India-bound KTM 890 Duke Unveiled

Don't mistake this for the extremely serious 890 Duke R--the standard 890 is geared for a wholesome experience

• Displacement has been bumped from 789cc to 889cc, with 115PS and 92Nm.
• It weighs in at 169kg--same as before.
• Seat height is 820mm, 5mm lower than the 790 Duke and 14mm lower than the 890 R.
• Expected to arrive in India in 2022.

KTM introduced the 790 Duke in India back in 2019 which changed the way we perceived mid-displacement streetfighters. The 790 was fast, light and was razor-sharp, hence the nickname ‘Scalpel’. It was only a matter of time before KTM introduced a larger, much faster version of the Scalpel -- the 890 Duke. The streetfighter has finally been unveiled globally and here’s how it compares to its younger sibling. 

The engine’s obviously the biggest change here. It packs an 889cc, LC8c, parallel-twin rather than the previous 789cc unit. Thanks to the bump in displacement, power and torque figures have also increased. We’re looking at 115PS of power and 92Nm of peak torque -- up by 10PS and 5Nm. All while weighing in at just 169kg dry, which is the same weight as the 790 Duke. Customers can even opt for a bi-directional quickshifter to go along with the 6-speed transmission.

A 20 percent increase in rotation mass ensures better cornering stability and fewer vibes at lower revs. Goes without saying that the engine complies with both Euro 5 and BS6 emission norms. The 890 gets its own electronic suite, which includes four ride modes (Rain, Street, Sport & Track), traction control, switchable wheelie control, launch control and cornering ABS. 

The 890 Duke uses the same Chromoly tubular steel backbone frame with the engine acting as a stressed member. It uses an updated WP APEX 43mm open cartridge upside-down fork and a gas-charged rear monoshock mounted on a cast aluminium swingarm. Unlike the track-spec 890 Duke R, the standard model doesn't feature any sort of adjustments for the front fork and the monoshock only has preload-adjustability. However, the seat is surprisingly more accessible at 820mm, which is 5mm lower than the 790 Duke, and a whole 14mm shorter than the 890 R. KTM winds it up with grippier Continental ContiRoad tyres which replace the old MAXXIS Supermaxx ST radial tyres.

Sadly, the KTM 890 Duke won’t be coming to India anytime soon. KTM will be launching the BS6 790 Duke instead since it’s still pretty fresh in the market. Expect the 890 Duke to make its way to India by early-2022 with an expected price tag of Rs 9 lakh (ex-showroom). Once launched, it will go up against bikes like the Triumph Street Triple R, 2021 Kawasaki Z900, the 2021 Ducati Monster and the updated Yamaha MT-09.