When KTM developed its 799 cc parallel twin and introduced it to the US market in the form of the 790 Duke, MD was there to test it. Like virtually every other journalist, MD was very excited by the performance, handling and character of this new middleweight twin naked bike. Indeed, the editor of motorcycle.com immediately purchased one for both commuting and track day use. I personally purchased a 790 Adventure, and modified it while publishing several articles describing the changes I made. I still own that bike.
There were plenty of virtues in the original 790 Duke. The engine outperformed everything in the middleweight class in terms of horsepower and torque, and the delivery of that power was very pleasing. The steel frame and swingarm, together with the stock suspension, provided excellent feedback from the tires, giving the rider plenty of confidence to push the bike hard.
Despite being pleased with the 2019 model we tested, MD noted some shortcomings. The front brake, in particular, was a bit disappointing with decent power, but overly soft initial bite and feel we described as “a bit spongy”. We liked the non-adjustable fork, but remember it being a bit harsh over small stutter bumps on the road. We were anxious to see if there were any changes in the current model that improved these features.
The 790 Duke disappeared from the US market for a short period after the introduction of the 890 Duke and the 890 Duke R. The 790 Duke returned for the 2023 model year, and our test unit was a 2024.
On the spec sheet, not much has changed from the original 790 Duke. The bike is still 799cc with non-adjustable suspension (except for rear spring preload). It does come with a sophisticated IMU that allows for cornering traction control, for instance, and more sophisticated ABS. It also has a stock steering damper in place. All of these features were on the original model.
With the IMU, even traction control is cornering sensitive. A nice feature in this price bracket.
Ergonomics are fairly standard for a “standard“ with an upright rider triangle and decent legroom. The seat seems a bit more comfortable than we recall on the original model, but it is difficult to tell after so many years.
What we can definitely discern is a change in the front brake performance. With the same 300 mm dual front discs squeezed by the same four-piston radial mount calipers, there is now far better initial bite and feel. We suspect KTM didn’t take kindly to the words “mushy“ and “spongy“ used to describe the original 790 Duke front brake. We understand the master cylinder is new, and we are almost certain that the brake pads are a new, more aggressive compound. In any event, any issues we had with the front brake in the initial model are gone.
We also sensed a change in the front fork settings that improved compliance over small stutter bumps. Bravo.
With five years, or so, to dial in fueling and throttle response, it is no surprise that the returning 790 Duke lets you open a closed throttle and consistently get smooth, progressive power. No jerkiness.
The bike comes stock with three selectable ride modes, including Rain, Street and Sport. Our test unit had the optional Track package with a separate Track mode and a quickshifter.
The quickshifter worked well in both directions above second gear … seemingly better than earlier KTM systems on their parallel-twin models. The gear spread offered by the six-speed is well matched to the engine characteristics, which offer good power from as low as 3,000 rpm, a meaty mid-range and a solid pull up through redline. KTM claims more than 100 horsepower at the crank, and it is entirely believable when riding the bike.
Handling recalls the original 790 Duke, that is, good stability coupled with a nimble, confident feeling in the corners. Having never sampled them before, we were pleasantly surprised by the Maxxis Supermaxx ST tires. Turning in with these was progressive and predictable, and they offered good feedback and grip.
I really enjoyed testing the 790 Duke. I loved the bike when it first arrived, as reflected in my test report for the 2019 model. The few issues we had with that bike seemed to be addressed by KTM. One other change is the price. The new 790 Duke is actually less expensive.
The new 790 Duke carries an MSRP of $9,499, which is $1,000 cheaper than the 2019 model. Perhaps its nearest competitor is the Suzuki GSX-8S naked model that retails for $9,209. We have not tested that Suzuki, but it has been well received by the press. Note that the KTM 790 Duke has more horsepower, and features an IMU and a steering damper, both of which are missing from the Suzuki.
In short, we think the new KTM 790 Duke is a great value. If you are looking for a middleweight naked bike with a price under $10,000, the new 790 Duke should be near the top of your list.
