News – Motorcycle news: the KTM 690 Duke improves in 2016 – Used KTM

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Motorcycle news: the KTM 690 Duke improves in 2016

News - Motorcycle news: the KTM 690 Duke improves in 2016 - Used KTM

KTM discreetly presented a pre-series 690 Duke improved in many ways, especially in terms of performance and approval of the famous single-cylinder LC4. The equipment of this 2016 novelty is also a good step forward, for a priori similar price.

KTM discreetly presented a pre-series improved in many points, especially in terms of performance and approval of the famous LC4 single cylinder. The equipment of this 2016 novelty is also a good step forward, for a priori similar price.

An effective antidepressant … but not reimbursed !

To distinguish itself from the plethora of medium-displacement 2, 3 and especially 4-cylinder roadsters and take advantage of its know-how developed in off-roading, KTM is focusing all its efforts on single-cylinder architecture with the 690 Duke . Or rather "concentrated", since one should land next year.

While waiting for the arrival of this new 800, the occupies the ground with striking arguments: light (149.5 kg without gasoline), precise and efficient (68 hp and 70 Nm of torque), it brings together such a sum of qualities that ‘she won the "MNC favorite" during our in Thailand !

A real toy, only penalized by its saddle height (835 mm and up to 865 mm on the luxurious R version), its sometimes too lively front end and its engine certainly alive and overflowing with pep, but not very docile at low speeds, prone to vibration and lacking a hint of stretch. 

Last detail and not the least: its frankly salty price of € 7,850, or 1350 euros more than equipped with ABS. No wonder in these conditions that the diffusion of this Orange bomb is inversely proportional to the amount of pleasure felt handlebars in hand !

+7% power and 1000 extra draws !

For 2016, the Mattighofen firm has decided to improve the base without upsetting it: this new 690 Duke, presented in an almost final version to a few "happy few", retains its look and a large part of its current components..

The only visible change: the silencer is redesigned, in accordance with the mechanical changes made and compliance with Euro4. The 690 Duke will also be the first KTM motorcycle to meet this mandatory standard from 2016. 

The redesigned saddle would be more comfortable, while a color TFT matrix display replaces the previous, rather austere instrumentation. So on paper, that’s good ! 

This new on-board console shows the driving mode engaged – out of 3 available – and the level of traction control, now fitted as standard in addition to the ABS and the ride-by-wire accelerator which already equip the version. 2015. 

But it is especially in the mechanical chapter that the 690 Duke 2016 would have made the most progress: KTM announces a gain of "7%" in power and "6%" in torque! These figures are not yet official, but the Orange brand would count on approximately "72 ch" for the standard version, or almost the equivalent of the twin cylinder of the MT-07 (74 ch) !

Insofar as the 690 Duke will be declined – – in version "R", more powerful and equipped with high-end peripherals, one can reasonably imagine that KTM manages to cross the bar of 75 ch, definitively confirming its status of single-cylinder series the most powerful in the world with the 690 Duke R ! 

To achieve this level of performance, the Austrian mill has been redesigned in many ways and takes, for example, 1000 additional revolutions. Bye, bye the extension deficit compared to multicylinders! The mono also adopts a balancing pendulum larger than the current one, responsible for better combating vibrations.. 

A priori with success, according to the first feedback from the rare testers invited to discover the beast. Similarly, the efforts made to make it more pleasant at low revs seem to bear fruit: the engine would now resume from 2500 rpm, where MNC criticized the previous version for vigorously banging under 3000 rpm, or even 3500 rpm. mn on upper gears.

Finally, the tendency of the front axle to shed easily would now be resolved thanks to a slightly open caster angle. This 690 Duke 2016 will be presented in its final version in "a few weeks", probably at the motorcycle show in Milan (Italy) at the end of November. Good news: its price would not – fortunately – suffer too much inflation.

To be continued on MNC: stay connected !

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