KTM seems to be forging ahead with the development of the upcoming KTM 990 Duke, which will be the next replacement for the Austrian brand's middleweight naked. A test mule of an early prototype of the upcoming 990 Duke was first spotted in July last year, and it looks like KTM is slowly but surely progressing ahead with what is expected to be a heavily redesigned engine for the new bike. With tightening future emission and noise regulations, KTM appears to have reworked the engine, with a displacement bump which is expected to help offset some of the changes.
Also Read: KTM 990 Duke Spotted On Test In Europe
The engine seems to be heavily reworked and will get a displacement bump to 990 cc. The bodywork has also been changed to give it a sharper and more aggressive design.
The chassis design is more or less the same, apart from some changes to accommodate the slightly bigger engine, as well as an all-new swingarm. The new aluminium swingarm looks beefier, but also looks completely different, suggesting that it will be lighter and stiffer, and will come with a new design to accommodate the new exhaust positioning. The bike also will get new bodywork, including a new front mudguard, sharper tank surrounds and new radiator shrouds which give the bike a sharper and more aggressive design. The rear subframe appears to have been redesigned as well, complete with new seats for rider and passenger.
The headlights employ a dual, vertically-stacked design, and the tank panels as well as radiator shrouds are different, and look sharper and more aggressive.
But this still is a prototype and not a production-ready model. So, it may be sometime away till KTM introduces the new 990 Duke. The new parallel-twin 990 cc engine is expected to be heavily updated, and could be all-new as well, and will also have a significant increase in performance over the current 121 bhp of the KTM 890 Duke. What could also be expected is that the KTM will introduce the 990 as a top-spec middleweight "Super Duke," while the 890 will continue to co-exist. More details are expected in the coming months.
(Image Source: Motorradonline)
