2024 KTM 990 Duke debuts new Austrian engine

A KTM 990 has been much anticipated for a while now, and the first one has finally arrived with the new-for-2024 KTM 990 Duke.

Okay, okay, it’s not really a new engine, more a larger displacement version of the LC8c motor you find in the 790 and 890 bikes from KTM, but the new 947cc unit has nonetheless been expected for a while by now. 

Perhaps there is more anticipation about the potential for a KTM RC 990, which everyone knows exists thanks to spy shots even if KTM hasn’t actually confirmed anything yet, but the Duke 990 is a further confirmation that KTM seeks to plug gaps.

We have had the 390 Duke for over 10 years now, the KTM 790 Duke has been back since last year, and the 890 Duke has become a staple of the middleweight class, so it only makes sense that the 990 Duke comes in as another block in the bridge from the middleweight Austrian nakeds to the mental 1290 Super Duke and its many ‘R’ and ‘Evo’ variants.

In case there were any doubts about KTM’s design philosophy when it comes to the aesthetics of its Dukes, the 990’s looks are described thusly: “The KTM 990 Duke is designed to resemble an explosion in a freeze-frame, mimicking immense energy being released with devastating force.” So that settles that.

To match the aggressive looks, KTM has extracted 123bhp at 9,500rpm from the new 947cc version of the LC8c motor, as well as 76lb ft at 6,750rpm. On the other hand, the motor isn’t going to rip your arms from you shoulders, because KTM has paid attention to rideability, by increasing the mass of rotating parts and widening the radiator. The bike also meets Euro5+ homologation, and is therefore not as harmful to the planet as it might be, chugging 4.7 litres of the finest petroleum per 100km and pumping out 110g of CO2 per kilometre.

The rider has also been taken care of in the cockpit, with a colour TFT display feeding back information to the pilot, including which riding mode is selected. As standard, there are three modes - ‘Rain’, ‘Street’, ‘and ‘Sport’ - while two additional modes can be individually added: ‘Performance’ and ‘Track’. ‘Performance’ offers customisation of wheelie control and launch control, adds cruise control, and allows “full connectivity,” KTM says, to the KTMconnect app. ‘Track’, on the other hand, allows for the display of lap times and telemetry data on the dashboard, and is “100 per cent Ready To Race focused,” KTM says, but disables KTMconnect connectivity.

Bridgestone has recently launched its Hypersport S23 tyres, but KTM chooses the S22s for the 990 Duke, both on 17-inch wheels. Suspension is of course taken care of by WP, which provides a 43mm Apex open cartridge split-function fork with 140mm of wheel travel at the front, and a WP Apex Monotube shock at the rear. Both suspension units can be adjusted via five-stage external clickers.

The front forks feature a forged aluminium triple clamp with a 32mm offset and a tune to match the flex of the forks, while the rear shock is connected to the wheel via a gravity die cast swingarm. KTM says this ‘gravity’ construction method helps to save 1.5kg in weight compared to previous high-pressure die cast units. The rear subframe is also die cast, with an integrated airbox and air intake under the seat, a design which KTM says has allowed it to reduce the number of parts.

Radially mounted four-piston callipers squeeze on 300mm front brake discs, while a two-piston calliper takes care of the rear end along with a 240mm disc.

The riding position has been changed compared to the 890 Duke R, with a two-degree upward rotation of the seat angle, while the seat height is set at 825mm.

Something which has not been mentioned by KTM much since last year has been the ‘Demo Mode’, but it is present on the 990 Duke. It means that all of the electronic options are available for the first 1,500km, and then the owner of the bike has to take it to a KTM dealer and tell them which electronic options they want to keep, and which ones they can do without, and pay an according fee to keep the options they want.

The 2024 KTM 990 Duke will be available in two colours - ‘Electronic Orange’ and ‘Black Metallic’ - and is expected to arrive in dealers in February 2024, when it will cost £12,999. 

2024 KTM 990 Duke specifications