Duking and Adventuring
We knew these bikes were coming. For the last several months we’ve reported on the fact that there were several new models in the works from KTM and now at EICMA 2019 the bikes break cover. There’s the 390 Adventure, the 890 Duke R, and the 1290 Super Duke R. Let’s take a closer look.
390 Adventure
First up we have the 390 Adventure. This bike has been spotted testing and was known to be in the works and now it’s finally here. The motorcycle features unique adventure styling that borrows heavily from the 790 adventure but on a smaller scale. The motorcycle looks fantastic.
The bike gets the 373cc single-cylinder engine that some KTM fooks will be familiar with, however, KTM doesn’t say what the power numbers are exactly. The bike gets ByBree brakes, ABS you can disengage, fully-adjustable WPS suspension, and a steel trellis frame. The bike also utilizes KTM’s My Ride system so you can connect a smartphone and use it for navigation and whatnot. There’s no mention of price.
890 Duke R
KTM wouldn’t neglect the middleweight portion of the segment and that’s right where the 890 Duke fits in. The bike features more power, more torque, better brakes, fully-adjustable WP APEX suspension and other awesome equipment. It’s simply a better motorcycle than the 790 Duke that was out previously.
The frame has not changed from the 790 Duke and the company claims it’s getting 121 hp and 73 lb-ft of torque out of the parallel-twin engine. The bike is simply more hardcore than the other middleweight Dukes KTM has put out in the past. The bike is set to come out in fall of 2020 as a 2021 model. The price is not yet known.
1290 Super Duke R
KTM teased the 1290 Super Duke R not long ago and now it is officially here. The company has its ultimate Duke and it is a special bike, indeed. the motorcycle features a 75-degree 1,301cc V-twin engine, updated styling, improvements to the chassis and a lighter curb weight.
The full specs for the motorcycle are not yet known. This includes the price and all the power figures. However, some of the equipment information is out there. It appears that a great deal of the motorcycle is new, including the subframe, swingarm, rear suspension components, front forks and more. The bike also gets some serious technology, including cornering ABS by Bosch, various riding modes, multi-stage lean angle traction control, and a new TFT dashboard to control it all.
It’ll be interesting to see all of what these new motorcycles can do moving forward. I’m most intrigued by the 390 Adventure, but there’s no denying that the 1290 Super Duke R is an amazing-looking machine.