2020 KTM 890 Duke R First Ride Review

[Hugh Janus]

When the KTM 790 Duke arrived stateside in fall of 2018, our first ride told us we had a ripper on our hands. After logging thousands of miles, it proved to be a practical and comfortable sport standard matched with an aggressive attitude. The 799cc parallel twin offered smooth and tractable power delivery with a rowdy behavior with enough coaxing, and the nimble-handling chassis proved its prowess, even if the budget-spec nonadjustable fork and J.Juan brakes received criticism. It wasn’t a revolutionary bike, but it was good enough to contend with competitors and after a lot of seat time I became particularly fond of the Duke.

But, of any company, KTM’s developmental program has truly focused on seeking absolute performance. So the Austrian brand went to work analyzing every component of the 790, then re-engineering it for improved capability. Enter the all-new KTM 890 Duke R—faster, lighter, and fitted with more premium components, all at a reasonable additional cost.

The 890 Duke R enters KTM’s lineup as a premium middleweight naked, and is priced as such at $11,699 before options. (Jeff Allen /)

Powering the 890 Duke R (aptly dubbed the “Super Scalpel”) is a new 889cc DOHC parallel-twin engine, based on the 790 powerplant. The engine gets an increased bore and stroke of 90.7 x 68.8mm (from 88.0 x 65.7mm) and a higher 13.5:1 compression ratio (versus the 12.7:1 of the 790) and 1,000-rpm bump at redline to 10,500 rpm. The cylinder head was redesigned to accommodate larger valves and camshafts with increased lift, while new forged box pistons shed 10 grams each despite the enlarged bore. What’s a “forged box” piston? The skirt and ultra-short wrist pin bosses are all reinforced with a box-like detail connecting them. A new crankshaft with 20 percent more rotational mass has also been implemented, which is said to improve low-rpm throttle response and increase cornering stability.

To discover the true performance gains, we strapped the 890 Duke R to our in-house Dynojet 250i dynamometer, recording horsepower and torque figures prior to testing. The Super Scalpel ripped 106.2 hp at 9,900 rpm and 60.4 pound-feet of torque at 8,700 rpm. By comparison, that’s an 11 hp and a 2 pound-feet of torque improvement over the 790 Duke. Although the peak torque is only 2 pound-feet higher, there is an increase between 3,500 and 6,000 rpm, which adds grunt to the 890’s low-end. Likewise, horsepower figures enjoy a bump throughout the powerband, most notably matching the 790’s peak power 1,000 rpm earlier, then smashing all the way until its increased redline.

And you feel it on the road. The 890 Duke R’s engine has a more muscular personality, without sacrificing a gentle touch at low rpm. A buttery initial power delivery sets the bike in motion, while packing an addicting punch in the midrange. At 7,000 rpm, the 890 Duke takes life and lofts the front end to the air in the first three gears. Power builds fast and quickly makes its way through the rpm, pulling strongly into high revs and just tapering off before redline. It’s this extra grunt that we didn’t know the 790 was missing until riding the bigger-displacement Duke, and wringing its neck comes with a serious amount of fun.

Added low-to-mid grunt brings a more beastly characteristic to the 890 Duke R. (Jeff Allen /)

It’s a well-balanced powerplant that can be appreciated by riders of every level, and not so fast to… ahem… always threaten your license like a liter-plus-sized supernaked might. It’s smooth at highway speeds, and thanks to the optional clutchless up/down KTM Quickshifter + function (a $399.99 upcharge), offers seamless shifts through its six-speed gearbox. Good thing, because the gear ratios are tightly spaced and require quick work between them, especially on hard mountain-road charges. And while not completely alleviated, the overly abrupt on/off throttle mapping familiar with the 790 has been improved, adding a sense of control to low-speed riding.

The 890 Duke R’s vitals and rider-aid functions are easily accessible via this full-color TFT display. (Jeff Allen /)

A trio of factory-equipped ride-by-wire modes include Rain, Street, and Sport, each with preset and nonadjustable levels of throttle response, traction control, and wheelie control settings do their part in adding a measure of confidence too. A fourth Track mode with nine levels of selectable TC (plus off), a choice of throttle-response settings, and a chance to deactivate wheelie control is available via KTM’s optional Track Pack ($339.99) or Tech Pack ($739.99, as fitted to our test unit). Ultimately, ripping with WC off and a TC level of 3 suited my liking, offering a balance of corner-exit hyperspeed and usable power delivery, while harmoniously working with the excellent grip of the factory-fitted Michelin Power Cup II rubber even if they just slightly lack feel at the contact patch. The TC response smoothly blends safety and performance characteristics in low-to-mid settings, quickly ushering the 890 through corner exits while limiting power delivery enough to prevent rear wheel slip, but not enough to dumb down the 890’s potential. Wheelie control catches front-wheel lofts quickly, often abruptly setting them down and limiting hooliganism—hence, the reason we disabled it. We thank you for the option, KTM.

