I used to be so impressed after driving the final Duke 990 on the 30 years of Duke festival in Spain that I ended up shopping for one. They’re severely good on the street: nice dealing with, wonderful entrance finish, tremendous accessible efficiency and simply baggage and baggage of enjoyable. So when the invite landed in my inbox to check KTM’s newest 990 cc street siblings at Sydney Motorsport Park, you’ll be able to think about that my reply was swift and emphatic. With the Duke priced from $23,990, the RCR one other $1000 on prime, each deliver sturdy street and monitor credentials however goal totally different riders.
I obtained to experience each the 990 Duke R and 990 RC R again to again on a monitor that I’d not beforehand had the pleasure of ticking off my listing. Deliver it. To cite Staff Orange’s advertising and marketing for the launch: #neverstop twisting the throttle.
Street-going KTM RCs have an attention-grabbing backstory. The RC8 was launched in 2008. All angular strains and futuristic trying, it was a polarising design that took a bit time to land for some, however has aged fairly effectively. KTM supported the RC8 and its successors, the RC8R and RC R Observe, in plenty of racing collection, together with Australia, till they backed away from constructing road-going RC bikes, citing rider security considerations on the time.
The primary sign that they’d modified their minds on that entrance was the RC8C of 2022. With a restricted run of solely 100, these had been track-only items of exotica. They used the identical base LC8c parallel engine discovered within the two 990s on check right here, however it was wrapped in a really trick, light-weight chassis and tipped the scales at 142 kg dry. Costing roughly 60 massive ones to you and me. If solely. And within the metallic, they give the impression of being even higher than pics do justice.
After which, after all, the well-publicised monetary shenanigans occurred, which put a pause on getting the complete manufacturing, road-going model of that bike to the lots. Effectively, my associates, wait no extra. It’s right here. I’ve ridden it – and I can inform you it’s each bit nearly as good because the Duke R is, which might be no shock.
Which 990 Fits You Greatest?
What was a shock, although, was simply how totally different the 2 bikes really feel if you experience them again to again. And to reply what might be most individuals’s first query – no, the RC R is most positively not only a Duke R with a fairing. Examined back-to-back at Sydney Motorsport Park, KTM’s 2026 990 Duke R and 990 RC R share the identical LC8c twin however ship very totally different street and monitor experiences.
A shared coronary heart
Let’s begin with the similarities first. Each bikes utilise the identical LC8c 947 cc twin cylinder that now punches out simply on 128 hp. Up round 7 on the earlier technology. It’s a cracking little engine. Bodily, it’s fairly small and light-weight, enabling wonderful packaging and positioning throughout the body for optimum dealing with. However the positives don’t finish there. It has super character, with a splendidly keen backside finish and a midrange that retains giving because the revs construct into a correct prime finish.
Fuelling is great, and regardless of being now Euro 5+ compliant, there are not any obvious useless or flat spots wherever throughout the rev vary. Gone are the times of previous when 1,000 cc twins had been grumpy sons-o-bitches that wanted nursing from idle by to round 3000 rpm earlier than they began working. The LC8c will pull from just about idle. Clean, fuss-free grunt.
990 Duke R vs 990 RC R: What adjustments?
There are some variations in tune between the 2. The Duke has a barely punchier map within the low to mid vary, and the RC R is ever so barely softer down low, however with a barely stronger prime finish – in keeping with its extra focussed ambitions. I believe they’re each fairly spot on of their respective roles.
The bikes additionally share the primary chassis that wraps across the engine, and an entire host of electronics enhancements over the earlier technology. They’ve made some massive steps ahead right here, truly, so let’s deal with that for a bit.
Significantly good tech
The brand new panorama sprint is the plain one. And it’s tremendous good. Kudos to the crew at Kiska for smashing it out of the park design-wise. Large, daring show is as simple to make use of and browse as it’s engaging. Whereas I’ve by no means been a fan of duplicated tachos (and was tremendous crucial of it on some Triumph sprint designs the place it was overly fussy) – I’ll settle for it right here in its relative simplicity.
