SCALPEL: PETER ELLIOTT
A
surprising little monster, the KTM 790
Duke, is a thoroughly modern bike. Light,
fast, astonishingly agile, and punching
well above its weight in terms of horses - all
105 of them. Taken for a hard canter round the
curliest roads found in the district, it proved
exceptional, zapping from side to side with a
gymnastic fervour. On a longer run alongside a
quick-riding crew it proved comfortable, if firm,
even after a couple of hours in the saddle, and
quite damn quick when given plenty of input.
The 790 Duke has a very modern look – almost
insectoid around the headlight – with Shrek-
like indicators off the TFT-screen mount. It
takes a while for the looks to get out of the
picture. The orange tank plastic, from certain
angles can look like an untrussed chook,
but the finish is exceptionally good, and
the bike is very appealing indeed; and that
appeal grows, after you gain a deal of respect
from the road capability of this weapon.
There are those who say the bigger 1290 has
the appeal, but I’d beg to differ. Yes, the 1290
has the sheer brute horsepower. However,
there is something exceptional in the delivery
of power to the hand and the sheer lightness
of the 790 as an overall package that made
me realise that this is exactly what you need,
and that more would be... superfluous. I like a
little in reserve and I found it in the mapping
system, which delivers a wealth of choices.
Rain, Street, Sport and Track, with wheelie
control, traction control, lean-sensitive/
cornering ABS and the bells and whistles which
don’t normally adorn naked middleweights.
The TFT display is very clear, if a bit small, but
very easy to read and to navigate, unlike some
others in the market. Most of my time was
spent in Sport mode but there’s a marked lift in
throttle response when Track mode is engaged.
Topping out at around 220 km/h the naked
will have you feeling every knot of wind, with
KIWI RIDER 99