Take a look at KTM’s website for additional details and specifications.
Dirck, any thoughts on changing the site to Motorcycle Weekly? Daily does not make any sense in our current climate.
Alternative reality – more time for us to BS to completion.
The day after the twelve days of Christmas ends in two and a half hours…
I’ve been I San Diego for a couple of weeks now. Not my place. I thought the northeast was insanely overcrowded. Yeah…Just try coastal southern California. Please kill me. Yo Dirck! Move, this place ain’t doing you any favors. It’s kind of a frog in a pot thing. Get some air bud. We all love you man.
Hm. Do yo mean, that Minnesota-Duluth is habitable? That big ore barges. May be did not see enough… Harleys gangs, of course. Did not spend a lot of time there. Do not have opportunity to watch something in Calofornia. Suppose it is much better. warm climate. Nude girls, etc.
Oddly, the lift bridge in Duluth limits the size of the ships that can pass through it. She’s an old gal that never saw the future leviathans on the horizon.
As for Harley gangs. Just don’t ride anything but a Harley to a Harley gang party with a bonfire in Minnesota. The beer is free but…drive a car. San Diego? Been here two weeks and saw two or three Harleys, um, wow. This ain’t New Hampshire. I heard more little bells while mountain biking.
Electric stuff here is ubiquitous. My brother has a dual motor Tesla. Gave it a bit to make a yellow. Totally made it in spades with pyrotechnics and huge flames and stuff. Not a toy.
The nude beach hare in SD is hilarious. It’s below cliff of the glider port. So if the pilots fail to gain enough altitude to land back at the port, they land on or near the nude beach and then have to traverse it, and the mostly naked old men on it, to gain access to the climb of shame back to the glider port. Go there on a less than stellar day and most of what you see is people kiting their parachutes and hoping.
It really looks like kind of a zen activity. I never lived in an environment that supports that sort of thing. But I understand the appeal.
I think that lift bridge has no any problems. 1000 feets barges. CV size.
Nude beach. I think it is about Europe. Understood
Besides. One cylinder supermoto KTM is a good thing. May be I’ll buy. Good for my needs
I feel that the motorcycle experience requires balance. I can give a bike a certain amount of benefit of the doubt for being so powerful. But once the bike weighs twice as much as I do the situation has achieved imbalance. Then my interest in the bike quickly wanes.
Your results may vary. I’m OK with that.
390 four strokes. Not that much. Even that is dangerous.
I’ve had way too many thumpers to ever deal with a mid displacement single street bike.
That and my current street thumper weighs a whopping 75 pounds less than the lightest 390 KTM. Wow, um, nice work guys, er, I guess.
Someone will retell me agian some more about how dirt bikes aren’t street bikes. To that I would say that my street thumper is 22 years old. How long does it need to last to give lie to the dirt bikes aren’t street bike statement? Keep you eyes open for 2003 street bikes. There should be a zillion of them around. But they are getting kind of rare aren’t they? Hmmm…
A street thumper, of moderate rpm range, speaks to you like no other ICE configuration. Any variation in operating load results in the same ‘all day across the countryside’ sound and presence. A warm and familiar sound that encourages an ‘I can ride all day and forever’ feeling.
If I could still have a pushrod 500 cc street bike that started out as a semi dirt with good cornering tires, I would.
The first time I bought a new off road thumper for street use was a 610 Husqvarna in 1994. I had several other off road bikes made street legal before that, including a couple of two strokes. But except for the 1990 350EXC two stroke I bought new and plated. The rest of the plated off road bikes I had I bought used.
I bought the Husqvarna to take the pressure off the 916 Ducati that I bought the same day. I stacked up so many miles on the ’92 900SS that I traded in so fast that I figured I figured that I needed a really cool dual sport to split time on.
I started calling the Husqvarna, which still have the sort of two stroke made four stroke engine back then, my Harley because it was just as happy going slow as it was going fast. The 916 hated low speeds. I rode it less and less.
