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KTM 790 Duke

  • KTM Motorcycles Malaysia has officially announced the price of the new 790 Duke. 
  • New 790 Duke offers the most bang for the buck when it comes to onboard features. 
  • Features include cornering ABS, quickshifter +, colour TFT screen, traction control, and more!

After months of speculation, the day has finally arrived and KTM Motorcycles Malaysia has officially announced that the much awaited KTM 790 Duke is now available in Malaysia for an unbelievable RM64,800 with zero rated GST, excluding insurance and road tax.

Dubbed ‘The Scalpel’, the new 790 Duke continues on the success of its single-cylinder 690 Duke, this time powered by a new 799cc, LC8c DOHC, 8-valve, liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine featuring a 75 degree crankpin offset. The offset was chosen to mimic the firing of order of its manic 1290cc 75-degree V-Twin big brother. KTM reverted to a parallel-Twin instead of a V-Twin for a more compact packaging, in aiming for better weight distribution and weight savings, hence a better power-to-weight ratio.

The new engine produces 105bhp at 9,000rpm and 87Nm of torque at 8,000rpm. It now features two balancer shafts to dampen vibration for a smoother ride.

The engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox with KTM’s PASC power assist slipper clutch, that allows for ultra fast downshifting or decelerating without locking up the rear wheel, thus improving safety.

The new 790 Duke engine is then set in an all-new frame as a stressed member. The new frame comes with unique sections that have thinner-walls with molybdenum steel sections. KTM says the frame has a finely tuned rigidity distribution to offer the best possible sporty feel with maximum feedback to the rider.

A consequence of the new frame gives the 790 Duke an attribute which Malaysians will love: Its seat height is only at 825mm. It’s very light, too, weighing in at 169kg dry.

As for the suspension, the 790 Duke uses specially-developed WP 43mm open-cartridge upside-down forks up front with 140mm of stroke. The rear suspension is a gas-assisted WP shock absorber and adjustable for preload. A WP steering damper keeps front end movements in check.

Other than that, the aluminium triple clamp has been tuned to match the flex of the forks. Steering rake angle is at 24 degrees while trail measures in at 98mm. Note that those are sporty numbers for a nimble handling bike. As with all KTMs, the handlebar is adjustable in four positions.

As for the electronics, the 790 Duke features ride-by-wire technology (RBW), lean angle sensitive Motorcycle Traction Control (MTC), cornering ABS, Motor Slip Regulation (MSR) for controlled engine braking, Quickshifter + for quicker  up and downshifts with auto blip, and a full-colour TFT display with the optional KTM MY RIDE smartphone integration.

The new KTM 790 Duke is available in Malaysia as a CBU model and priced RM64,800 with 0% GST without insurance and road tax.

Read more about this awesome machine here.

Some rumours have been going around that the 2018 KTM 790 Duke will be arriving soon in Malaysia.

Dealers have already begun accepting bookings for the bike which is said to be officially launched within a few months.

Based on reliable sources, we can confirm that the 790 Duke will be made available in Malaysia within the first half of the year.

Ever since the official launch of the 2018 KTM 790 Duke last December during the EICMA show in Milan, folks from all over the world have been wondering on how and when this magnificent machine will make its way to their respective countries. It’s the same case here in Malaysia and some dealers have already begun accepting bookings for this very impressive middleweight. (more…)

  • KTM will unveil the KTM 790 Adventure at EICMA 2017.

  • It shares the same parallel-Twin as the KTM 790 Duke.

  • We may see a road-going S-version and off-road R-version.

KTM has confirmed the unveiling of the all-new KTM 790 Adventure at EICMA 2017.

First spotted undergoing road tests in December 2016, KTM has confirmed that the 790 Adventure will be available from 2019. The KTM 790 Duke roadster, however, is slated to be available from 2018 (click here for the promo video of the prototype).

KTM 790 Duke. Courtesy of MCN

The 790 Adventure will use the same 800cc parallel-Twin of the 790 Duke. While there are no official specifications, the new engine is said to produce more than 100bhp.

Although the spy pictures provide a sketchy view, the 790 Adventure will most probably feature a fully-LCD instrument console, twin fuel tanks with their own fillers, LED headlamp, 21-inch spoke front wheel and 18-inch spoked rear wheel. If a road-going version is available, it should sport a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels.

Courtesy of MCN

The spyshots show the front end as similar to the 1050/1090 Adventure’s, and electronic semi-active suspension should be ruled out due to cost concerns. The rear monoshock can be clearly seen as almost horizontal and bolted directly to the swingarm, since more space has opened up from having a rear cylinder. Doing so forgoes the complexities of having linkages.

ABS is mandatory, thus we could safely expect it; same for electronic rider aids such as riding modes and traction control.

Introduction of the 790 Adventure will no doubt spice up the hotly-contested middleweight adveture-touring/dual-purpose market.

The 790 Adventure is seen as the direct replacement for the 640 Adventure, which distinguished itself in the Dakar Rally. However, the 790 Adventure is ineligible, as the current regulations allow capacities of only up to 450cc singles or twins. (Click here for the Dakar Rally’s regulations.)

We do hope that the KTM 790 Adventure is a true dual-purpose/adventure-tourer motorcycle that’s not only fully capable off-road but also for long distance touring.

KTM @ EICMA 2016: Team Orange shows off new 390 Duke, 790 Duke and a sleuth of updated offerings.

(more…)

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