690 Duke in black
The exciting KTM 690 Duke announced for Europe last year is making it to the States for 2013, along with the 990 Adventure Baja model.
The 690 Duke offers the most powerful single-cylinder street legal engine in the United States with 70 hp. A slipper clutch will provide a very useful reduction in engine braking to smooth downshifts on the big single. You can see our earlier article for all the important details. The U.S. model will be available in both black and white colors. The U.S. MSRP of the 2013 KTM 690 Duke is $8,999.
The 990 Adventure Baja is a limited edition model built specifically for North America, and it includes a number of unique features described in the press release below. U.S. MSRP for the 990 Adventure Baja is $14,999.
The following press release describes all of the street legal KTMs offered in North America for 2013. Missing is the big new 1190 Adventure, which is likely to appear in the United States in the 2014 model year.
Murrieta, CA – KTM North America, Inc. is excited to announce two new street models, the 690 Duke and the 990 Adventure Baja to the North American street market for 2013.
690 Duke
KTM is excited for the return of KTM’s most popular naked bike, the 690 Duke. Whether you are a street rider, commuter or a track day rider this bike offers superb handling and unadulterated riding pleasure.
The 690 Duke is a new model for the US and Canadian markets for 2013 and features a low seat height of 32.9 inches to allow for more rider comfort. The engine has been redesigned with a new cylinder head with dual ignition and selective individual ignition for each plug. It is a true ride-by-wire system that provides excellent fuel management and increased fuel mileage.
690 Duke in white
In addition, the intake and exhaust system elevates the engine to produce a whopping 70hp, a mountain of torque and throttle response second to no multi-cylinder concept. The APTC slipper clutch provides the rider with mechanical assistance to smooth downshifts and reduce the impact of engine braking. It also includes a lightweight trellis-style frame of chromoly steel and an entirely self-supporting die-cast aluminum rear subframe with top-quality WP suspension components and Brembo braking system to bring you the ultimate riding experience for each trip. Targeted at a broader audience, the new 690 Duke is positioned at a competitive and will be available in two color ways for 2013: black and white.
990 Adventure Baja
KTM has been committed to growing the Travel Adventure segment over the past decade starting with its 950 Adventure and leaping into the 990 Adventure generations. For 2013, the 990 Adventure Baja will push the limit of where a 1000cc twin-powered motorcycle can bring riders. This limited edition model has been built specifically for the North American market. It is a tribute to Baja, the land of the famous SCORE/Baja 1000 but also of multiple travel adventure rides and rallies.
990 Adventure Baja
The new model includes white bodywork with limited edition Baja graphics and an orange powder-coated frame. It also includes Dunlop 908 RR tires, orange crash guards, LED auxiliary lights, suede-style seat, aluminum radiators guard, GPS base mount and SuperSprox aluminum steel sprocket. In addition, the Baja unit comes standard with a tank bag and rear waterproof luggage bag as well as fully adjustable front and rear WP suspension. This is truly the bike that can take you on any adventure.
In addition KTM will also return with updates to the following models: 1190 RC8 R, 990 SM T, 690 Enduro R, 500 EXC and 350 EXC-F.
1190 RC8 R
The most powerful bike in the street line-up lies within the 1190 RC8 R. This machine is the bike of choice for KTM/HMC Superbike Team rider Chris Fillmore. In only one full season on the bike, Fillmore has already claimed multiple top five finishes to further prove the machines capabilities in the Sportbike segment. The RC8 R with a new look for 2013, is comprised of an 1195cc, 75 degree V-twin engine that puts out 175 hp. It also features a new slipper clutch to decrease rear wheel chatter on downshifts while allowing for increased corner entry speed. The RC8 R is designed for high-performance supersport riding and racing and has fully-adjustable ergonomics including: clip-ons, footpegs, a gear shifter, clutch and brake levers and subframe height.
