KTM 790 Duke Unofficial Bookings Begin In India

A couple of dealerships across India have unofficially started accepting bookings for the mid-displacement naked with token amount ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 30,000

[Update: KTM 790 Duke Launched In India At Rs 8.64 lakh]

• Our sources suggest that the bike will be priced around Rs 8.5 lakh (on-road).
• It’s is expected to enter India via the CKD route.
• The KTM 790 Duke will only be available at select KTM dealerships across India.

[UPDATE: Finally! KTM India is all set to launch the 790 Duke on 23 September. Here are all the details regarding the official launch of the bike.]

There’s reason to rejoice, KTM enthusiasts, as our sources suggest the hotly-anticipated 790 Duke is likely to be launched by the end of this current fiscal year. What’s more? It could get a competitive price tag of around Rs 8.5 lakh (on-road). And, if that holds any merit, it’ll not only undercut its main rival, the Triumph Street Triple S (Rs 9.19 lakh), by a margin, it’ll also be more affordable than the Kawasaki Z900 (Rs 7.68 lakh) and the Suzuki GSX-S750, priced at 7.45 lakh (all prices ex-showroom). 

Interestingly though, owing to its premium nature, you could only get your hands on the orange machine via select KTM dealerships across India. A few dealerships across the country have unofficially started accepting bookings for the KTM 790 Duke for a token amount ranging between Rs 5,000 and Rs 30,000 (refundable). However, most dealerships are accepting bookings for a nominal amount of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000. 

Also Read: KTM 390 ADV & 790 Duke India Launch: More Details Emerge

Though our sources suggest a price tag of Rs 8.5 lakh (on-road), KTM during EICMA 2017 stated that the bike was designed to make localisation easier. Which pushed us to believe that the bike could be priced a lot lower than the current speculated price, say, around Rs 7 lakh (on-road). Though this seems a bit unrealistic, the fact that KTM India could locally procure the wheels, suspension, brakes, swingarm, bodywork, tyres, TFT screen, headlight and switchgear begs us to believe it is indeed possible. Plus, KTM is known for pricing its products aggressively compared to its competition, and a price tag of around Rs 7 lakh for the 790 Duke would absolutely obliterate its competition!

Also Read: New 500cc KTM Under Development

If everything pans out, the 790 Duke will be the first proper big bike to enter India from KTM’s stable. Design wise, it borrows the same sharp and aggressive styling from the Duke lineup. On the feature front, the bike gets a colour TFT display with smartphone connectivity, inverted pitchfork-shaped all-LED headlights and a new stainless steel upswept exhaust. While the bike looks as compact as the KTM 390 Duke, its wheelbase has been stretched out while its rake angle is set close to that of the RC 390, at 24 degrees. 

Powering the bike is an all-new, 799cc, LC8, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin motor that belts out 105PS of power and 86Nm of torque. Its 6-speed transmission comes with a slipper clutch and quickshifter for clutchless up and down shifts. Not only this, the 790 Duke also features a host of rider aids like ride-by-wire for precise throttle inputs, riding modes (Sport, Street, Rain & Track), traction control with lean angle sensitivity, ABS and launch control.

Also Read: Next-gen KTM RC 390 Spied; Gets An All-new Design

Housing it all is a tubular ChroMoly chassis, where the engine acts as a stressed member. Suspension duties are handled by upside-forks and a monoshock at the rear. The 790 Duke’s braking setup comprises of twin 300mm discs paired to four-pot radial calipers up front and a 240mm rear disc coupled with a single-pot caliper. With all this equipment on board, the 790 Duke tips the scale at just 169kg (dry).