The bodily screens themselves are additionally touchscreen. And whereas which may sound like a little bit of a gimmick at first, if you’re attempting to attach your cellphone to the bike and may use the touchscreen to place in a pairing password shortly… or faucet in an tackle for the gloriously sized mapping and turn-by-turn nav… you’ll quickly admire simply how helpful it’s.
Loads of the driving modes as anticipated (Rain, Avenue, Sport and Customized come customary), so I gained’t dwell on them an excessive amount of. Though surprisingly, the electronics will help you use each cruise management AND turn-by-turn navigation throughout the monitor mode (out there with the tech pack, which additionally will get you an extra Customized mode), which is great.
That Observe mode means that you can fine-tune TC on the go through the lower-left-hand paddle switches, and allows you to alter wheelie management from low to further excessive, and even off. Which I could have had a play with on the photograph shoot. Simply to be thorough. For you of us. Not for my very own enjoyment in any respect.
After all, the electronics can even allow you to alter the anticipated settings, together with your throttle really feel and mapping, and fine-tune your braking model with modes for road and sport, plus Supermoto + for much more shenanigans. You get one customized map as customary and a second customized map if you go for the Tech Pack. Personally, I’d go away it in Observe mode all over the place. It was simply as nice on the street because it was on the… effectively, monitor.
Different noteworthy upgrades – the switchgear design has been improved and now separates cruise management operation from the ‘TC’ adjustment paddles. This can be a welcome usability enchancment in my e-book (having been a supply of frustration on the earlier gen).
Suspension will get an improve
The opposite massive change on the Duke, shared by each bikes, is the transfer from a 43 mm Apex Professional fork to a 48 mm unit, together with the addition of a linkage meeting to the rear suspension. This linkage permits for an extended efficient shock size although the shock itself is now bodily 10 mm shorter at 140 mm. To you and me, which means extra management: particularly, higher small-bump absorption on the prime of the stroke with out compromising efficiency beneath heavy load close to the underside of the stroke.
The seat peak on the Duke R has additionally been upped by 15 mm, and when mixed with a flatter bar, it provides the R a sportier driving place than the previous Duke. That bar strikes the grips 21 mm ahead and 10 mm down, and the footpegs are 12 mm greater and 33 mm additional again. That feels like loads, however the driving place nonetheless feels very acquainted and is completely usable for off-track duties in the true world, so don’t stress on that entrance. They haven’t overdone it.
I believe I’d must experience the previous and new fashions back-to-back to essentially admire the distinction, with a brand new monitor to be taught thrown into the combination as effectively, however it definitely didn’t really feel overly agency or sporty in comparison with my very own bike. It felt very acquainted. Simply ‘a bit extra’ than the previous mannequin. And the Duke nonetheless is available in at a moist, absolutely fuelled weight of 190 kg, which is great contemplating the quantity of digital wizardry on trendy bikes.
Is it higher than my previous Duke?
Sure. (Dammit). This may very well be harmful for my pockets. Whereas nonetheless feeling very, very a lot a Duke at first, I’m now in a little bit of a pickle. The R is noticeably higher. On monitor, it was an absolute delight. On the street, I used to be always on the lookout for the following alternative for shenanigans.
Sydney Motorsport Park, because it seems, is a very technical circuit. For a newcomer like me, it definitely appeared that each single rattling nook wanted a late apex. A pair had a double apex. And almost each single one had a minimum of one respectable bump mid-corner.
The Duke was the proper bike for studying a brand new circuit. That entrance finish that I cherished on the previous bike appeared much more millimetre-perfect. Line alternative felt as if it had been achieved by thought alone. Wish to tighten the road up? Certain factor. That massive bump mid nook? Yeah, don’t fear about that. Overcooked it a bit coming into that nook? No stress, simply path these brakes a bit deeper.
