KTM Officially Unveils The Brand-New 990 Duke: Key Highlights

KTM unveiled the 990 Duke at the ongoing EICMA 2023. It is the final stepping stone towards the brand's top-of-the-line 1290 Super Duke. The new 990 Duke slots above the 390 Duke, and 790 Duke. Here are some of the key highlights of the new middle-class naked sports bike.

KTM 990 Duke: Engine

The new 947cc, parallel-twin engine available with the 990 Duke blurs the line between a middle-weight motorcycle and a big liter-class bike. The new engine is derived from the 889cc twin-cylinder motor from the 890 Duke and the extra displacement helps it produce 2bhp more and 4Nm more than the 890 Duke R at 123bhp and 103Nm of torque. The brand has thoroughly reworked the engine with new crankshafts and conrods

KTM has dubbed the new 990 Duke as "The Sniper" and they are calling it the lightest, sharpest, and most performance-focused mid-class naked bikes to ever be produced from the Mattighofen factory.

KTM 990 Duke: The Construction And Design

Remarkably, KTM has designed the 990 Duke to look more like the 1290 Duke unlike the 790 Duke and 890 Duke. This further reiterates that the KTM 990 Duke is the final stepping stone toward's brand's ballistic 177bhp 1290 Super Duke. Built around a trellis frame that uses the engine as a stressed member, supported by compression and readjustable WP Apex 43 forks, and a rebound and adjustable single-shock, with a pair of 17-inch rims shrouded by Bridgestone S22 tires.

KTM has managed to make the 990 Duke remarkable light considering the fact that it gets a massive 14.5-litre fuel, and despite a full tank the bike manages to weigh just 190 kg.

KTM 990 Duke: Feature-Rich

Atypical of most KTMs, the 990 Duke is filled to the gills with advanced tech. The 5-inch scratch-resistance, bonded glass display displays lean angle data, a timer, and telemetry stats with the optional Track pack installed. The graphics and menus has also been revised, along with a light sensor that helps adjust the headlights to surrounding conditions.

However, the 990 Duke is the first Duke to get cruise control as part of its electronic package. Speaking of which, KTM also provides five ride modes, bidirectional quickshifter, cornering ABS, traction control, wheelie control, and launch control.

When Will The KTM 990 Duke Launch?

KTM is scheduled to launch the new 990 Duke from 2023 onwards. However, with the absence of other Duke models in India, it is unlikely that the new 99 Duke will also launch in the country.