KTM 890 Duke R test

Menus

• Demonic Twin
• Parallel twin of 890 cm3, 121 hp, 99 Nm, 166 kg dry, 11,900 euros
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• Test
• Cycle part
• Braking
• Video test
• Conclusion

Demonic Twin

Parallel twin of 890 cm3, 121 hp, 99 Nm, 166 kg dry, 11,900 euros

KTM had a resounding success with the 790 Duke, its very first parallel twin model launched two years ago and powered by the LC8c engine (for Liquid Cooled – 8 valves – Compact). Nicknamed The Scalpel for its chiseled design and reduced weight to a minimum, it has enabled the European manufacturer to acquire a major competitor in the medium-displacement market. An arrival that has turned into a bestseller thanks to a competitive price and a real driving pleasure. With its ultra distinctive style with sharp angles designed by Kiska Design, the 790 Duke has come to bridge the gap between the mono 690 Duke and the V-twin 1290 Super Duke R. This has also allowed the brand to cross a new level in terms of of electronic sophistication in the mid-engine segment by providing it with features that some Japanese one-liter sports cars do not have.

KTM is now going further with the 890 Duke R, presented at the last EICMA show in Milan. Lighter, more powerful and even more determined than its little sister, it clearly targets the top of the segment in terms of performance and handling, while remaining at an "affordable" price. If it appears despite everything at 11,900 euros, the 890 ultimately represents "only" 2,000 euros more compared to its little sister. But these 100 cm3 mark a big evolution.

KTM 890 Duke R review

Discovery

The 890 project actually dates back to 2012, when KTM engineers started working on the LC8C parallel twin, as Adriaan Sinke, in charge of product development, says:

We always intended to develop a 790 Duke R. But during the development program we got to a point where we weren’t happy with our prototype, it wasn’t R enough, not KTM enough. So we decided to just produce the 790 Duke to start with and then tackle the R by making what we thought was a KTM Duke R, if necessary with a bigger engine. Basically we tore up the spec sheet and went back to the drawing board to determine how far we could go with this engine and chassis. The 890 Duker R is the result.

The pre-production KTM 890 Duke R

And what a result! Thanks to the increase in the bore and stroke of the LC8c engine from 88 x 65.7 mm to 90.7 x 68.8 mm, KTM gained 90 cm3 of displacement, which allowed the new engine to significantly increase its performance by reaching Now 99 Nm of torque at 7,750 rpm, i.e. 13 Nm more than the 790 Duke, which until then was the benchmark in the category, and 121 horsepower at 9,250 rpm, i.e. 17 more. Beside that, they increased the maximum engine speed from 500 rpm to 10,500 rpm while reducing the dry weight of the motorcycle from 3.3 kg to 166 kg.

Despite having a bigger engine, the Duke still loses weight

This weight loss was made possible in part by the adoption of Brembo calipers in place of the J. Juan. Despite the increased diameter of the two front discs from 300 to 320 mm, the new package is 1.18 kg lighter, above all thanks to the use of aluminum brackets and the new generation of monoblock calipers. Stylema radials, which are both beautiful and lighter. For compliance with Euro4 (or even Euro5) we find a Bosch 2-channel ABS that can be deactivated.

The Brembo Stylema calipers of the KTM 890 Duke R

Another of the many apparent paradoxes of this new bike is that the KTM has managed to lose weight while increasing the rotating mass of the one-piece crankshaft by 20%, which obviously makes it heavier. It now features forged pistons actuated by a sophisticated connecting rod, offering lighter pistons and reduced reciprocating mass. The crankpins are offset 75 ° with 435 ° firing intervals to reproduce the grainy sound typical of Austrian V-Twins. These heavier cams are intended to give more speed but also better stability in curves thanks to the gyroscopic function of the engine. It also necessitated revising the engine balancing. The compression ratio has been reduced from 12.7: 1 to 13.5: 1 to help improve acceleration. Steel valves are 1mm thicker, as are twin 37mm inlets and 30mm exhaust and powered by new more aggressively timed camshafts.