Barely extra focussed driving place improves the experience on each street and monitor
And on its aspect, on these excellent OEM Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tyres? Totally composed. I used to be fortunate sufficient to be led round for a lap or two by a fellow journo who knew the monitor effectively (thanks, Dave!), and inside two laps, confidence was already ramping up.
By the third session, I dialled again the TC to setting 6 (with 9 being the least intervention) and realised that the place I’d been getting ‘okay’ drive out of corners earlier on setting 3, it had truly been holding issues again a bit, smoothing all the pieces out. Setting 6 took it to a different degree. Extra drive. Extra velocity. Extra feeling from that rear finish. Solely the slightest wriggle as issues connected. So. A lot. Enjoyable.
The Duke is extremely user-friendly and accessible. SMSP (I admit to nonetheless referring to it as Japanese Creek) is a tough circuit, and we weren’t precisely hanging about. However I didn’t have a single second all day.
The RC R is way more than only a Duke with fairings
If I’ve one message for you, it’s that the RC R is a severely succesful sportsbike (it’s eligible for the NextGen Supersport class, in spite of everything). Geometry and experience really feel are fairly totally different to the Duke R; all the pieces about it’s sportier and designed with efficiency in thoughts. On prime of that, it seems to be rattling good.
The fairing and bodywork are clearly the primary and most blatant variations. Properly proportioned, with greater than a smattering of a sure RC16 MotoGP bike labored into the styling bundle. ‘Downforce optimised’ entrance wings and the rear deflector (in entrance of the rear tyre) be part of the elevated pillion seat for a glance that’s positively GP-esque. I put the pillion seat in italics just because I’m unsure how sensible that seat can be in apply. But when your missus suits on that, extra energy to ya.
The experience place is noticeably extra centered. Your arms are decrease and additional ahead through new triple clamps and clip-on bars. The footpegs sit greater and additional again on adjustable rearsets that may be moved between ‘Avenue’ and ‘Observe’ positions. Observe locations the pegs again 25 mm and up 17 mm in comparison with Avenue – a noticeable change. Topping off the extra aggressive rider triangle is the firmer seat, which sits 5 mm greater at 845 mm. Nonetheless lots low sufficient to comfortably get each toes on the bottom, although.
Along with totally different triple clamps, bars, and rearsets, a fast scan of two side-by-side pics exhibits that, in comparison with the Duke, the gasoline tank, seat, subframe, exhaust, and swingarm are additionally new. You may additionally discover a steering damper on the RC R.
The really eagle-eyed may even discover that the RC R runs Brembo’s top-of-the-pops Hypure calipers and the Duke makes do with Stylemas. ‘Makes do’. Exhausting to think about anybody ever truly needing greater than Stylemas, contemplating that up till a few years again, they had been arguably the perfect stoppers us mortals may get our mitts on, till Brembo launched these new Hypure jobbies. Let’s simply say Duke R riders aren’t underbraked…
That tank has been stretched to suit the brand new rider triangle and designed particularly with contact factors in thoughts. It’s in all probability not as sculpted as I’d personally choose, however it presents ample contact on the skin knee throughout cornering and truly accommodates nearly a litre extra gasoline than the Duke tank – at 15.7 L in comparison with the Duke’s 14.8 L.
All the further fairing and tank work provides one other 5 kilos to the moist weight over the Duke R, bringing the RC R tally to 195 kg. Curiously, the front-rear bias sits at 52.5 entrance and 47.5 rear, which – as I’ll contact on later – is outstanding.
Talking of weight, the rear subframe shaves 400 grams off the Duke variant and has air intakes built-in immediately into the development, together with that very trick-looking aero work beneath and across the pillion seat.
If you happen to’re actually, actually paying consideration, you may discover that the Apex Professional suspension used on the RC R has ever so barely shorter journey (at 130 mm on the entrance and rear in comparison with the 143 mm on the entrance of the Duke R and 140 mm on the rear). And that the bike sits almost 50 mm decrease by way of floor clearance (that distinction is exaggerated, given the RC R has a decrease fairing).
