2016 Ktm 690 Duke
2016 KTM 690 DUKE
IGNITION
FIRST RIDE
KTM builds a better thumper
Thomas Montano
Credit goes to KTM for being one of the first to take on the challenge of creating a modern four-stroke single streetbike, the Austrian dirt bike manufacturer introducing the Duke 620 way back in 1994. Twenty-two years and four different design iterations later comes the 2016 KTM 690 Duke.
The previous 690 Duke was the most powerful production single to date, but the new model is stronger still. Two key elements enabled this boost in performance and smoothness: the application of KTM’s Ride Mode technology along with revamping more than 50 percent of the LC4 motor’s mechanical components.
This latest Duke is geared toward maximum performance, but it’s also designed to be userfriendly for beginning riders.
To test the new Duke, KTM invited the world’s motorcycling press to the Canary Islands off the coast of North Africa. There we spent a day riding around the spectacular island of Gran Canaria, which offered fast and slow sections of road as well as a variety of surfaces.
Once aboard, the Duke fit my 5-foot-io frame fine. Controls were easy to reach, and I was able to put my feet flat on the ground. We started off on the highway, which I suspected might be painful, but I was wrong—the single purrs as smoothly as a multi. Throttle response at freeway speeds is precise, and good acceleration is available even in top gear. Part of the engine overhaul was to smooth out the torque curve from 4,000 to 7,000 rpm, and the engineers hit the mark.
After hammering down the coast road we reached the mountains, and maneuvering on these tight-and-twisty roads is where the Duke shines.
The revised chassis offers exceptional control and feel, and power delivery is spot on. Response from the new ride-by-wire throttle (with rider-selectable three power modes) system is smooth and predictable. KTM claims the 690 churns out 73 hp (up 7 percent) and torque is up to 55 pound-feet (a 6-percent increase).
KTM put a lot of effort into smoothing out the motor. A new cylinder head with dual-spark ignition and a second balance shaft help boost power and reduce vibration. A new, more oversquare cylinder design with a bigger bore (up 3mm to 105mm) and shorter stroke (down 4.5mm to 80mm) lets the engine rev 1,000 rpm higher.
Chassis-wise the Duke strikes a fine balance between aggressive handling and comfortable cruising. This was achieved by lowering the swingarm pivot 4mm and reducing the steering offset from 32 to 28mm, which increased trail from 115 to 122mm. The WP suspension consisting of a 43mm inverted fork and a linkage-actuated gas-charged shock worked just fine considering the only adjustment is for shock spring preload.
Flog the Duke hard and the chassis moves around a bit, but front-end feel, thanks to the added trail, allows you to attack corners with confidence. Turn-in is easy and midcorner stability solid. Even under hard braking, care of a single Brembo four-piston radial-mounted caliper grasping a 320mm rotor up front, the Duke stayed in line (Bosch two-channel ABS is there for you too). Seventeeninch, 10-spoke forged-aluminum wheels are shod with Metzeler MR77 tires in a 120/70 front and 160/60 rear sizes.
Whether a single-cylinder streetbike is worth $9,000 is a question buyers will have to answer themselves, but the fact is this is a great motorcycle for beginning riders and advanced enthusiasts. Whichever you are, you won’t be disappointed.
2016 KTM 690 DUKE
PRICE: $9,000 ENGINE: liquid-cooled single DISPLACEMENT: 690cc SEAT HEIGHT: 32.9 in. FUEL CAPACITY: 3.7 gal. CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT: 327 lb
