Rumour, rumours and more rumours! The KTM 790 Duke so far for the Indian market has been a rumour. And now, reports are suggesting that this bike might hit the Indian KTM showrooms by March 2019. KTM is planning to launch this naked superbike in India before the end of this fiscal year as per reports, and if this happens, this will be the most powerful model to be on sale in the Austrian brands showrooms in our market.
KTM is apparently planning to bring the KTM 790 Duke to India via the CKD route. However, looking at how aggressive KTM & Bajaj are in their pricing strategy, we can also expect some amount of localisation on this model for a price tag which will undercut nearly every competitor. The KTM 790 Duke will rival the likes of Kawasaki Z900, Triumph Street Triple, Suzuki GSX-S750, Ducati Monster 821 and the likes.
Powering the KTM 790 Duke is a 799cc, parallel-twin, LC8c motor which is liquid cooled and produces 103.5 BHP of power and 86 Nm of torque. This engine is matched to a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper assist clutch. Built around a trellis chassis, the 790 Duke will have a 43mm USD front fork and a rear monoshock with a ground clearance of 186mm. With 825mm of seat height, the bike will be fairly accessible as per the average Indian height.
The bike is claimed to achieve a top whack upwards of 220 kmph.
Feature list will include LED headlamps, LED DRLs, LED tail lamp, TFT colour instrument console, smartphone connectivity via bluetooth, riding modes, ABS, traction control, launch control, high mounted exhaust, inverted bar end mirrors and more.