KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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You just can’t help it: two brisk singles always ask to dance.

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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2016: 690 Duke R
693 cc, 75 hp, 74 Nm. A second balance shaft in the cylinder head ensures much less vibration. Our test copy has almost 79 hp.

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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2012–2015: 690 Duke R:
690 cubic, 70 hp, 70 Nm. The basic Duke has become significantly cheaper; in the expensive R version, the LC 4, which has been strengthened to a real 690 cubic capacity, now offers 70 hp and 70 Nm. Ride-by-wire, dual ignition and ABS.

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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2008–2011: 690 Duke:
654 cc, 65 hp, 67 Nm. Completely new design from scratch. dohc head, gasoline injection, three mappings. From here on without real competition.

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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1999-2007: Duke 2:
625 cc, 50 hp, 50 Nm. Also domesticated with a constant pressure carburetor, called 640. From model update 2003 with “high flow” cylinder head. Then 55 hp, 60 Nm.

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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1994–1998: Duke 1:
609 cm³, 50 HP, 50 Nm. For use in the Duke, the engine of the 620 Enduro was equipped with a balance shaft and later a starter. Open went more than 50 hp. Considered by many to be the first single cylinder with performance and durability.

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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Model history LC4 in KTM Duke
– One more goes: five generations of Duke, five generations of the Liquid Cooled 4 Stroke. How the predator became a cultivated single over the years.

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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2016: Minor chassis modifications noticeably improve driving behavior. Almost identical optics.

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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Picture gallery: KTM 690 Duke R – old against new.

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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The 2015 Duke R already looks very valuable, especially with all kinds of special accessories.

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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The total madness. Even the old Duke 690 R is more than powerful in the forage with a measured 72 HP, but the 78.4 HP of the new one is almost unbelievable.

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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Progress: The new TFT display is great, looks worlds higher. Our pre-production models, however, suffered from an irritating malfunction of the ABS and traction control warning lights.

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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Progress, the second: From now on, all Duke 690s will have the controls of the larger KTM. This means that ABS, traction control and engine mappings can now be adjusted much more easily.

KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

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Progress, the third: the Michelin Pilot Power is good, the Metzeler M7 RR much better. On it the new Duke drives much more neutral, less wobbly. A very hot tip for all Duke drivers!

KTM 690 Duke R old versus new in comparison

Hot singles with class

We are in the year 2016. The whole naked bike world is occupied by multi-cylinders. The whole? No … A development department manned by indomitable Austrians doesn’t stop resisting with its 690 singles. The new Duke 690 R also fell into the pot of magic potion?

E.in-cylinders are for lovers. Low weight and compact dimensions are also good reasons to count yourself among the singles fans. But apart from that, and viewed terribly sober, there is little to be said for the big stew. Smooth running, wide speed range, durability, performance – developers go to great lengths to wrest these requirements from one person. In the past, single-cylinder drivers usually had to be satisfied with one of these criteria, sometimes with none.

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KTM 690 Duke R comparison old against new

KTM 690 Duke R old versus new in comparison
Hot singles with class

KTM Duke, nothing less than the cornerstone of orange on-road success.

Crazy lines and crazy driving fun

With each expansion stage, they raised the bar a little higher, and with the introduction of the 690 LC4 in 2008 at the latest, there is no way around Orange for serious single aficionados who don’t have wrenches instead of fingers. The test department’s last expansion stage, presented in 2012 in the KTM Duke 690, also left a lasting impression on the test department: 72 hp on the test bench! Lots of high-tech, such as ride-by-wire and double ignition with specific ignition fields for each candle, resulting in better drivability. On top of that, service intervals of 10,000 and an average consumption of four liters. Hardly respectable.

Now it was time for an update again, and serious concerns about whether things can get any better are justified. After all, the new engine had to be homologated in accordance with the stricter Euro 4 standard, and a large individual displacement is anything but ideal with regard to emissions and noise regulations. The new engine made its debut again, initially in the KTM Duke 690.

True to the motto “If already, because already!”, For the summit meeting of the elite singles old against new, we take the classy R variants. The 2015 model is once again up the Col as a benchmark. Like the proverbial bicycle. 164 ready-to-drive kilos set the standard in terms of handling on first contact. Sustainable. Alleluia! Those who are calibrated for thick multi-cylinder machines will experience their blue miracle on a KTM Duke 690 R from the first corner. The 690 R works by itself in an inclined position and offers hardly any resistance. So the first radii are almost inevitably much too narrow. You have to be prepared for that first. This motorcycle follows the smallest twitch of the driver, whether wanted it or not, so it needs to be focused and moved with fine motor skills. But then crazy lines and crazy driving fun are possible.

