Previous to this year’s EICMA show, KTM had a 790 Adventure and a 790 Adventure R, and a 790 Duke, but no 790 Duke R. What’s up with that? Now we know: KTM has just introduced the 890 Duke R.
Obviously, there are several differences between this and the standard 790 Duke, starting with the motor. The 890 has an 890 cc parallel twin, derived from the 790. It’s rated for just under 120 hp, and 73 lb-ft of torque. That’s a gain of 16 hp over the 790, and 9 lb-ft of torque.
The throttle body is the same as the 790’s, but the 890 uses higher-compression pistons. The slip/assist clutch is the same, and it still uses a four-valve head, as you’d expect.
Another big difference: the 890 uses fully-adjustable WP Apex forks and shock. Suspension travel is unchanged, but the steering angle and rake are slightly modified, to provide sharper handling.
Up front, the 890 has Brembo Stylema brake calipers, with four pistons clamping down on 320 mm discs. There’s a single-piston caliper in back working with a 240 mm disc. AÂ Bosch 9.1 MP IMU manages the ABS system, which is cornering-enabled. There’s a complete electronics package here, with traction control as well, and other techno-features to keep everything in line.
Claimed dry weight is 166 kg, 3 kg less than the 790 Duke. Seat height is 834 mm, and fuel capacity is about 14 litres. The 890 has the same 120/70 ZR17 front tire and 180/55 ZR17 rear tire as the 790.
The 890 Duke hasn’t shown up on KTM’s Canadian website yet, but it will likely be here sooner or later.