I bought the two bikes at Christmas time, not having kids will do that for you, and that winter I was surprised at how effective the Husqvarna was as an ice race bike. I was suddenly one of the guys who always kicked my butt. I got to kick back once in a while.
Five years later I sold both bike and built my first street supermoto from a 2000 XR650R that I bought new. I eventually sold that after I bought a 2003 XR650R supermoto built by another guy that was dripping with awesome kit, Ohlins suspension, FCR carb, aluminum tank…
Twenty years later I still have that bike. The two Ducatis I have are equipped with the air cooled 1100cc two valve engine that I wish I’d had in the 1992 900SS. If the street bike industry doesn’t radically change direction. They will never unseat the air cooled two valve Ducati as my favorite multi-cylinder street bike engine. Anything they make now is just ride by wire dross. That and 500 seems to be the new 400 pounds. Nice engineering you got there street bike industry. My go to ride is now 22 years old and it weighs under 300 pounds.
I’ll give up my thumper when they pry my cold dead fingers from the grips. That or I’ll get senile and forget that I ever had one. Life can be cruel.
Funny thing about Ubon Thailand in 1969, you can hear a Ducati thumper coming across the flat country late at night for 20 minutes before entering town. A glorious moment, for me.
That’s funny. I read your post and in my head was the sound of mid-displacement single pushing a little mud or dirt with maybe 10% or less of its original muffler packing chugging away in perfect air. Making its mating call for all to hear on its way home at twilight. A lonely little workhorse finally heading back to the barn.
The first time I heard a sound like that was on the farm when I visited my cousins.
Oddly enough it would bring the rare smile to my face when I heard a similar sound in Paris. Long rows of Houseman buildings doing a halfway decent job of replicating clean air. When you live in a dump like that it’s the little things like that keeps you sane. Honestly I don’t know how the citiots do it.
There is just no way I would consider buying a KTM. The arrogance of this company is unbelievable. KTM has mistreated its riders, customers and employees, yet expects the market to overlook all of this. I think the damage is done and there is no recovery for the brand.
This KTM in peril thing is bothering me. Lately I heard that they WAY over produced bikes to the tune of a year’s worth of inventory. Um, ja, smart move.
Like them or not, they do keep the other manufacturers on their toes. Like the Transalp? Thank KTM. Parallel parallel twin bars have been uppped by KTM in a way that BMW, who has made some nice parallel twins for quite some time, never did.
Whatever, it’s the first of the year. The natives here seem to be restless of late. People seem to be itching for new iron. So I thought, geez, if I had to buy a 2025 street bike, what would I buy? Boring as it sounds, I would probably opt for a KTM single with 17 inch wheels. I’ll not find the exact model because I won’t buy one. It is still the thing that nobody else has. Failing that I would probably go for some Enfield that looks cool. They are down on power so you can ride it like you stole it all the time.
Good Morning restless and itchy y’all !
This the season to ponder.
Never been very excited about KTM, especially since my last ride on a twin adv model that vibrated more than a single, and years of issues with most KTMs, BUT they really are innovative and a little inspirational for all.
Even so, I feel sad that they may be in a world of hurt. No sympathy for any out sourced Chinee business connections though.
In sum – let the chips fall and we’ll see.
Royal Enfield, WAY too HEAVY, even the simple ones.
“WAY too HEAVY, even the simple ones.”
That is my opinion of the entire market save a few exceptions like the EXC models from KTM, and they cheat.
But as long as I’m talking about fairy tales like me buying a 2025 bike, truck, or boat, don’t get me started on trucks or boats. Well…
I really do feel like doing my part and buying a new KTM to sort of help a brother out. But I spent over five decades learning how to dial in carburetors, the slides are the secret sause really. There is no way I am going to buy an injected two stroke just to gain weight, complexity and failure points on a race bike. Not gonna happen. KTM’s street bikes are all ride by wire. See weight, complexity and failure points above. Keep it simple, there is another S in there, but this is a family channel.
