As we await the introduction of KTM’s full-faired 990 RC R sportsbike – which is already confirmed as a 2025 model machine – its underpinnings have been revealed in the the new 990 Duke R.
Ever since the all-new 990 Duke was revealed a year ago, complete with a highly-evolved 947cc version of KTM’s parallel twin LC8c engine, it’s been clear that more models would follow using the same unit. An ‘R’ version of the Duke is something KTM has made before, adding power and improved running gear to the previous 890 Duke, and the same formula is applied on the new 990 Duke R.
Visually, the 990 Duke R is a close relation to the 990 Duke, with similar bodywork and chassis, but the addition of mainly white panels over an orange-painted version of the Duke’s steel tube frame harks back to earlier KTMs with the ‘R’ badge. A power hike from 90.5kW to 95.6kW (123hp to 130hp), thanks to an Akrapovic exhaust and R-specific tuning, matches the output expected from the upcoming 990 RC R sports bike, and the Duke R’s chassis changes also mirror the sort of improvements expected on the faired machine. These include fully-adjustable WP Apex suspension, with a massive 48mm USD fork instead of the standard Duke’s 43mm unit and an impressive 34 percent increase in rigidity, plus a shorter-travel Apex rear shock with a revised rising-rate linkage.
The brakes are improved, with four-pot Brembo Stylema monobloc calipers in place of the KTM-branded J.Juan components of the base model, plus 320mm discs instead of the standard bike’s 300mm units. Those brakes are operated via a new ABS system with ‘Sport’ and ‘Supermoto+’ settings, helped by stickier rubber in the form of Michelin Power Cup 2 tyres on wheels similar to the ones used on the 1390 Super Duke R.
The rider’s view is dominated by the first application of KTM’s new 8.88-inch, landscape-oriented touchscreen dashboard, which gives a screen area that’s around twice the size of the smaller TFT used on the standard 990 Duke in 2024. It’s paired to new switch cubes and a connectivity unit to integrate your phone’s functions to the instruments.
More details, including the price, are expected to be revealed very soon.