You possibly can’t see that the airbox is new. Or that the engine mapping, ABS and TC tuning is exclusive. All that’s to focus on simply how totally different the bike is, regardless of sharing a motor and chassis.
They’ve nailed the stability
On the monitor, the distinction was noticeable from the very first nook. Whereas the Duke R is much more keen and straightforward to throw into corners than the previous Duke, the RC R is on one other degree. It’s not simply that it steers with much less enter (helped by a ~1 diploma steeper head angle than the Duke R), or that it feels much more planted on its aspect. It’s the best way it rotates beneath you that’s particular.
Whereas the Duke R feels comparatively conventional – as if it’s pivoting onto its aspect from the underside of the tyre (as you’d count on), the RC R feels prefer it’s pivoting round a central line operating by the bike from entrance to again. Within the corners, it feels rattling close to weightless when altering path. I’ve solely felt this on a choose few bikes that had distinctive stability. The BMW Okay 1300 R was the primary bike I felt that on, by the way, and that was an astonishingly good bike to experience.
This near-weightless agility is exactly what engineers chase once they speak about mass centralisation. And we hear it on a regular basis in advertising and marketing guff. However solely very, very often are you able to truly really feel it. The RC R is a kind of circumstances.
It’s troublesome to clarify, however permit me to create a psychological picture for you. Think about a line operating by the center of the bike from entrance to again, perpendicular to the bottom. The road runs by the bike, getting into the entrance at a peak aligned someplace across the prime of the entrance rim, operating by the engine and out by the again on the prime of the rear rim. That line is roughly the place it looks like this bike pivots round when tipping into corners.
It’s simply splendidly balanced. The RC R rotates across the line beneath you. Most bikes really feel like they rotate from the underside of the tyres.
On the monitor, in comparison with the Duke, you’re shortly conscious of the RC R’s greater limits – that there’s noticeably extra you’ll be able to push. I used to be additionally shortly conscious that I needed to work more durable to search out them. Physique place is extra necessary to get proper so as to exploit the additional out there efficiency. However if you do the work, you’re justly rewarded.
Within the afternoon, we did a street loop on each bikes, and the Duke was nearly as good as I anticipated. Snug, simple to experience, that nice sprint and turn-by-turn navigation show actually impresses. No surprises there. What was shocking was how manageable the RC R’s extra centered driving place was on the street.
I assumed it might be onerous work. The seat is definitely noticeably firmer, however it was much better than I’d imagined it was going to be. It’s not all excellent news, although. Two negatives did emerge on the street that you simply gained’t discover on the monitor. The steering lock is noticeably decreased on the RC R and may very well be problematic when filtering and manoeuvring by visitors. And that nice touchscreen sprint is a bit more durable to succeed in and use as a result of it’s nestled extra snugly behind the windscreen. Pretty small points within the grand scheme of issues.
Remaining ideas
Finally, each of the 990 choices are distinctive. One is noticeably extra focussed and appears a bit just like the MotoGP bike; the opposite is a unadorned weapon with a extra accessible upright driving place. Select your poison.
Obtainable proper now – the Duke will set you again 23,990, and the RC R one other grand on prime of that. You want the non-obligatory Tech Pack for all of the fruit (Wheelie Management, Customized modes, Observe Mode, Lap Timing, Telemetry, Map Choice, TC adjustment, Launch Management, Quickshifter, Cruise Management, Adaptive brake mild and MSR adjustment), which is able to add one other $1650 on prime of the bottom value. And admittedly, you’d be barking mad to not tick that field.
KTM gives its 4-12 months Premium Guarantee protection on these bikes as customary.
For me? I’ll be attempting to get one of many Dukes we rode on the launch into my shed to experience back-to-back with my very own bike for an upcoming Duke Diary video. And I think I’ll be making a choice that the minister for finance may not be completely happy about…
It’s solely cash, proper?
KTM Duke 990 R strengths
- Tremendous accessible, confidence-inspiring dealing with for any street or monitor.
