It takes all the bumps from our poorly
surfaced back roads in its stride and
feels well controlled at all times
The Duke is marketed as the 'Scalpel'
and with good reason. At only 169kg dry
(175kg Ready to Race) it is exceedingly
agile, almost excessively so when tipping
in. But, the 790's turning is kept in check
by a steering damper and once into a turn
stability is solid. Really, you only need to
think about your intended line and the
Duke will appear to know where you want
to go and take you there.
It’s fair to say the suspension components
are basic with the only adjustability on
the rear shock being a stepped collar for
spring preload. While some punters may be
disappointed by this, the fact remains that
the suspension action is very good and I
have no complaints for general road work.
It takes all the bumps from our poorly
surfaced back roads in its stride and feels
well controlled at all times. The action is
a happy balance between plush and firm
94 KIWI RIDER
and I can't see many riders, if any, wanting
to adjust it even if they could. Clearly the
factory testers have done their homework
and delivered a great base setting. I think
for the majority of riders the suspension
works so well that the extra expense of
adjustable suspension is probably not
warranted. The front suspension is a split
system where compression damping is
adjusted via one fork leg and rebound via
the other.
The brakes are decent and work
consistently well. While not quite at the
spec of the Super Duke the twin 300/
single 240mm front and rear disc brakes
do a great job with excellent feel and quite
powerful stopping ability. In line with this
being a supermoto-styled machine, the ABS
can be switched between modes including
a supermoto mode where the front ABS is
active but the rear ABS is disengaged.