The engine now delivers 121 hp and 99 Nm

These cams are actuated by the chain to the right of the cylinders, while the optional Quickshiter + present on my test bike allows gears to be shifted without disengaging on the six-speed gearbox, associated with an oil bath limited slip clutch which is cable operated for easy maintenance and reduced weight. As on the 790, the Nikasil coated cylinders are integrated into the upper half of the die-cast aluminum crankcases. KTM also dramatically shortened the engine by overlapping the gearbox shafts vertically and under the gear change mechanism, located just below the unchanged 42mm Dell’Orto throttle bodies and supplied with fresh air by an air box located under the gearbox. saddle and whose air inlets are located on either side of your hips. Each cylinder is now mapped separately from one another to refine the arrival of power.

The quickshifter + up / down is available as an option

At 11,900 euros, the 890 Duke R offers a lot for its price. Okay, we’re at the top of this mid-size segment, but it’s also a good price match against the 1,000cc machines it competes with in terms of performance..

The KTM 890 Duke R

More power and torque, but with reduced weight (essentially unsprung, which has a beneficial effect on the now fully adjustable WP fork) sounds like motorcycle R&D nirvana. After having had the honor of being chosen to be the first person from outside the company to ride this new bike in its pre-production version, it took me about 10 km out of the 180 traveled that day in company of Adriaan Sinke on a 1290 Super Duke R on a guided tour of the Salzkammergut mountains near KTM to see how special this new KTM roadster is.

In the saddle

I got the same impressions on the 890 that I had on the 790 Duke: a small, slim, short and sporty motorcycle, with a forward riding position that almost places your chin above the steering gear. We find a responsive motorcycle, both practical and fun and above all, which remains easy to ride and as quickly as you want. In short, it is one of those motorcycles with which you have the impression of becoming one as soon as you get on board. It brings fun to everyday driving, but certainly not as much as escaping through small roads.

Ergonomics of the KTM 890 Duke R

The geometry of the 890 Duke R is quite aggressive with a 24.3 ° caster angle and 98mm caster, offering a wheelbase of 1,482mm. Its agility and responsiveness are the reward, coupled with imperial stability in fast curves in third or fourth gear. You can feel it glued to the asphalt and the wide aluminum handlebars offer great leverage to take the bike on the angle, even more during the changes of direction from one side to the other which take place in any way. simplicity. Intuitive, I tell you … This handlebar can be adjusted almost endlessly to match your ideal position; in addition to the 4 clamping positions offered by the design of the upper triple yoke, it is also possible to rotate the bar through three different angles. Thanks to the narrow saddle at the base of the tank, I easily put both feet on the ground when stopped from the top of my 1m80.

The higher saddle does not prevent you from putting your feet on the ground

As on all KTMs, the color TFT display is the perfect example of the right way to present information to the rider, with the gear engaged in the upper left corner always visible at a glance, while scrolling in the menus are easily done via the left stalk. As on the 125 and 390, the KTM meter is a model of readability from which others should be inspired.

Test

The result is an even more intuitive package to drive than the already very fast and accessible 790 Duke. The engine is even more of a jewel than its predecessor, propelling with force from 2,000 rpm the handle turned halfway, or throttle wide open in sixth from 4,000 smoothly revs of the transmission. Because the power continues to climb throughout the rev range, we can tend to flirt with the red zone, now 500 rpm higher than the 790. By shifting the gear, the change is done smoothly thanks to the Ride-By-Wire accelerator. The harder you drive, the smoother the engine is paradoxically; these pendulums do their job really well and it is a flexible machine that crisscrosses the bends of the Austrian countryside with great ease. But thanks to this dose of additional torque, we take pleasure in changing gears quickly to surf the torque curve by chaining a series of virolos interspersed with short straights. The optional shifter is very well calibrated and works perfectly both uphill and downhill.

The 890 Duke R is driven by instinct

The key to this extra dose of performance on the 890 Duke R is not only the result of the engine modifications that KTM concocted to stay ahead of its rivals, but its lighter weight which, in addition to improving acceleration, makes also the motorcycle much more fun to take on the winding portions. The KTM almost changes direction in autopilot mode. Its handling is so precise and intuitive that it seems like you only have to think about turning for the Duke to do it for you. The improved ground clearance of 15mm also improves handling. The swingarm is more in line with the transmission chain and the bike does not lower as much as before at the rear on strong acceleration. This also means that the riding position has been subtly altered with a saddle height perched 15mm higher at 834mm. And with a flatter handlebar, more forward leaning, this offers a much sportier position than on the 790, especially since the footrests have also been moved a little back. However, it is not more tiring than before, just more sporty. The whole gives at the same time a more physical driving but also a driving which seems more intuitive. And even at speeds of 200 km / h when the odometer indicates 7,500 rpm, we are less bothered by this slightly more aerodynamic posture..

