KTM is developing a new naked bike for new markets, which was recently seen being tested in Europe. According to reports, the bike is likely to have a 650cc parallel-twin engine and will be positioned below the KTM 790 Duke.
The new KTM 650cc naked bike is likely to be jointly developed with Bajaj Auto and manufactured in India. It is being developed to compete with the likes of the Yamaha MT-07, Triumph Trident 660 and Kawasaki Z650. Currently, KTM has nothing between the 390 Duke and 790 Duke. The new bike is believed to allow KTM to offer a mid-sized motorcycle in the 650cc segment.
Spy shots of the prototype suggest that the bike will be based on the 790 Duke platform. It will use a modified version of the 799cc twin-cylinder LC8C engine. However, KTM is believed to have reduced the engine displacement to 650cc, while producing 70bhp of power. The spy shots also show that the cylinder head and cooling unit have been slightly modified. The chassis and sub-frame appear to be taken from the KTM 790 Duke. However, the steering head angle is better and the geometry is less sharp than the 790 Duke. It has better ergonomics and suits a wide range of riders.
Currently, the design of this brand new Street Fighter is still in progress. We expect the phone to feature a completely new design and launch in mid-2026. Now it remains to be seen whether KTM will name it 650 Duke or 690 Duke. However, given the name of the Austrian bike manufacturer, it might be called the KTM 690 Duke.
