The launch of the much-awaited KTM 790 Duke has been postponed and the Duke fanboys will have to wait a little more, as the bike which was expected to be launched in November, has been postponed to next year. And according to a media report, the reason is due to a delay in the homologation process.
The 790 Duke is already available in the international markets and the bike follows the classic KTM street fighter design cues clearly from the 1290 Super Duke R. The 790 Duke gets a LED headlamp with LED daytime running lights, a tapered aluminium handlebar that allows open-chested riding position and can be further configured in 4 different positions, cast aluminium mildly rear-set foot pegs which allow ample ground clearance while cornering. Ergonomically designed seats with a seat height of 825mm and an option of lowering it to 805mm for shorter riders using a KTM Powerpart seat.
In mechanical terms, the international-spec KTM 790 Duke is powered by a 799cc, parallel-twin, liquid-cooled motor with an 8-valve cylinder head with chain-driven DOHC and a crankshaft balancer to reduce the vibrations. The engine delivers 105 HP of power and 87 Nm of torque coupled to a 6-speed transmission with a slipper assist clutch.
The chassis is a chrome-molybdenum-steel frame which uses the engine as a stressed-member and the motorcycle rides on 43mm upside down WP unit on the front and an adjustable preload rear WP monoshock. The braking duties are performed by twin 300mm hydraulically operated disc brakes with radially mounted 4-piston callipers on the front and a 240mm single disc with a 2-piston floating caliper on the rear.
The electronics package consists of a disengageable Bosch 9MP two-channel ABS, lean-angle-sensing traction control, launch control, four riding modes, fly-by-wire throttle and a bi-directional quick shifter.
The KTM 790 Duke is expected to be launched in India with a price close to the INR 8 lakh mark thanks to some levels of localisation. The motorcycle will compete with the Kawasaki Z900 which is priced at INR 7.69 lakh and the Suzuki GSX-S750 priced at INR 7.46 lakh.
All prices indicated are ex-showroom, India.