KTM 990 Duke would be the updated brother of 890 Duke (which may get discontinued). It is in the news again and it looks interesting…
Motor Cycle News (MCN) is at it again. Last month they shared spy-images of what could be KTM’s new Supersport (probable name RC990) after nearly 13 years of absence. And now they have shared spy-images of the successor of KTM 890 Duke that could bear the name – 990 Duke.
Some early test mules were spotted last year that provided first evidence of KTM’s intention to bring an update to their popular middleweight offering. And now,the recent spotting of the test-mule is telling us that the development of the new model is well under way.
The reason for this displacement update appears to be the tightening of emission standards for both pollution and noise. This may have prompted KTM to rework the engine to adapt to the changing emission norms.
Visually, the bike appears to have a fresh set of bodywork which includes a redesigned front fender, new tank surrounds and restyled radiator shrouds. Further back, the sub-frame also appears to be reworked and also features new seat units for both rider and pillion.
Subtle changes have been made to the frame to accommodate the new engine. A new swing-arm can also be seen with re-designed beefier parts to add to the aggressive nature of the bike (that is a given for a Duke!).
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The front is probably running a dummy/incomplete headlamp and we hope to see a better unit when the motorcycle goes to production. It is speculated that the new KTM 990 Duke will make its debut in the spring of 2023.
Meanwhile KTM has also been testing its new generation 390 Duke for quite some time now. We also expect it to go live sometime this year…
Source – MCN