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We tested the KTM 890 Duke R: 121 hp of a much sportier naked bike that convinces with character and fun
We tested the KTM 890 Duke R: 121 hp of a much sportier naked bike that convinces with character and fun

Video: We tested the KTM 890 Duke R: 121 hp of a much sportier naked bike that convinces with character and fun

Video: We tested the KTM 890 Duke R: 121 hp of a much sportier naked bike that convinces with character and fun
Video: 2023 KTM 890 Duke R in comparison test: Sporty mid-range naked bikes 2023 2024, March
Anonim

If you liked the KTM 790 Duke, this interests you. Today we are at the controls of one of the naked most desired by those looking for something different and with a lot of character: the KTM 890 Duke R.

With a new engine the reactions of this naked are much more visceral than before, the cycle part has taken a giant step forward and the electronics are still the best. All with an exciting sound that puts the icing on the cake. Of course, it also has some shortcomings. We will tell you.

KTM 890 Duke R: The Super Scalpel

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 024
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 024

The KTM 790 Duke was one of the most anticipated bikes in recent years. With her came a new LC8c two-cylinder in-line engine to the Austrian family and it became one of the most complete, attractive and with personality motorcycles for an adjusted price for the A2 license (in limited version).

At KTM they have not beat around the bush and they have not been slow to bring us the second iteration of the model: the KTM 890 Duke R What is more, it is a different model because the changes introduced are not exactly few. If the KTM 790 Duke was christened "The Scalpel", the 890 Duke R has received the nickname "The Super Scalpel". A declaration of intentions.

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 023
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 023

Outside It may seem to us that we are facing the same naked of very contained size and design 100% work of the Kiska studio that signs the aesthetic attributes of the Austrian house. Only some small details vary in the bodywork, such as the graphics with their name or the specific color combinations that play (once again) with the white, black, gray and orange brand of the house.

The rest is the same, and it is again one of those cases where you either love the design or you don't like it at all. This is precisely its marked personality, with lines that closely follow the aesthetic slipstream of the KTM 1290 Super Duke R.

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 033
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 033

That lighthouse is nowhere near anything we've seen among its competition and is made up of a LED module split in half in daylight. Behind him the tank sides extend parallel and pointing towards the front wheel in an extremely dramatic drop.

Why this drama? Well because instead of using a relatively flat tank, KTM has opted in its latest naked designs for a hump-shaped reservoir that gives it a very peculiar look, with certain offroad design nuances that are always so present in the brand. Being so voluminous it is striking that it only cubes 14 liters.

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 035
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 035

Continuing the journey towards the rear we have a very thin and stylized seat that precedes a colín in this case single-seater. The brand has opted for a configuration without a rear seat or footpegs for the passenger, leaving a sportier line that could be much better if it were not for the unattractive license plate holder with integrated rear light. The raised exhaust on the right side is also a subjective matter.

Tubular steel chassis painted in orange exclusive to the most racing models of the house, cast aluminum subframe, aluminum swingarm with visible reinforcements, orange alloy wheels … There is no doubt that this KTM 890 Duke R is a motorcycle with an undeniable sporting trend.

Surgical changes for a much sportier naked

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 037
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 037

We climb onto the seat, located 834mm off the ground, and quickly realize how I feel about the 790 Duke. The set is extremely tight in the central part and we arrive well with both feet on the ground with 170 cm of height. In general, it feels like a very small and very light motorcycle. A data that is confirmed on the scale with only 166 kg dry weight. They are 3 kg less than the 790 Duke, and it becomes the lightest in the category with the permission of the Triumph Street Triple R with which it ties in the dry.

At the ergonomic level, KTM also wanted to accompany the mechanical changes with a more sporty touch at the controls. The handlebar is different, flatter, lower and with the tips somewhat more closed, which forces us to load a little more weight on the front wheel, although without going overboard. The truth is that for a sports naked, it leaves your back quite straight. The seat is uncompromisingly hard.

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 027
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 027

The engine uses the same LC8c base as the one used in the 790 Duke, but with a host of internal changes that make it a different block. Displacement goes up to 890 cc (which give it its name) increasing bore and stroke, but also the compression has been raised to 13, 5: 1 (before 12, 7: 1) and the red line is now higher.

The maximum power is now 121 hp at 9,250 rpm while previously it was 105 hp at 9,000 rpm, while the engine torque goes from 86 to 8,000 rpm at 99 Nm at 7,750 rpm. There are 16 more CV in the upper zone and an extra 13 Nm that are delivered earlier. In addition, this engine complies with the Euro5 regulations.

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 032
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 032

What does this mean? Well what there is much more motor where it is necessary. The twin's sound is fuller even when stopped, although there have been no changes to the exhaust line. In the mid-range the delivery is much more intense, even in bass. All you need to do is turn the throttle a bit decisively to feel the front wheel try to lift off the ground.

If we continue exploring the useful band of the engine we find a stretched one that where the 790 Duke faltered, the 890 Duke R shines into a very full and fun cut. It is a motorcycle that runs, and it runs a lot. And not only does it run, it also appears to be running. It seems like a truism but there are motorcycles that run a lot but they don't convey that message of "hey, man, we're going fast now."

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 017
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 017

Luckily at KTM they have not limited themselves to giving more power to the engine, but also a new cycle part is also released on the KTM 890 Duke R. The chassis is the same steel multi-tube frame with aluminum subframe that we already knew, but a new set of WP suspensions.