990 SM T
The 999cc, powerful, LC8, DOHC, V-Twin engine that makes up the 990 SM T, produces 115hp and 71.5 lb-ft torque. The bike includes new graphics, a new two-tone suede-style seat along with a high-quality braking system produced by Brembo, a long-distance fuel tank capacity of 5 gallons and soft-side lightweight saddle bags as standard equipment. It is the perfect companion for long trips up the coast.
690 Enduro R
The single-cylinder, 4-stroke engine of the 690 Enduro R includes a semi ride-by-wire electronic fuel-injection system as well as a slipper clutch, 6-speed gearbox that make it the only choice for true big-bore offroad riders. The shelf-supporting plastic subframe fuel tank, comfortable seat, bodywork with rider-friendly ergonomics and fully-adjustable suspension with a revised spring weight contribute to the perfect handling of this dual-spot machine. At 300 lbs., this is an extremely light and agile single-cylinder motorcycle that rises above the competition.
500 EXC & 350 EXC-F
The EXC line is among KTM’s most popular selling units. With extremely compact engine design and easy maintenance these fuel-injected units provide unrivalled enduro specific performance and rideability. The EXC line makes up KTM’s smallest displacement street-legal motorcycles that include high-quality lightweight chromoly steel frames and PDS rear suspension. The motorcycles also come equipped with a DDS (Damped Diaphragm Steel) one-piece clutch basket combined with the primary gear that guarantees unbeatable reliability and contributes to the narrow engine size. The 500 EXC and 350 EXC-F are the most offroad oriented street-legal machine you can buy.
No taking away from the 690, but give me,(in the USA), the 390 Duke instead… P-L-E-A-S-E !
The “new” sumo is an expensive, maintenance-intensive UJM. TO me, sumo is best when it’s pure. Duke and SMC miss the mark, IMO.
Dammit! I wish I could justify a $9000 thumper as a second bike! I always liked the one-lung Dukes. With a one-arrow quiver, though, I just don’t think I could get by with the Duke as my one and only do-it-all machine.
I’m generally not a fan of KTM styling. Too ‘angular’ for me…but this (690) doesn’t seem that bad. That thing would be a load of fun…especially if you swapped out the tires for the skins on the Baja. Imagine tearin up a logging road…70hp Thumper throwin rooster tails…now that’s some serious fun.
What horse does the 690 enduro make?
Mid 60s I believe…but the Enduro looks like a dirt bike…this Duke is much sexier IMO
I love this bike. If I didn’t already have 3 bikes in the garage I’d definitely pony up for this one or a new old stock 690SMC. KTM gets me.
Twenty comments and they are all about the looks….hum… I would sure like to try one of these in the North Georgia mountains! Bet after riding for twenty minutes you’d fall in love!
Everyone here complains about how overweight today’s bikes are and how they want a purist machine. Well here yah go. Oh wait you’re still complaining the exhaust is not pretty enough lol. Change it.
+1
Ain’t that the truth…put a Cruiser on here and everybody is poo-pooing about “Form over Function”…put up a bike that’s nearly all function focused and they complain that the exhaust is ugly…LOL
me thinks some people will complain about anything 🙂
They should have just put a little fairing around the cat, but yea sometimes you just can’t win.
What you see is most likely a metal shroud around the cat, with an air gap between the actual catalytic convertor and the shroud. Although the shroud is purely functional and not designed with any consideration to aesthetics, and possibly is integral to the cat, i.e., when the cat comes off the original production line, the shroud is there, possibly.
Oh, they’ll change it all right — everybody does (in America)… :o(
(even if it’s illegal…)
There’ll be a small fortune made in aftermarket — LOUD — exhausts.
(hey, what’d’ya say..?)
Yes it has a big muffler/cat, get over it! All those internet know it all please find a way to keep noise, and emissions down, power way up for a single of this size ohh and keep center of gravity low, build it and make a bundle of loot selling it.
“Not only the CAT….the whole bike is BEYOND UGLY, to me.” “Easily one of the ugliest bikes of the last 20 years, to me.” “Even the Duke 125, 200 and the new 390 Duke model look fabulous in comparison, to me.”
