KTM 790 Duke is expected to be the next game changer after the official launch of Royal Enfield Twins and Jawa motorcycles in India. As these two brought big displacement bikes under affordable pricing, KTM 790 Duke is expected to take this baton to the next level. It will rival premium motorcycles like Ducati Monster, Triumph Street Triple, Kawasaki Z900 and Suzuki GSX-S750 in India, leaving all of them far behind with an effective price tag of around INR 6 lakh. Even the Scrambler series start much higher than this point, offering values that are not even comparable to the 790.
According to some reports, the launch for 790 Duke is confirmed for April 2019, leaving just a 1-month period for fans to prepare their minds for a huge 105HP of power output at just 9000 rpm. The 799cc twin-cylinder engine is good for 86 Nm at 8000 rpm and comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox with slipper clutch and quick-shifter. The front of KTM 790 comes with dual 300mm disc brakes, 43mm USD forks, standard ABS and familiar LED headlight. The engine management system is available with various riding modes, restricting power whenever the total output is not required by the rider.
The powerful machine weighs just 189 kg and will soon serve as the base for a new GP2 machine by Kramer Motorcycles. They will reduce the total weight of Duke 790 to just 135 kg and put the engine under a new race-spec frame with full fairing and custom performance parts. It will be ready by 2020 and will retail exclusively in the US market initially. KTM 790 will be assembled in India, saving the huge amount of taxation that other brands go through before bringing a product to India. The impressive exhaust design and raised fuel tank will offer the riders a unique stance and raised road presence.
