KTM AG is developing a new 990 Duke, spy images of which recently surfaced online from Europe. The new KTM 990 Duke will be the next step in the bike maker’s middleweight stable and could join the 890 Duke that is currently the on sale. The brand’s middleweight Duke family started with the 790 Duke in 2018 that was also briefly sold in India, followed by the current 890 Duke that was upgraded to a bigger engine, electronics, and chassis along with Euro5 emissions compliance. The 990 Duke promises more power and capability from KTM’s middleweight family.
Reports suggest that the upcoming KTM 990 Duke is being developed front the ground up and won’t share parts with the 890 Duke. The test mule reveals a new exhaust and radiator on the bike. It will meet the Euro 5b norms across Europe that further tighten emissions on motorcycles, and the engine could get water jackets to nullify the noise. The upcoming bike will also sport a new swingarm, updated chassis, new split seats, tank extensions and new body panels. The LED headlamp appears similar to the one on the 890 Duke.
KTM is also reportedly testing different suspension setups on the 990 Duke as well as different riding geometry. This could be to bring more models under the 990 family including the Adventure and possibly a GT version too. However, there’s no word on the same. We do think, a KTM 990 Adventure will only be a natural extension to the model line-up knowing how KTM likes to position its products in the market making the most out of a single platform.
There’s no word on the powertrain changes but the KTM 990 Duke will pack more power than the 890 Duke that uses an 889cc twin-cylinder engine that develops 115PS and 92Nm of peak torque. The motor is paired with a 6-speed gearbox. Expect to see 135 PS, an adjustable suspension, top-spec brakes, and a host of electronics on the motorcycle when it goes on sale in Europe. It’ll be too early to say if KTM India will bring the 990 range here in the future. The new KTM 990 line-up could arrive by the end of 2022 or in 2023.