- That LC8c engine is punchy and simply downright enjoyable.
- Snug driving place regardless of being sportier than the previous mannequin.
- Nice touchscreen sprint and up to date tech abounds.
KTM Duke 990 R weaknesses
- Tech pack is principally obligatory if you need the goodies. And also you do.
- Not for individuals who need to mix in.
- Possibly not for these with out a degree of self-control. Or numerous license factors.
KTM 990 RC R Strengths
- NextGen supersport functionality.
- Astonishingly good stability and that central pivot flip in.
- Appears not in contrast to an RC16.
KTM 990 RC R Weaknesses
- Decreased steering lock and a agency seat are a compromise round city, however manageable.
- A extra focussed rider triangle is strictly that for longer street rides.
- Tech pack wanted right here too….
Which bike for whom?
- Duke R for every day responsibility, do-it-all, some touring and monitor days as effectively.
- RC R, if you’ll be doing common monitor days and weekend scratching, and are okay with a bit compromise by way of consolation.
- Each? When you have a really understanding accomplice and an enormous shed 🙂
KTM 990 RC R and 990 Duke R In contrast
| Mannequin | |
 |
| ENGINE | ||
| Design | 2 Cylinder, 4 Stroke, DOHC Parallel Twin (Euro 5+) | |
| Displacement | 947 cm³ | |
| Energy | 127.84 PS | |
| Torque | 103 Nm | |
| Transmission | 6-Velocity | |
| CO₂ Emissions | 110 g/km | |
| Cooling | Liquid cooled with water/oil warmth exchanger | |
| Engine Cylinder | Twin Cylinder | |
| EMS | Bosch EMS with RBW | |
| Engine Oil | MOTOREX Energy Synth SAE 10W-50 | |
| Engine Stroke | 4-Stroke | |
| Silencer | Stainless-steel major and secondary silencer | |
| CHASSIS | ||
| Entrance Brake Disc Diameter | 320 mm | |
| Rear Brake Disc Diameter | 240 mm | |
| Entrance Brake | 2x Radially mounted 4-piston caliper, brake disc | |
| Rear Brake | 1-piston caliper, brake disc | |
| Chain | 520 X-Ring | |
| Body Design | Chromium-Molybdenum-Metal body utilizing the engine as burdened factor, powder coated | |
| Steering Head Angle | 65.8° | 65.9° |
| Rear Subframe Design | Aluminium, powder-coated | |
| Path | 98.5 mm | 100 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1,481 mm | |
| SUSPENSION | ||
| Entrance Suspension | WP APEX 48 Open Cartridge | WP APEX 48 |
| Rear Suspension | WP APEX-Linkage Shock | WP APEX |
| Suspension Journey (Entrance) | 147 mm | 143 mm |
| Suspension Journey (Rear) | 134 mm | 140 mm |
| Entrance Suspension Adjustment | Compression & Rebound, adjustable (±3 mm) | Compression and Rebound adjustable (30 clicks), Preload (±3 clicks) |
| Rear Suspension Adjustment | Compression (Excessive and Low Velocity), Rebound and Preload (10 setting turns) | Compression Excessive Velocity (3 turns), Low Velocity (30 clicks), Rebound (30 clicks), Preload (10 turns) |
| DIMENSIONS | ||
| Seat Top | 845 mm | 840 mm |
| Tank Capability (approx.) | 15.7 L | 14.8 L |
| Floor Clearance | 163 mm | 210 mm |
| Weight (with out gasoline) | 184 kg | 179 kg |
| Weight (absolutely fueled) | 195 kg | 190 kg |
| Wheelbase Tolerance | / | 15 mm |
| Entrance Wheel Diameter | 17″ | |
| Rear Wheel Diameter | 17″ | |
| Entrance Wheel Width | 3.5″ | |
| Rear Wheel Width | 5.5″ | |
| Wheels | Forged Aluminium Wheels (3.5 x 17″; 5.5 x 17″) | |
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