2027 KTM 790 Duke Review – First Ride

Austrian geography is that of extremes. Particularly so in the Alps where the assembled global press and I had the chance to sample the second generation of KTM’s middleweight naked: the 790 Duke. The glaciated terrain has left vast river valleys flanked by towering mountains composed of metamorphic rock that underwent changes under extreme heat and pressure to form the Central Alps more than 65 million years ago. It’s harsh, epic, and beautiful. Strafing up the High Alpine Road to views of Austria’s highest peak, Großglockner at 12,431 ft, the 790 Duke feels in its element — perhaps more so than ever with the latest updates. But do these changes enhance the overall package?

In the U.S., we’ve seen the 790 Duke come and go… and now come back again. That wasn’t the case in every part of the world, but the 790’s time Stateside has been somewhat tumultuous, with the model only lasting two years before being superseded by the 890 Duke R, and later not being brought into the market due to its Chinese origins and tariffs.

It’s no secret that we’ve been fans of the 790 Duke since its inception back in 2018 for the 2019 model year. Our late E-i-C, Evans Brasfield filled the digital pages of MO with 790 project articles and we got together as a team to compare the machine against its rivals. We even pit the 790 against the 890 Duke R that usurped it for a time.

Now the question remains for the second generation 790 Duke: Will it take the crown and uphold its legacy, or has it morphed into something different entirely, hardened by its years under pressure?

The most obvious change is an update in styling. The bike now shares similar design language that we see throughout the Austrian brand’s street lineup, but there is a functional step forward, too with the bike losing 4.5 lbs of weight overall and a redesigned, flatter fuel tank (3.5 gal versus the original 3.7). Next up, we have the ergonomics, which play a larger part in the new riding experience than some may give credit. The idea here is a sportier rider triangle meant to get more weight over the front. We also have revised WP suspension and — in a first for a U.S. model — we’re getting a taste of the new WP braking system. Tweaks to the electronics have also been made which are accessed through a slightly redesigned TFT display and new switchgears. Rounding out the updates are new shoes in the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IVs and KTM’s 4-year warranty. While the price has dropped over the years ($10,499 originally), MSRP stands at $9,800 which is a $300 increase from MY24. We should expect models arriving in September of this year.

What remains the same is the 799cc Parallel-Twin that delivers the punchy low- to mid-range torque that we’ve enjoyed through the years in the middleweight Duke line. Way back when we last dyno’d the 2019 Duke’s 799cc LC8c, it cranked out 96.6 horsepower at 9,400 rpm and 59.8 lb-ft of torque at 6,600 rpm. Also unchanged is the main portion of the ChroMoly tubular steel frame, though a new single-piece cast aluminum subframe is fitted to the rear which makes up for a portion of the weight savings.

Tearing up the mountain

Before we left the parking lot, a few things became clear. Ergonomics would be the obvious guess, which, yes, there is a noticeable difference in the bend of the knee and forward cant, but as I clicked the bike into first gear and began to release the clutch, I found the shift more positive than I remembered from the last 790/890 I’d ridden. Fueling from closed throttle was delivered much smoother than before, too. Given this wasn’t an update KTM chose to discuss during the briefing, it took me by surprise at how refined this latest model felt compared to my previous experience. As we made our way through small towns en route to the mountain, I couldn’t help but focus on how much more positive shifts were than I remembered and the lack of needing to use the clutch to smooth out low-speed lurching.

Not long after our ride started, I began to find the bend at the knee fairly uncomfortable. While the bars are lower and have a different bend than before (and can also be adjusted by spinning the risers 180 degrees), the footpegs were moved back 2mm and up 7mm. While just over a quarter of an inch doesn’t sound like much, it’s quickly noticeable on the Duke. Where the old rider triangle was quite upright and neutral, the new ergos are meant to get the rider into a position that puts more weight over the front wheel. While we can appreciate the fact that an upright position can inherently make the front wheel feel vague or flighty, part of the charm — at least in this editor’s eyes — was the fact that you could be just as comfortable touring or commuting on the original 790 as you would be dragging knee at your local track day. The new rider triangle is much more focused in one direction. That said, you may be able to swap the old footpeg brackets onto this given its the same frame — if the new WP master cylinder would fit. 

Speaking of those new WP braking components, WP reps tell us the braking project began five years ago in 2021 — well before Brembo purchased Öhlins, for conspiracy’s sake. KTM opened a new R&D facility just outside of Barcelona to design, develop, and test these new components and even went so far as to build a new manufacturing facility in India (where the braking and suspension components are made) for these products. The goal here was better efficiency and performance through heat management. We’re told the performance is 50% better than the previous binders. We’re also told that while the discs (300mm up front and 240mm in the rear) are still a third party item, the rest of the radially mounted set up is built entirely in-house.

Once the pace started heating up in the mountains, we were able to start working the brakes fairly hard. Initial bite is strong, and we’re told an aggressive pad was used for this specifically. Combined with the Pirellis, the grip and braking performance is commendable. The stopping power is substantial for the sub-410 pound machine. While feel at the lever isn’t at the level of higher-spec components, it’s easy to modulate brake pressure. We also had a chance to test threshold braking at a cart track nearby. With the ABS in Supermoto mode, the system would allow some rear wheel lift under hard braking, but thanks to the chassis geometry, the bike is easy to keep composed under movement. I still managed a shorter braking distance with road ABS on and pulsing at the lever isn’t overwhelming 

Working our way up the fork legs, new WP Apex suspension is used on the second-gen 790 Duke. Similar to what we’ve seen fitted to Husqvarna’s Pilens, rebound and compression damping is split between fork legs and adjustable via toolless clickers on the fork caps with five positions. A similar reduction has been made in damping clicks for the shock’s rebound (it’s also adjustable for preload). The idea for the reduction in “clicks” is to be able to make more meaningful adjustments quickly and to hopefully get riders tuning their suspension to suit themselves or the ride.

I was happy with how well the fork held up under braking, but the stock settings felt a bit off for me, particularly when finishing corners while blasting up or down the mountain. While I do believe cranking up the shock preload would have put me closer to a good base, I wish we would have had more time to take advantage of the suspension’s adjustability. Around town, the ride was comfortable and composed.

The electronics package for the 790 Duke continues the company’s trend of offering plenty of rider aids and adjustability. For better or worse, gone is the “demo” mode that would allow new owners to sample all of the electronics before purchasing. Now, you’ll just need to buy the Track Pack ($500) if you want Track mode, adjustable traction control and throttle response, launch control, anti-wheelie control, and two dedicated displays. If you want all of that and a bag of chips — the chips being Motor Slip Regulation (MSR), Quickshifter+, and cruise control — you’ll have to opt for the Tech pack ($900). As mentioned earlier, shifting feels more positive than it's ever been and the quickshifter worked flawlessly in conjunction during this ride.

The Verdict

The 2027 KTM 790 Duke falls in line with the larger Duke models in that it is now a slightly more pointed sporting machine. That said, as you may have noticed by now, the experience isn’t being flipped on its head. In essence, the punchy, lithe middleweight naked is still just that. It’s following in its siblings footsteps but hasn’t left its identity behind.

In a conversation with a German immigration officer who noticed my Kriega backpack, I offered up the fact that I was traveling to ride a new KTM. We had some quick banter, as motorcyclists do and, as he handed me my passport, said, “I’m glad KTM is back.” So are we. But, given enough time and pressure, an existence can crumble or harden into a monolith. As we say, only time will tell.

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