KTM has confirmed the New Zealand and Australian markets will soon receive the new 890 Duke R in dealerships with an incredibly hot price point.
Due here next month (May 2020), KTM has confirmed the 890 Duke R is priced from $19,199 plus on road costs.
Considering the upgrades over the base 790 Duke, including adjustable WP suspension and larger capacity 890cc LC8c parallel-twin engine, the 890 Duke R will offer much-needed value in the hotly contest performance middleweight segment.
As the name suggests, KTM has bumped up the cubic capacity up to 890cc to bring power up to 121hp backed by 99Nm of peak torque from the LC8c parallel-twin.
In addition to the larger capacity, the 890 Duke R features a new cylinder head which has been developed to accommodate a set of larger 37 mm intake and 30 mm exhaust valves, while the camshafts feature increased lift and a more aggressive profile. KTM also included a new balancer shaft to match the increased RPM and increased rotating mass and keep vibration to a minimum.
With the lack of adjustability in the 790 Duke’s suspension a point of contention for some, KTM ensured the 890 Duke R has all the goodies to deserve the moniker of “super Scalpel”.
The Austrian manufacturer even goes as far to call the 890 Duke R “the sportiest bike in the middleweight segment and will even give bigger bikes a run for their money”.
To back up their claim is a host of upgrades on the base 790 Duke platform including better suspension and braking as well as the aforementioned larger capacity engine.
Braking duties are now handled by Brembo Stylema monoblock calipers clamping on lighter 330mm discs and are controlled via a Brembo MCS master cylinder, which allows the rider to adjust the lever ratio and brake feel. Overall, KTM claims a saving of 1.2 kg of unsprung mass when compared to the KTM 790 DUKE.
KTM 890 DUKE R features fully adjustable linear spring WP APEX front forks with split function damping, compression and rebound settings. This allows riders to perfectly sharpen their preferred setup for track or the street.
The rear end features a fully adjustable WP APEX shock, complete with high and low-speed compression settings, as well as rebound adjustment. A hydraulically adjustable preload adjuster is also in the mix and allows for quick and easy tuning on the fly.
Rolling stock comes in the form lightweight light-alloy wheels finished in KTM’s signature 'R' orange as standard. This not only drops the overall weight of the bike but also minimises the unsprung mass and aids in faster turn-in and reduced rolling resistance. The bright orange wheels are then wrapped in Michelin Powercup II Hypersport tyres.
Overall the 890 Duke R is a full 3kg lighter than the 790 Duke and provides a full 18hp and 12Nm of extra grunt on top of the significant chassis updates.