So boys and girls, finally! Who’s dream has come true? The KTM 790 Duke has now been spotted officially on the streets of India with pre-registration test plates. The images circulated are from Bangalore, and the 790 Duke is expected to reach KTM showrooms in the coming week. The KTM 790 Duke is expected to be priced close to INR 10 lakh, on-road. Although expensive, the bike will be fully loaded with kit compared to competition.
India-specific changes which are visible at the moment are the pillion grab bar and the ugly looking saree guard as usual. The India-spec KTM 790 Duke will be heavier, at least by 3-5 kg thanks to these additional useless features. Also, KTM along with Bajaj might have localised quite a few parts on this 790 Duke, which would be revealed during the launch which will happen soon. The bike will have the engine imported from Austria, while the bike is assembled at the Bajaj-KTM facility in Pune.
The KTM 790 Duke comes powered by a 799cc, parallel-twin motor unlike the big single on the KTM 690 Duke. This 8-valve, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, motor with a balancer crankshaft and DOHC setup produces 105 HP of power and 87 Nm of torque in the international market. Now if these power figures will change thanks so India-specific tuning and fuel availability, is currently unknown. The KTM 790 Duke in India will come with a 6-speed gearbox with slipper assist clutch, up/down quickshifter, traction control, riding modes, advanced ABS, full digital speedo console, LED headlamp, LED tail lamp, LED turn indicator and the likes… The rear view mirrors however look shared with the smaller KTM bikes.
At launch, initially the KTM 790 Duke is expected to be available in limited numbers, and only with a single orange paint scheme. The bike gets adjustable brake and clutch levers, dual front disc brakes, USD front forks from WP, rear monoshock, split and step up seats, exposed engine area, high mounted exhaust, multi-spoke alloy wheels, bluetooth connectivity, etc.
Images circulated via social media – credits to whomsoever it may concern