The 2018 KTM 790 Duke “The Scalpel” is now in Malaysia and priced at
RM 64,800, excluding GST, road tax, insurance and registration. The replacement
model for KTM 690 Duke, The Scalpel is
thoroughly updated and now comes with two cylinders.
Carrying a parallel-twin LC8c engine displacing 799
cc, The Scalpel is said to produce 105 hp at 9,000 rpm and 87 Nm of torque at
8,000 rpm. The eight-valve, DOHC mill is fed by EFI and features two
counter-balancer shafts to reduce vibration, one located in front of the
camshafts and another in-between.
Power gets to the ground via a six speed gearbox and
KTM’s PASC slipper clutch, which reduces clutch effort at the lever while
eliminating rear-wheel hop under hard down-shifting. Weighing in at 189 kg wet,
The Scalpel places KTM’s split LED headlight out in front, with necessary
information for the rider displayed inside the cockpit with a TFT-LCD screen,
as previously seen on the KTM Super Duke R, Super Duke GT and 390 Duke.
Go-to suspension brand for KTM, WP Suspension, does
the duties front and rear using a 43 mm upside-down fork in front and monoshock
at the rear, along with a WP steering damper. Braking is with KTM OEM brand
callipers, the four-piston unit in front clamping a 300 mm diameter disc with a
single-piston unit at the back grabbing a 240 mm disc.
A full suite of electronics now comes standard on
the 790 Duke, with Bosch 9MP two-channel ABS along with traction control and
four ride modes. One unique feature of The Scalpel is “Supermoto” mode, which
lets the rider switch off the rear wheel ABS, allowing the wheel to be locked
up at will for sideways corner entry stunts.
Adding to the ergonomics of the 790 Duke is a
four-position 760 mm wide handlebar, made from aluminium. Seat height on the
790 Duke is a very reasonable 825 mm, letting most riders mount the bike with
two-feet down confidence. For Malaysia, the 2018 KTM 790 Duke is a CBU unit,
with units expected to appear in official KTM dealer showrooms very shortly.
