As KTM continues to pile up World championships off road, both enduro and motocross, it is making a highly publicized move into street bikes.
The KTM Duke has been around for a few years, as a single-cylinder, super motard-style street machine that has captivated riders of all backgrounds, and proven itself both loads of fun and plenty reliable, as well.
As KTM touts the production of its new V-twin (displacing between 800 and 1000cc), it has also allowed the press to understand its plans for a V-twin Duke debuting as a 2004 model (or late 2003 release). From spy photos (seen both in print and on the Net), the new Duke looks more of a street bike — without the long-travel suspension of a super motard.
Additionally, KTM is developing a V-four purely for road use (the V-twin also appears in off-road models, including the prototype that has won the Paris/Dakar rally). As a relatively small company, with serious financial problems just a decade ago, KTM is making an expensive and aggressive move into the development of its own engines and technology for future street bikes and road race machines (including a MotoGP bike presently intended to use a version of the V-four under development).
Pick up a copy of this month’s Motorcyclist magazine. Always a good read, but there is a particularly insightful article on KTM’s street bike plans, including a comprehensive discussion of the impressive 75 degree V-twin soon to debut in production models.