The split-function WP Apex fork is a welcome addition. Spot-on base settings offer an easy glide over rough tarmac, while compression and rebound adjustability let you dial it in. (Jeff Allen /)

But as we’ve come to learn, adding power to a chassis incapable of handling it upsets its balance, so KTM fitted the 890 Duke R with a fully adjustable, split-function WP Apex fork (compression damping in one leg and rebound in the other) with finely calibrated damping settings. The fork effortlessly glides over small chatter bumps in stark contrast to the 790, while providing adequate support for the travel-munching dips and heavy braking zones. And it’s sweet to have adjustability too. Every rider has his or her own preferences, and dialing it in can make all the difference—something you couldn’t do on the 790 Duke.

Rightly earning the “Super Scalpel” badge, the 890 Duke R shreds corners with absolute confidence. (Jeff Allen /)

The 890 Duke R is a whole 8 pounds lighter on the CW scales than the 790, losing a majority of that via the elimination of the passenger pegs and seat, and 2.6 pounds via the top-notch Brembo Stylema Monoblock brake calipers—not to mention the wicked feel and stopping power that comes with. In fact, a rad touch to the 890 Duke R is the fitment of a Brembo MCS master cylinder that allows adjustability of lever ratio and feel. Racer stuff. Add this to an almost unnoticeable lean-angle-sensitive cornering ABS for a drama-free corner entry. That’s unless you enable Supermoto ABS mode, which allows the rear wheel to lock under hard braking, letting the 890 be pitched sideways in long corner-entry slides. The lost weight adds up in terms of handling by quickly shredding mountain twisties and flicking from side to side with very little effort. It’s lightweight between the legs and comes with an any-apex-anytime attitude that rightly earns the Super Scalpel badge, though no one is ever likely to call it that in conversation. A menace in the canyons, and I suspect a helluva lot of fun at the local trackday.

The LED lighting is a nice touch and offers a seriously impressive illumination during night hours. (Jeff Allen /)

If there is any gripe about the 890 Duke R, it’d relate to the upcharges required to unlock the Track Mode, Quickshifter +, and various other electronic functions, mainly because they are preprogrammed into the package and just need unlocking at the dealership. These are valuable features but for simply “turning them on” the cost is challenging in the marketplace. Especially considering that this motorcycle is intended to be a premium model aimed at exploiting outright middleweight naked performance and is priced as such at a base $11,699. Instead, our test unit priced out at $12,439 with the Tech Pack, which gets you the quickshifter, Track Pack, and anti-wheelie off—all necessary options needed to discover the 890’s true potential. At the as-tested price, the 890 Duke R is up against the Triumph Street Triple RS, which is a pretty compelling competitor, and the up-spec version of the 2019 Cycle World Ten Best Middleweight Streetbike Street Triple R, no less.

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Having ridden countless hours aboard the 790 Duke, I can say that the up-spec 890 Duke R packs an added punch that raises questions as to why the 790 exists (though the passenger accommodations are nice if you need them), especially considering the relatively small cost difference between models. The 890 fills the gaps left by the 790 and shreds its way to raising the bar of middleweight naked performance.

2020 KTM 890 Duke R Specs

MSRP:	$11,699 ($12,439 as tested)
Engine:	889cc liquid-cooled parallel twin
Bore x Stroke:	90.7 x 68.8mm
Transmission/Final Drive:	6-speed/chain
Cycle World Measured Horsepower:	106.2 hp @ 9,900 rpm
Cycle World Measured Torque:	60.4 lb.-ft. @ 8,700 rpm
Fuel System:	Electronic fuel injection w/ DKK Dell’Orto 46mm throttle body
Clutch:	Wet, multiplate
Engine Management/Ignition:	Bosch w/ ride by wire
Frame:	Chrome-moly tubular steel frame, engine as stressed member
Front Suspension:	43mm WP Apex w/ adjustable compression and rebound damping; 5.5 in. travel
Rear Suspension:	WP Apex monoshock w/ adjustable high-speed compression, low-speed compression, rebound, and spring preload; 5.9-in. travel
Front Brake:	Brembo 4-piston Stylema Monoblock calipers, 320mm discs w/ cornering ABS
Rear Brake:	Brembo 2-piston caliper, 240mm disc w/ cornering ABS
Wheels, Front/Rear:	3.50 x 17-in. / 6.00 x 17-in.
Tires, Front/Rear:	Michelin Power Cup II; 120/70-17 / 180/55-17
Wheelbase:	58.3 in.
Seat Height:	33.3 in.
Fuel Capacity:	3.7 gal.
Cycle World Measured Wet Weight:	406 lb.
Availability:	Now
Contact:	ktm.com

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