KTM 790 Duke still under evaluation for Indian launch - Report

19/10/2018 - 12:45 | KTM 790 Duke, KTM | Suvil Susvirkar

Amidst reports and dealership confirmations about the 790 Duke’s bookings, KTM India’s head, Amit Nandi has made a statement about the launch of the motorcycle. Nandi denied the impending launch and bookings posts, saying that the KTM 790 Duke is still under evaluation and nothing has been finalised yet.

2018 KTM 790 Duke Orange action shot — The KTM 790 Duke draws styling cues from the 1290 SuperDuke and comes equipped with full LED lighting, sharp design and the new 799 cc parallel twin cylinder engine.

Also read: KTM 125 Duke bookings open ahead of the launch in India

He said in a communication:

The 790 duke is under evaluation for launch. Nothing is finalised yet. These stories (about the impending launch and open bookings for the 790 Duke) are speculative and wrong! We are keen to introduce but nothing is finalised yet.

Previously, KTM dealers had confirmed that the India bookings for the new 790 Duke had commenced and that the motorcycle will be launched post-Diwali. It was also reported that KTM planned to bring the motorcycle to the Indian market via the CKD route. Unveiled at the 2017 EICMA motorcycle show, the KTM 790 Duke would compete against the Suzuki GSX-S750, Kawasaki Z900, Ducati Monster 821 and the Triumph Street Triple in the Indian market.

The 790 Duke is feature packed, and the electronic rider aids on the motorcycle include Motorcycle Stability Control, Cornering ABS with Supermoto mode, Motor Slip Regulation (MSR), two-way Quickshifter, multiple Riding Modes and a TFT display for the instrument cluster. The 790 Duke also gets Traction Control System, dedicated Track Mode with Anti-Wheelie Control and Launch Control, Traction Control Spin Adjuster, and Throttle Response.

Mechanical specifications on the KTM 790 Duke include a 799 cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin, LC8c engine that is tuned to deliver 105 PS of maximum power at 9,000 rpm and 86 Nm of peak torque at 8,000 rpm. The parallel twin engine gets a 270-degree firing order along with a secondary balancer shaft to minimalize vibrations. The engine is mated to a 6-speed transmission with a standard PASC slipper clutch.

Hardware list includes 43 mm USD front forks and an adjustable mono-shock – sourced from WP – in the suspension department. Twin discs at the front and a single disc at the back perform anchoring tasks. Full LED lighting adds a premium look to the motorcycle.