The sportier position of the roadster encourages attack

The test started with the Street mode among the four proposals made via the RBW (Ride-By-Wire) electronic accelerator before moving on to the Sport mapping, more dynamic but still controllable. There is also a 100 horsepower bridged Rain mode with smoother acceleration and an optional Track mode for track rides with a start assistant, MTC glide control, revised mapping and anti-wheeling disabled … But I ended up using Street mode for most of the day as it is best suited for driving on an open road, whether in everyday traffic or on winding mountain roads, passing through. Sport when the road opens up on the horizon and you can be more aggressive on the accelerator. Surfing the torque curve is pleasant when we go through the throttle ratios in full to 7,500 rpm with a copious acceleration up to 160 km / h on the last report! And the TFT display then indicates to be only 5,800 rpm.

Street mode is best suited for everyday use

This compact size of the engine and the more precise handling that we find on this bike compared to the 790 make it feel both like a mono in its handling and as a maxi-twin in terms of power and torque. The 890 Duke R brings together almost the best of both worlds: light and agile, responsive to rider demands, but with extra power and torque..

Lightweight, agile, responsive … the Duke R has it all

Cycle part

The main attraction of the 890 is mainly its weight / power ratio and its greater handling compared to a larger V-Twin and not just at KTM for that matter. It encourages you to brake later and accelerate harder. We are helped a lot by the new Michelin Power Cup II tires fitted to the bike, which are lighter than the other mounts of the French manufacturer, again allowing more maneuverability thanks to a reduction in the suspended weight. These tires were impressive in their grip and I also checked on several occasions how quickly they warmed up due to the cold, which used to be a weak point for Michelin tires. This is no longer the case. They are ready to attack after the first kilometer of rolling, following a stop for lunch or photos. Nice job Michelin, it is surely the reward of the involvement in MotoGP.

The KTM 890 Duke R receives Michelin Power Cup II tires

In addition, the unsprung weight reduced by these lighter tires and Brembo brakes allows the fully adjustable WP suspension specially developed for the 890 to work more efficiently, even on aggressive driving. The new Duke R also performed very well on frost-damaged asphalt. The ride quality is generally excellent on this machine.

The new WP fork is now fully adjustable

Braking

The brakes provide excellent bite without being harsh and are a bit of the icing on the cake. The only place where hard-riding Adriaan Sinke could widen the gap with his 1290 Super Duke R was on a 2km long hill where the extra cubic centimeters and extra oomph of the big V-Twin took hold. But everywhere else, the 890 Duke R was more agile and maneuverable, especially when arriving in tight ferrules..

The set offered by Brembo ensures very good braking

Video test

Conclusion

KTM has succeeded in improving a model that is nevertheless the market leader by producing a "Super Scalpel", much more advanced than the 790. And despite its 11,900 euros which may seem high, the KTM 890 Duke R remains in the same price bracket as its direct competitors, ie a Triumph Street Triple 765 RS at the same price or a Ducati Monster 821 at 11,490 €. A little more affordable, we find the Yamaha MT-09 SP at 10,499 € while under the 10,000 euros mark are the Kawasaki Z900 (9,499 €), Suzuki GSX-S 750 (8,899 €) and the BMW F900R (8,870 €) ) that we are also testing this month.

KTM 890 Duke R

Jeremy McWilliams, who has been one of the pilots involved from the start of the project and responsible for the final mapping of Keihin electronics, agrees. As we were racing against each other at the Goodwood Revival a few weeks before I left for Austria, he told me on the pre-grid:

That’s almost everything one can look for on a road bike: it’s light, thin, fast and well prepared. It took a long time to get the engine settings right and I would be surprised if you didn’t like it because in my opinion it is a serious contender for the 1290 Super Duke R and even a contender for the road bike. the most efficient to use on the road. Have fun !

You know what ? He’s right … and I did !

Strong points

• Motor
• Agility and maneuverability
• Granting of suspensions
• Braking
• Driving pleasure

Weak points

• Shifter + and optional track mode
• To be checked on the production model

The technical sheet of the KTM 890 Duke R

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