Long-Term Wrap-Up
Long-Term Wrap-Up
KTM 990 SUPER DUKE SUPER FUN FOR EVERYONE
WHEN KTM LAUNCHED THE 990 Super Duke in North America in 2007, we immediately fell for the Austrian off-road specialist’s first pure liter-class streetbike. Brand Orange has since wasted little time in establishing its pavement prowess; witness the impressive RC8 superbike. Following our road test of the Super Duke (May, 2007), we seized the opportunity to add the fuelinjected V-Twin to our long-term pool.
Our test lauded both engine and chassis. “Riding some favorite local backroads only reinforced our positive feeling for the Duke’s user-friendly power delivery and natural steering characteristics,” we enthused, further adding that “long, constant-radius curves are carved like flying on autopilot-no further input needed once your bank angle has been set.”
On the heels of that glowing testament, we resisted the temptation to order any of the racing-related chassis and suspension components from KTM’s Hard Parts catalog (www.ktmusa.com). Instead, we focused our attention on
the sport-touring capabilities of this versatile machine. The aforementioned Hard Parts line offers a few items that we found essential to improving the Super Duke’s long-range comfort. Our favorite-and least-expensive-mod is the handlebar-riser spacer kit ($30), which, once installed, allows the rider to sit even more upright. It also increases clearance between the handgrips and the gas tank at full steering lock, which allowed us to fine-tune the position of the bike’s threaded steering stops for even tighter turning and improved low-speed maneuverability.
Installation of the orange-skinned, gelinsert accessory saddle ($ 160) required the efforts of three CW editors. The first pair of scribes deemed the seat a faulty fit before a more determined staffer discovered that exerting great downward force on the rear of the saddle allowed the keyed lock to tum and finally engage. Opinions on overall comfort ranged from too firm (lighter pilots) to modest improvement (heavyweights). Heavy riders had compressed the stock seat foam enough to feel the pan.
A “touring” windscreen ($53) was a simple 2-minute bolt-on job but provided little wind protection for the rider.
It did, however, keep bugs from hitting the front of the Super Duke-specific tankbag ($125). The expandable bag’s storage capacity was spacious enough for toting overnight necessities and made up for the bike’s lack of usable underseat storage.
While we were perusing the KTM parts catalog, one particular item commanded our attention with all the authority of the business end of a doublebarreled 12-gauge shotgun. Turns out, we were not alone. According to KTM, the Akrapovic titanium slip-on exhaust ($1500) is the most-popular accessory purchase among Super Duke owners. As such, we felt obliged to learn more about these beautifully crafted lightweight mufflers, even though increased noise levels would be counter-intuitive to our goal of greater long-range comfort. That said, there is no disputing the performance benefit of a 16.5-pound weight reduction compared with the stock canisters. Following a fuel-map recalibration ($40) uploaded by our lo cal KTM dealer, we made before-andafter dynamometer runs that revealed a 2-horsepower improvement in the upper 1500 rpm of the rev range and a similar dip-filling midrange boost. The mufflers came with removable quiet in serts that did a good job keeping deci bel levels in check without imposing an appreciable performance penalty.
“I’ve owned all sorts of motorcycles over the past 31 years of riding and racing. The Super Duke is the most fun streetbike I’ve ever owned; great handling, good power, and superb brakes and suspension.”
—Grimace, posted on www.cycleworld.com
Quotes from the logbook
The KTM tankbag is a really nice accessory. It fits the bike like it was made for it (actually, it was). The bag does, however, obscure the bottom halt of the instrument panel.
My daily commute up and down the 405 Freeway provided plenty of highway fuel-mileage figures. The best I managed was 44.1 mpg, squeaking 199 miles from a full tank with a couple cups to spare when I returned to the pump.
Love the instant VTwin power, the mellow sound from the Akrapovic mufflers and the light steering. This is a bike you can get on and instantly feel comfortable riding fast.. .and it is comfortable. Very cool.
Spending nearly two years and 10,000 miles with the 990 Super Duke was a trouble-free and greatly enjoy able experience. It all ended much too soon, proving time truly flies when you're having fun.
"My Super Duke is awesome! Super-comfy ergos, power to spare, great brakes and suspension, and light weight. What's not to love? Okay, the 990 is a hit pricey, hut considering what you get, I think it's a hargain!"-99OEXODUS, posted on www.cycleworld.com
$13,998
