Divyank Kushagra Bansal 
KTM has revealed the all-new 990 Duke as the successor to the departing 890 Duke. Essentially, this time, KTM’s brief for the development of the 990 Duke was to prepare a machine that is closer to the 1290 Super Duke R and less focused on the fact that it is an evolution of the 890 Duke.
KTM 990 Duke – Ergonomics
The 990 Duke receives a new seat design for better riding comfort. Compared to the 890 Duke R, the seat angle has been moved 2° upward in the front section to offer a stable riding position and solve the problem of sliding forwards, with an overall seat height of 825mm. The pillion seat is also moved upwards by 20mm to improve the passenger’s view during riding. A 760mm tapered aluminium handlebar offers four-step adjustability to offer a more tailored riding experience. A new 14.5-litre steel fuel tank offers a claimed riding range of up to 300 kilometres.
KTM 990 Duke – Powertrain
The 990 Duke is propelled by a heavily updated version of the LC8c engine found in the 890 Duke R. The 947cc twin-cylinder EURO5+ homologated unit features new pistons, crankshaft, and connecting rods to help produce 123HP at 9,500rpm and 103Nm at 6,750rpm. A fully redesigned stainless-steel exhaust system features improved lambda sensors.
KTM 990 Duke – Chassis
The 990 Duke is built around a completely new steel tubular frame which offers an 8% increase in side stiffness and a 5% increase in torsional stiffness for improved handling. The rear subframe is an aluminium die-cast unit inspired by KTM’s trellis subframes. It houses an integrated air box and air intake under the seat. The 990 Duke also benefits from an all-new gravity die-cast swingarm, which is a departure from the previous high-pressure die-cast construction. The new unit is 1.5kg lighter and offers 35% less stiffness to improve rear wheel traction and rear shock absorption. Different from previous Duke models, the new frame design also features a revised swingarm pivot point.
The 990 Duke comes with WP APEX Suspension components. The 43mm front USD fork is an open cartridge unit that’s five-step adjustable for compression and rebound, while the monoshock is five-step adjustable for rebound and preload. Braking duties are managed by twin 300mm floating discs and four-piston radially-mounted callipers at the front and a single 240mm disc coupled with a single-piston calliper at the rear. A new, lighter disc mount helps save 500g of weight on either side of the front wheel.
The bike rides on 17-inch wheels (a modified version of the wheels used on the 1290 Super Duke R), shod in Bridgestone S22 tyres – 120/70-ZR17 at the front and a 180/55-ZR17 unit at the back.
KTM 990 Duke – Features
In terms of features, the 990 Duke comes equipped with all-LED lighting, a five-inch TFT colour display with anti-scratch bonded glass, five ride modes (Rain, Street, Sport and the optional Performance and Track), and a USB-C charging port. The screen interface offers revised graphics and menu structures for faster and more intuitive access to information.