That said, I occasionally think about obtaining their big single supermoto and putting it on a weight and complexity loss program. There’s probably a cool bike locked in there waiting to get out.
KTM appears to be imploding.
Bleeding money and unable to pay employees.
Dropping MotoGP in 2026. . . .
“In short, we think the new KTM 790 Duke is a great value. If you are looking for a middleweight naked bike with a price under $10,000, the new 790 Duke should be near the top of your list.”
Have you had the opportunity to try the Triumph Street Triple R? It retails for $9,995 and most of what I’ve read praises it highly.
I can’t even imagine who would buy a KTM right now.
I worked for a company that also outsourced most things to China and Taiwan. Shareholders – obsessed with financials, returns, dividends, and cash flow – drove the US executives to cut costs by moving sales, mfg, technical support, R&D, and eventually management to Asia. Later after they woke up the remaining executives in America realized they can’t actually fire any of the employees in Asia! Asian laws are extremely worker-friendly, to the point where there is an iron-clad guarantee of life-time employment, similar to an infinite-power Union. That left our US executives no other choice than to continue laying off the remaining American employees to meet the financial demands of shareholders. Actual buying customers aren’t even acknowledged in our company mission or objectives. Now my company is being spun off to any vulture with a plan to suck the remaining blood from the zombie company before complete bankruptcy. KTM may be enjoying the same fate, as they let China and Taiwan form the perfect Asia union shop, as they sever connection to actual bikers.
That’s an interesting take. For years I have been wondering about the pattern of growth at KTM. I guess I understood buying Husqvarna. It’s a household name. It may have been poorly managed a bunch of times by several different players. But it was a good name to put on a dirt bike.
Gas Gas not so much. I’ve had three Gas Gas observed trials bikes and Gas Gas did make a few rather handsome dirt bikes. Some guys really liked the way they tuned their woods bike engines. Torque monsters with heavy flywheels. But they were hardly a household name that is going to sell your cheaper line of dirt bikes. Particularly if you didn’t bless those bikes with a Gas Gas tune, like KTM didn’t.
MV? Well, companies like to have a luxury brand. But time quickly told that KTM would have been better served by building a war chest than buying a luxury brand didn’t it?
Then there is the parallel twin. The universal street bike engine. Cam problems aside, KTM designed what could be called a heck of a start at the very least. Then they open sourced it to some of their suppliers. That’s right. The company that got huge buying up dirt bike brands was now busy propping up new competitors. And here we are. Here’s what passes as an inexpensive bike from KTM that would benefit from a suspension upgrade. But you can buy a very similar bike with about the same engine that could also benefit from a suspension upgrade for a thousand bucks less. That thousand bucks would come in pretty handy when you’re sourcing a set of forks from a more bucks up bike wouldn’t it? I, for one, would like to see some YouTubers do a budget build off with this KTM and the CF Moto clone then weigh them. Then compare them across the sorts of venues a young enthusiast with one street bike is likely to encounter. Commuting, shredding, bombing down dirt roads…the works.
Yes, that was an interesting input. Thanks.
“Then they open sourced it to some of their suppliers. That’s right. The company that got huge buying up dirt bike brands was now busy propping up new competitors.”
The above isn’t accurate. They were huge (the world’s largest manufacturer of off-road motorcycles) before acquiring the other dirt bike brands, which we know now to be re-badged KTM’s.
They also didn’t open source their twin engine, they co-developed it in partnership with CFMoto who now manufactures both company’s versions of the bike. They also co-developed a smaller 450cc twin but never followed through with KTM branded products. These are now sold into the market as the CFMoto 450SS, 450NK and Ibex 450 and are by all accounts very good bikes.
Partnering with Asian manufacturing doesn’t always (or even usually) have the outcome that Motoman describes. The company I work for gradually moved all production to Asian manufacturing and it’s fueled massive growth over the 20 years since it began. We replaced factory workers with designers, engineers, marketing and retail. We employ far more people at higher wages than we did when we were a “factory”.
KTM is a dead company, not paying their employees.
