Last year, KTM replaced its middle-weight street-naked, the 790 Duke, with the 890 Duke. Interestingly, the Austrian manufacturer has decided to reintroduce the original in global markets for 2022.
Why? KTM says that the 790 Duke will neatly connect the gap between the 390 Duke and the 890 Duke. European markets will get a detuned version of the LC8c parallel-twin engine with a peak power figure of 95hp, making it available for A2 license holders. Meanwhile, the rest of the world will have access to the full 105hp and 87Nm of torque.
KTM has also made some changes to the electronics on offer with the 2022 790 Duke, and it isn’t as comprehensive as it was before. Features like the bi-directional quick-shifter, engine brake control, a ‘Track mode,’ TPMS, and KTM My Ride for Bluetooth connectivity, came as standard equipment when the bike was on sale last; this time around, they’re available as optional extras. Standard features include lean-sensitive traction control, cornering ABS, and three ride modes – Rain, Street, and Sport.
The rest of the bike is the same as before. The mainframe and subframe, suspended by a 43mm WP Apex inverted fork and mono-shock, have been carried over, as have the brakes.
What makes the 790 Duke an enticing option is the price. At €9,000 ($9911), the 2022 KTM 790 Duke is notably more affordable than the 890 Duke, for which prices start at €12,000 ($13,214) in most European countries.
KTM has not mentioned if the reintroduced 790 Duke will make its way to the North American market, but we certainly hope it does.
