Spoilt for choice: tasting the KTM 990 DUKE

I’m rubbing my hands. I’ve just taken control of the 2024 KTM 990 DUKE for two weeks from KTM Spain, just outside of Barcelona, and my enthusiasm is as bright as the marginal orange trim for one simple reason: this might be the KTM DUKE for me. 

By Adam Wheeler

The 2024 KTM 990 DUKE is a forstfire, Author Adam Wheeler tested it. PC: Rudi Schedl

Why? I’ve always found an addictive glee in the LC engine’s over-generous torque and seemingly endless power. Every DUKE I’ve tried for nearly ten years has been agile and effortless. The strong performance aspects come through advanced electronics and behavior and the simplistic and futuristic aesthetic makes them seem even more ‘bad ass’. From the KTM 390 DUKE and KTM 690 DUKE singles to the KTM 790 DUKE and KTM 890 DUKE twins and the smoldering KTM 1290 SUPERDUKE R, all the DUKES I have ridden have turned heads in traffic.

The stripped engine of choice for THE SNIPER: the LC8C parallel twin. PC: KISKA

To be brutally honest the KTM 790 DUKE wasn’t quite my preference. I appreciated it for the litheness and the economy but I wanted more ‘oomph’. The KTM 1290 SUPERDUKE R ranks as one of the best and most enjoyable bikes I’ve ever gassed, including an unforgettable afternoon around the MotoGP Algarve International Circuit in Portugal, but the acres of output from the motor and the extra weight and bulk was a little excessive for the city commutes and the central motive I needed and wanted the KTM.

The KTM 890 DUKE was more like it, and then suddenly I was puzzled by news that the KTM 990 DUKE was on the way: what would KTM have to gain? Do we really need just another minor modification of the LC8c twin? With a little bit more digging I discovered that the Austrian-made model was over 96% new. What will come through the bars, I wondered.

Riding away from KTM Spain and the ergonomics somehow make me feel that I’m in a smaller and nimbler machine than the KTM 890 DUKE. I was told about the new tubular frame and I later read that KTM have made a 15% increase in stiffness but have saved weight through the diecast aluminum subframe construction and then in other areas like the front braking system. The swingarm is curious in that it is supposed to offer even more flex, so assisting with rear end stability: this explains the noticeable sensation of stability under acceleration from lights, into motorway sliproad exits and when weaving out of traffic to overtake on my blast back into Barcelona. Perhaps the shorter wheelbase contributes to this as well.

The frame is one of KTMs signature parts, directly produced in Mattighofen. PC: Rudi Schedl

So far, so good. The KTM 990 DUKE supposedly weighs under 180kg with the 14.5l tank empty but the combination of the fixed and assuring handling and the ease by which it can be flicked around underlines that distinctive DUKE lightness. The latest version of WP APEX suspension is as dependable as ever, but I find the rear a little stiff on my test bike. Luckily the adjustable systems on both ends provide five easy clicks to change things up and, mixed with the engineering of the swingarm, this feels like the most compliant of the midweight KTM DUKEs so far. I do wonder how much it could be pushed into corners around a track and what the sensation would be.

The tested bike of choice for author Adam Wheeler. PC: Adam Wheeler

123 hp and 103 Nm of torque comes through the new compact parallel twin engine, exhaust system (but still with the KTM DUKE growl, as I find out when I gave the bike a hearty rev in our communal parking area) and wider radiator that helps keep the whole throbbing heart of the bike a bit cooler. I don’t quite get enough hours in hot conditions to deduce if the KTM 990 DUKE runs a little fresher but the engine has other noticeable upgrades with the increased rotating masses making it even more friendly and rideable. I’m still too busy drinking-in the torque, which allows superb freedom with the rev range and gear selection; the gearbox seems more clinical but it’s been a while since I rode the KTM 890 DUKE and I remember that shifting system to be an improvement on previous incarnations also. 

The 2024 KTM 990 DUKE is hitting every target with devastating accuracy. PC: Rudi Schedl

The new handlebar cube doesn’t strike me as that intuitive, not as much as the old switch but maybe that’s just a question of familiarity and it’s a subjective thing but then the 5” TFT is great and crystal clear through the new menu system and enhanced info display. It’s from here that the three ride modes can be selected and the comprehensive information like Motorcycle Traction Control from the bike is relayed.

Adam Wheeler is KTMs go to author and also the testrider in this blogarticle. PC: Adam Wheeler

There are a couple of other things I found out quite late into my loan stint. The moody front LED headlight automatically adjusts to ambient conditions, and I didn’t’ get too deep into the optional TRACK and PERFORMANCE modes but the varying degrees of traction control (10 levels), throttle response, anti-wheelie and even launch control means the KTM 990 DUKE is one of those rare bikes that can be ridden to a track day, ridden to ragged and then steered home. This would apply especially in the case of the KTM 990 DUKE R. The DEMO mode meant I could have fiddled with these settings as the bike still hadn’t reached the 1500 km cut-off distance. My sole regret from my custody with the KTM was not exploring these facilities further. The DEMO mode is polemic but it was satisfying to know I could have delved into the array of customization if I wanted: KTM could have left it as an ‘extra’ only.

KTM once used to corner the market for extreme and ‘hooligan’ bikes and that DNA is definitely still present in the new KTM 990 DUKE but it is more subtle. The rawness of performance has to be awoken and the bike is more than ready with the beefed-up double 300m floating discs and 4-piston caliper brakes and those electronic provisions for the circuit. However, the other features do an impressive job of positioning the motorcycle as a versatile midweight product for a much wider range of purposes (there is now even more room for the pillion), aside from motorway riding of course, where any naked bike is always going to offer precious little resistance.

My only grumble? All black and grey? Or just block orange? Come on guys, we want more verve!