It’s incredible how tastes have changed in the world of motorcycling. Personally, I would never buy a parallel twin of that displacement and power, I don’t care that these are the “politically correct” engines now. For me, the only viable formula for a big, powerful twin is the 90-degree V-shaped Ducati or Suzuki SV style. And about the style… for me this bike is UGLY, as almost all naked ones in these days. The faired ones aesthetically are slightly better, but still in this regard we are going backward every year.
You do understand, these new 270 degree crank engines, are a V engine right? instead of twisting the cylinders they twist the crank, its the same thing, only different in how its constructed. this puts the center of balance of the machine, where its best. Not compromised, without having 2 of everything to make the top end work, they can be made lighter, and dont have the issues with either one cylinder out front or out back, upsetting machine handling. If the new styling bothers you, these are not the droids you are looking for. You do know its 2024, right? Motorcycles are what they are, how they are made. Designed better, they are better.
Having owned both v twins and a 270 degree twin, it would be a dificult comparison, however I like “instead of twisting the cylinders they twist the crank”. Neat. Well done.
Moto GP will run all V engines next season.
Kind of defeats your theory about handling and so forth
the pistons still go back and forth next to each other/in the same plane. the ignition is 270 apart. the crank is 90. when honda makes a parallel twin (for cost reasons) it makes the idea seem better, but it’s not. if it was, we would still be riding Mz 1000. (was that guy’s vx 800 the purple one?)
Yep, we had a purple one and a dark blue one in Pa. Friendly bikes!
“ the ignition is 270 apart. the crank is 90”
Think about that a little longer. One is not compatible with the other.
Honda has made 270* P-twins. The Africa Twin 1100 and the Transalpine/Hornet 750.
Everyone is making these engines because They combine the inertial balance and ride experience of a v-engine with the economics and packaging ease of inline engines. It is a good idea.
crank is still 90 or 270 or visewersa. Ignit where you like
Several months ago, I had a conversation with a BMW product manager about the plethora of inline twins that were coming from all manufacturers. He told me that there were several reasons, among them, compact packaging, light weight, production cost, tuneable both for power and very importantly emissions.
People seem to like the character of the power and/or the noise they make. But I think what brought them back from the grave is balance shafts. Parallel twins lack the primary balance of a V-twin. So they back fill that with balance shafts or the engine would have a pretty heavy forward and aft vibration, like the old school parallel twins did. It kind of makes me wonder how much money is saved in their manufacture. Sure one blob with two cylinders in it and one head rather than two of each saves money. But balance shafts and the means to drive them are not free. They also make the engine rev slower. Then if you take a look around the market. The parallel twins didn’t make the finished motorcycles any lighter. Indeed, the industry seems to have burnt the memo telling them that lighter motorcycles are better motorcycles. Instead they seem to feel the need for color televisions and short busses full of nannies.
The firing can be the same but the mass balance is not, as is the frontal section. The new parallel twins are for reduced cost and lower emissions (those are the main reason the I4 are somehow a species in danger). And about the machine handling, I think not a single Ducati suffers from it’s engine layout, on the contrary they are renowned for its handling. Also, you don’t need to remember me what year is, and I don’t care at all, the current naked bikes for me are REALLY UGLY, except maybe those in the “retro” style.
“I think not a single Ducati suffers from it’s engine layout”
Sure they do. It’s one of the reasons that a valve clearance service is twice as expensive for an engine with half the cylinders.
They are known to handle well but it took a long time to figure out because it is very difficult to achieve a forward weight bias when the heaviest part of the engine is driven rearward as it is in a V2.
The reason for 270* cranks in P-twins is mass management, not firing order (that just makes for a more pleasing sound).
The original 790 ADV’s had a lighter flywheel than the recent version of the 790 ADV bikes. It helped with low speed flameouts among other things. It is mentioned that KTM kept the same 20% heavier flywheel from the 890 motor on the current 790 ADV’s. Has that same 20% heavier flywheel made it to the Duke? I know it helped a lot with low speed clutch work when I moved from my 790 to my 890 ADV. I would assume it would help with the manners of the 790 Duke as well. Did you notice it at all?