The front axle now uses a inverted fork WP APEX 43mm diameter with 140mm travel and the rear monoshock is also WP APEX but with 150 mm of travel and without connecting rods. In both cases we are talking about fully adjustable equipment and a touch more focused on sporty driving.

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 042
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 042

In addition, this change in suspensions is also accompanied by an extension in the wheelbase from 7 mm to 1,482 mm. Translated into driving impressions is that the KTM 890 Duke R treads considerably better than the bike from which it was derived.

Although it is still an extremely agile naked at the entrance of the corners, the touch in full line is now more precise. The 890 Duke R goes more around the place, no wobbles when encountering bumps in support and with surgical camber changes, no handlebar movement thanks to the use of a steering damper.

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 038
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 038

Braking is another of the strengths of this KTM 890 Duke R, as it is another aspect in which you can see that the brand has taken out its arsenal. 320mm Galfer discs are bitten by Brembo Stylema radial and monobloc brake calipersIt is also one of the few motorcycles on the market that equips the Bremo MCS radial brake pump with flow regulation from 19 to 21.

In practice, this material results in braking that is characterized by a harder to the touch, but significantly more direct and at the same time dosable. If we lack bite, we can regulate the flow and achieve an even more intense braking, although it will be in a more focused use on the circuit.

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Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 029

Unfortunately to unleash the true potential you have to go through the box. There are two main packages that release the 890 Duke R software: on the one hand there is the Track pack which includes the Track driving mode, antiwheelie disconnection, launch control, rear wheel slip adjustment and gasoline intake regulation. On the other hand is the Tech Pack, which includes the entire Track Pack and also adds the bi-directional semi-automatic transmission and the MSR engine brake regulation.

The cost of these packages is 346, 18 and 742, 88 euros for the Track Pack and Tech Pack respectively. Ok, they are not exactly high prices, but they already represent an extra cost and an addition to take into account with respect to the series model while other models include it as standard equipment.

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 010
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 010

That said, it must be recognized that the electronics of this not so intermediate KTM works really well. The traction control when it works by opening gas on slippery asphalt, it does so in an inconspicuous way and we will only notice a clear intrusion when the antiwheelie makes an effort to keep the front wheel glued to the asphalt. And yes, the engine does a lot of work in this regard, sometimes being too sharp a cut in low gears.

As with the KTM 1290 Super Duke R, the rear wheel slip regulation It is done exclusively in Track mode and at the push of a button, being able to regulate how much we want the rear wheel to skid if we want it to. In this case, its use should be limited to closed circuits for safety reasons.

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 026
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 026

What does come standard is the traction control and ABS signed by Bosch (9.1MP) with cornering assistance and that uses an IMU inertial platform. The truth is that this time we have not had to resort to anti-blocking in full line, which is appreciated. It does equip an ABS Supermoto mode that disconnects the ABS from the rear wheel.

All electronics are done through the well-known color TFT screen whose menus are operated from the left hand side. There are no great animations or colorful graphics. It is simple and easy to navigate.

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 034
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 034

Something that we didn't quite like and that partly conditioned the sensations was the choice of tires. This motorcycle is equipped with sticky ones as standard. Michelin Power Cup2, but this unit was riding considerably less sporty Continental ContiRoads and with a rear 190 instead of the 180 that it should have been riding originally.

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 014
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 014

When we tested the KTM 790 Duke we saw that KTM had left a door wide open. The intermediate naked that the new in-house parallel twin engine debuted was a good bike, but there were some points where there was a clear, clear room for improvement.

In Mattighofen they have obviously not missed the opportunity and have shown off with a version that goes one step further, slightly renouncing versatility to explore the sporting capabilities of a model that, now, it has been much more complete with a more focused approach on those looking for a true sports naked.

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 022
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 022

The approved consumption of the KTM 890 Duke R is 4.8 liters per 100 km and the truth is that it is a very honest figure, because unless we do a constant knife driving it's easy to get off those 5 l / 100 km. Now, the 14 liters of tank leave us a range of 200 km in real conditions.

And does it vibrate? Well yes, it vibrates, but not in an exaggerated way. The handlebar at cruising speed does not have an annoying vibration unless we find a point on the tachometer where a fine vibration appears that can end up causing tingling in the hands.

Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 019
Ktm 890 Duke R 2020 Test 019

Priced at 12,499 euros (without the extra packages), the KTM 890 Duke R is a very interesting motorcycle and that practically matches with what should be its direct rival, the Triumph Street Triple RS that costs 12,299 euros. Another option in the same vein is the Yamaha MT-09 SP which, in the absence of knowing the price of the incoming generation, cost 11,099 euros.

The KTM has very advanced electronics, a first-class cycle part and an engine that possibly keeps the greatest character of this Austro-Anglo-Saxon trio, but instead we lack details that are inexplicably not incorporated as standard such as the semi-automatic gearbox among other elements reserved for optional packages.

In any case, it has surprised us by being one of the motorcycles that transmit the most. As with his older sister, you may go as fast as with other mounts, but the fun index is above average.

KTM 890 Duke R 2020 - Rating

7.1

Motor 9 Vibrations 7 Change 6 Stability 8 Agility 9 Front suspension 7 Rear suspension 6 Front brake 8 Back brake 6 Pilot comfort 6 Passenger comfort N / A Consumption 7 Finishes 7 Esthetic 8

In favor

  • Sharp design
  • Engine with character
  • Agility and lightness
  • Extremely fun

Against

  • Noticeable handlebar vibrations
  • Poorly integrated ergonomics
  • Absences in standard equipment
  • Autonomy below average
  • KTM 890 Duke R 2020 - Technical sheet

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