Fixed that for you Al. You’re welcome.
The Duke really favors a Buell .
No word on the Duke 390? Does this call into question the leaked powerpoint presentation outlining the upcoming models? (http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2011/08/ktm-to-bring-e-bikes-350-duke-and-1190-superduke-to-usa/)
It would be a shame, as I’m very interested in the reported 390 Adventure.
The Husqvarana Nuda now is looking really sexy…sorry ktm.
Is the 2013 690 Enduro still $10,299? If so, why would it be $1,300 more than a Duke? Has the Duke always been cheaper?
How come Honda can make a catalyst the size of a pickle-relish jar work on their new 4-cylinder CB1100, but KTM needs a giant Hummer-size catalyst on their 690cc thumper? WTF??? That tin-can looks bigger than the catalyst on my wife’s 2.5 liter Subaru! I know Euro-stylists see things differently than us in the states, but that’s UGLY in any country. Has showing off your emissions devices suddenly become chic? If so, what’s next? Evaporative canisters mounted on handlebars? Bypass valves hanging from fenders? I’ll pass….
Honda’s 1100 puts out only about 10hp more than this 690 single. This cat’ is probably big to allow this thing to breathe.
Given it’s size I think they did a good shaping it. Probably should be flat black too though..
Not only the CAT….the whole bike is BEYOND UGLY.
I own a 2010 690 Duke R and there’s ABSOLUTELY NO WAY I would ever consider buying the restyled 2012/2013 model. Easily one of the ugliest bikes of the last 20 years.
Even the Duke 125, 200 and the new 390 Duke model look fabulous in comparison.
It’s good to see that they are still pushing the 990. What with the 1190 coming out soon, one would have thought that KTM would be letting the 990 die quietly. My goal is to buy a 990 in the next year or so for retirement dual sport travel. So the longer that KTM keeps this model in production, the happier I’ll be.
Maybe there’s a door on the other side of that 690 cat converter so you can bake some bread in it while you ride..
Yeah, whats the word on the 390?
I agree with Colin .. the new 690 Duke doesn’t look as good as previous versions, all of which were rather daring and aggressive for their day. I owned a 2000 Duke II (black/silver) which was very handsome IMO .. (also, the most fun bike I have ever owned)
That said, I will be buying a new 690 Duke because I love street singles .. and this is the best street single out there. I’ll toss the pipe in the trash and pull off the garish decals and then it will be just fine.
I do think a better paint job would do wonders for this bike ..
Hey KTM .. why not do one paint/styling for the kids and another for us older folks who like more traditional styling? It would be nice if kids bought this bike and I suppose the racy paint and giant Duke stickers may help. But I would venture a guess that the majority of buyers for a $10,000 single will be older enthusiasts who appreciate this sort of thing …
I also must say, the catalytic converter box under the engine looks bad.
The 690’s exhaust system looks large enough to do duty on a V8!
I hope the KTM does well with the Duke. If they do others will follow. I like these light, small cc performance bikes. Plenty of performance to satisfy and it happens under 100mph. Plus insurance is inexpensive.
The adventure bike looks very “function over form”. I think that is also a step in the right direction.
The Baja’s bodywork is very 1980ish.
I know. They forgot the beak!!!
Sorry, couldn’t pass that up.
Actually I think that would be 1995…
The previous-gen 690 Duke was far better looking, they took a step backwards.
“features a low seat height of 32.9 inches to allow for more rider comfort. ”
That’s a low seat height, for an offroad bike. I max out at 32″ with some difficulty for a street bike.
Duke 390 for me, thanks.
THANK YOU!!
33″ might as well be 10′ for many of us WITH MONEY TO SPEND.
This is another reason why I’m not subscribing to many paper mags anymore.
I go to the spec sheet on new bikes (which is all they write about) and if they’re over 30″ I’m reading no further.