I think it, the Duke I tested, still has the lighter crank.
I bought a ’23 last year for 8 grand new, great deal. I didn’t like the stock tires and replaced them with much better S23’s, and also replaced the steering damper with a Hyperpro rsc which helped a LOT at higher speeds. It’s great for my 20 minute commute, but I would want more fairing if the commute was longer. It’s a real blast in the tight mountain roads by my house, that’s the reason I got it in the first place. Sure, I’d love higher spec bike, but with my budget and actual needs, I’m still satisfied a year later.
KTM is on the verge of bankruptcy with workers going unpaid. With part ownership of Husqvarna, GasGas, and MV Agusta what does the future hold for any of them. There are so many stupendous bikes today but not enough buyers.
The fact that the original was made in Austria and the new one is made in China should have been mentioned in the article. If we are talking price then shouldn’t the 790 be compared to other Chinese bikes? I was never a big fan of the 790. I always thought the 690 and 890 were superior bikes.
Why? That’s for us consumers to do.
I knew this new bike was made in China and am aware that the CFMoto 800NK model is made with most of the same hardware. It costs $8,499, makes a little less power and lacks a few features compared to this KTM. I think both of these bikes credibly compete with the Japanese offerings and beat them on many key features. For a couple hundred dollars over the price of the Suzuki GSX8s you get some 20 more hp, a quick shifter and significantly lighter weight.
Based on what I’ve read about the Aus. made engines, CFMoto should be a big improvement to reliability but it’s admittedly easier for me to trust Suzuki or Yamaha here. Would love it of Honda “entered the chat” with their Hornet 750 here i the US.
That was like an infomercial. GSX 8S ftw.
I like almost every motorcycle excluding Chinese made “originals” and knock offs. I find Moto Guzzi to be odd but cool at the same time. Ducati’s are mostly sex on two wheels. KTM however have a praying mantis appearance and visuals of all their motorcycles just don’t appeal to me, this one least of all. Searching for a positive response so as not seem completely bias I guess the level of engine performance per cc is interesting. Lots of motorcycles handle well and all I’ve read says the KTM has the goods for twisties.
Getting in bed with China on certain products has probably backfired and now with financial troubles China must be chomping at the bit for a take over.
Feed back that I’ve been told is reliably is at issue with this brand and online report seem to echo that sentiment. Hopefully the KTM/ GASGAS off-road machines find a way to stay afloat.
It’s unfair to paint the entire brand of KTM as unreliable because of this one bad engine design. Their singles and v-twins have been solid, reliable, over-achievers that are worth riding. I don’t care for the latest styling either, it’s not doing the brand any favors.
My understanding is that the reliability issue is material based, not design based. Ironically, making this bike at CFMoto in China might fix this. They have a good reputation for engine quality.
I’ve always felt this bike was the “sweet spot” for KTM’s road lineup. I am not put off by the styling and at the new price, it seems like a reasonable reach in price from something like an MT07 or a GSX8s for the better well, everything (assuming the gremlins are worked out..).
These are troubling times for KTM. By now they have addressed the top end oiling issues and this should be a good (if not downright ugly) bike. Your point about “power from as low as 3,000” rpm rings a bell; from what I remember this engine juttered and jerked below that rpm and then just got buzzy in the upper (highway) ranges. This, and the lower weight and better styling of the 690 is why the Duke I bought has one less cylinder but the same on-the-road performance. I bet the Suzuki 800 is happier to dip down into the lower rpm and I am hoping that it isn’t a buzzy as this bike.
“I am hoping that it isn’t a buzzy as this bike.”
As the past owner of an 800S, present owner of both the 800R and V Strom 800 RE, I can say they get some harsher vibs after 4500 rpm, but after 2,000 miles of running they get a lot smoother. The SV650 & DL650 were the same.
That’s why Suzuki motors last ages – tight clearances.