47.5 hp of the A2 version! The traction is never faulted and the traction control of the 790 Duke does not have the opportunity to intervene, except in the wet. Appreciate in passing the recesses of the arm of the Austrian, a signature common to all Duke. |
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| Athlete. The 790 Duke is remarkably compact: some 300 / 400cc motorcycles are hardly less narrow! This XXS size – favored by its small 14-liter tank – is ideal for beginners, as is its featherweight (185 kg). Those who like to have a "big" between the legs will prefer the Z900 (210 kg). |
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| 4-legged A2. The Z900 is currently the only mid-displacement 4-cylinder roadster available in A2. For 4-legged enthusiasts, it’s at Kawa that it’s happening! The Duke releases a new parallel twin, an architecture unique to KTM. But its crankpins are offset at 75 ° to reproduce the character of a V-twin, of which the brand is familiar. ! |
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Clamping. The Z900 A2 and the 790 Duke "L" (KTM model designation A2) are both irreversibly restricted to 95 hp (70 kW), in accordance with the law. To be accessible to new licenses, their power is then reduced to 47.5 hp (35 kW) via a specific injection map.. After two years and the mandatory 7-hour training, their owners can then unlock them at 95 hp at their dealership who provides them with the certificate of unlocking necessary to modify the registration certificate. This operation costs "90 €" reveals Kawasaki France to MNC, telling us that "it is very little compared to the competition and the handling is very fast (a few minutes)". Questioned by MNC, KTM France was not able to give us the price of unclamping the 790 Duke … The French subsidiary kicks in and recommends turning to "an authorized KTM distributor" … Same absence information concerning the power and torque of the Z900 in 35 kW version, unknown to Kawasaki France. |
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| From the reserve. The very reasonable consumption of the Orange block (4.46 to 5.18 l / 100 km measured during our duel) compensates for its low tank capacity of 14 liters. The Kawasaki, barely more greedy (5.21 to 5.94 l / 100 km), offers more autonomy with its 17 l can. Both have a hinged cap. Austrian originality: that of the Duke tilts forward ! |
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| Austrian duet. The KTM is best qualified to receive a guest: the passenger seat is of the correct width and its rear footpegs receive rubbers which isolate from most vibrations. Its flexible shock absorber filters irregularities, while its injection set in "Street" mode offers an appreciable softness in duo. On the other hand, the exhaust expels a lot of heat on the right hand when it is placed on the grab handle (optional) ! |
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| Japanese duo. Ultra-short and narrow passenger seat and fairly dry shock absorber do not encourage duo travel on the Z900! The absence of rubber on the rear footrests also exposes the guest (s) to the vibrations of the 4-legged, fairly supplied at mid-range. To reserve for a breakdown service of a few kilometers. |
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| Local manufacturing. The Z900 proudly displays its "Made In Japan" provenance on a riveted plate near its steering column. Its quality of craftsmanship is a cut above the KTM, made in Austria like the 690 and 1290 Duke. The only lack of taste: this low-quality plastic cover on the central part of the frame. Why not have left the trellis visible ? |
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| Life on board. Finding the ergonomics that suit the greatest number requires perfecting the details: illustration with the KTM, which uses footrests slightly tilted down to facilitate the placement of the feet! Its handlebars can also be moved forward or back by reversing its saddles. So many attentions that help to make the 790 Duke more comfortable than the Z900. |
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| Convenient. The Kawasaki and the KTM unfortunately have a hard saddle in common, especially that of the 790 Duke: a real piece of wood! The Austrian partly makes up for this discomfort with her flexible suspensions. Their trunk is also reduced to its simplest expression, without the possibility of accommodating an anti-theft device. We console ourselves with their well-supplied tool kit, to the advantage of the Duke. |
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Instrumentations. The Z900 cannot compete with its monochrome dashboard against the "slab" of the 790 Duk and its two-tone inscriptions (black and orange only). Blow of old for the "Zed" … That of the KTM is also very complete, in addition to being quite easy to use from the left hand arrow controls. On the other hand, its – small – characters are difficult to read with the sun in the back and the automatic contrast control is not reactive enough: the screen takes time to return to its basic backlighting after darkening. under a tunnel. The Kawasaki is also devoid of controls on the handlebars, when the "Duchess" pushes the luxury to integrate practical rear-lit commodos ! |
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| Electronic. The equipment of the 790 Duke is spinning: tilt-sensitive ABS that can be deactivated, driving modes that can be activated while driving, traction control, bidirectional shifter, remote controls on the handlebars, dashboard connected to the telephone as an option. It’s heavy, especially against a Z900 devoid of any help except compulsory ABS! Yet popular with young people, the Green is the least sophisticated in its category: a strange choice on the part of Kawasaki… |
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Suspensions. The depreciation is – against all expectations – the black point of the KTM, to the point of having almost cost him the victory of this duel. Very basic and not adjustable (apart from the rear preload), its "house" WP elements lack hold when the pace increases. A real disappointment for a motorcycle nicknamed "Scalpel", which is moreover stamped with the slogan "Ready to Race"… Good news: some colleagues would have tested a much more convincing version, on which KTM France had taken care to change the volume and quality of the fork oil and to install different rings. But wouldn’t it have been wiser to install more efficient suspensions, instead of stuffing this 790 Duke with electronics – including a "Launch Control" (starting assistant) of questionable utility? ? |
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| Sandwiched. A – bad – sandwich chewed up in a few minutes in the parking lot of a shopping area in the Paris region: contrary to popular belief, the job of motorcycle test journalist is not always glamorous! Not enough to start the good mood of MNC testers, who prefer to the pleasures of the table that of getting back on the handlebars as quickly as possible. ! |
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