More speed, less vibrations

A healthy 72 HP of the KTM 690 Duke R let the manageable connecting straight lines snap away in a robust “Braaaaap”. Fame or regret, however, separates the magical 5000. From this speed the stew unfolds its real flavor, turns sporty, hearty and very powerful, until increasing vibrations, which even the best electronics cannot drive it out, quickly and emphatically demand the next gear. But this is not the cozy, warm shaking that you might still know from the swinging, air-cooled single cylinders of old days. These are the harsh, cold expressions of life of a sophisticated, modern single. Strolling around or on the motorway is really only possible if it is absolutely necessary. This rather narrow speed range and the resulting narrow application are the price you pay for the single-cylinder power?

Not necessarily, because this is where the KTM engineers concentrated their efforts. Once again, the direction of the move with the latest LC4 is: more speed, less vibrations. Even more bore (enormous 105 millimeter piston diameter) and less stroke allow more filling with a reasonably tolerable piston speed. This measure is flanked by a suction pipe diameter that has increased from 46 to 50 millimeters. A Unicam head creates space for a second balancer shaft, which now instead of the exhaust camshaft ensures smoother running, double ignition and ride-by-wire are a matter of course. Pretty clever and a lot of effort. The result, if you let the engine run, is astonishing. In a direct comparison, the new KTM 690 Duke R still runs really smoothly a little later, gear level two is too often used in urban areas. Again, nothing works at the bottom except for chopping. As also, with this extreme design, so a little minimum speed please. Then the drive takes on gas smoothly and directly, whereby the difference between the Street and Sport modes, which can now be selected via the digital TFT cockpit, is rather cosmetic.

Seventy-eight-point-four-Peeh-Äss

The new engine also comes out of the quark at 5000 tours, only to overtake the predecessor at 6000. And then? Holla, the forest fairy! As if chasing Asterix ’magic potion instead of super through the injection nozzles, the new KTM 690 Duke R tugs the engine speed limit, which has been raised to almost 9,000 rpm, with insane enthusiasm and without any significant vibrations. The now 693 cubic strong single runs like a real sports engine. It feels like little internal friction and even less flywheel, which is probably true. Where the uncomfortable tingling of the old motor made it difficult to turn, the new drive simply blossoms and demands to be properly squeezed out. The whole thing culminates in a sporty, beautiful torque curve with a long plateau high up – and here it comes: 78.4 PS. In words: Seventy-eight-point-four-Peeh-Äss. From a series single cylinder. It is only logical that the torque, which has increased by three to an equally impressive 75 Newton meters, is only applied much later. The middle engine has become a middle-above engine, and there is no longer any question of punch from the basement. Regardless, because what would have been enough for good placements in the Sound of Single racing series at the time is now available with a 10,000 service interval, i.e. presumably stable, to buy from the dealer. With Euro 4. Around ten percent more power, a much wider speed range, that means disproportionately more driving fun and a wider range of uses.

With that alone, the praises of monogamy could be sung to an end, but also in terms of chassis and control electronics, a new age is dawning with Duke R number five. It complements the playful handling of the predecessor model with a welcome portion of neutrality and stability, without giving up a single spark of its hustle and bustle. With an otherwise unchanged chassis (fully adjustable, compression, rear in low and high speed), a shortened fork offset, an extended caster and the great Metzeler M7 RR are responsible for this. The new KTM Duke 690 R dissects the Espigoulier pass with surgical precision – instead of hyper-agile-jittery, now hyper-agile-neutral. Unique. Just like the MSC stability control, known as cornering ABS, which is available for the first time in a motorcycle outside the luxury class. Also new and standard on the 2016 Duke 690 R are electronic engine drag torque control (MSR) and lean angle-dependent traction control – and all of this works really well.

Counter-draft to the competitive battle

Let’s cut it short: there is absolutely nothing comparable at the moment. Sure, those who prefer to be left alone by their motorcycle are undoubtedly better off with other vehicle concepts. Finally, there is also the not insignificant question of price: a good 10,000 euros – so this stew is more haute cuisine than home cooking. After all, workmanship and equipment put that into perspective. And there would also be the standard Duke, which, contrary to the factory specifications, had the same performance with a standard exhaust instead of Akrapovic on the test bench. However, the increase in chassis, brakes and useful electronics is so blatant that – attention, personal opinion – whoever says Duke has to say Duke R. The strong single cylinder in the high-end environment fits perfectly with the times. It is the perfect concept for active driving fun enthusiasts who would rather explore the potential of a playful 80 hp rather than surrender to 160 hp. A light-weight, elegant alternative to the competitive battle and yet anything but lukewarm and boring entry-level goods. All manufacturers should write that behind their ears, because the time is ripe for a single revival. We need more lovers.

Price comparison for used KTM 690 Duke R


1000PS marketplace app

Many of the used KTM 690 Duke R have already been converted.

As a more expensive racing variant, you have to expect that the range of used KTM 690 Duke Rs is lower than with the standard version. The selection is still very diverse and includes standard or modified 690 Duke R with many accessories. Here is an overview of the current market situation: used KTM 690 Duke R in Germany.

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