At the beginning of the year, the new KTM 990 Duke was already exposed once (above)! Recently, this car has been exposed to new developments, and compared with the last exposure of the news, the KTM 990 Duke is closer to mass production! Sadly, the KTM 990 Duke's abandonment of the "split face" seems to have become an irreversible fact!
The latest news shows that the KTM 990 Duke has a complete makeover, with more power and a new chassis! Since KTM first introduced the LC8c twin engine in 2017, KTM has always had a soft spot for side-by-side twins. Judging from the progress of the 990 Duke now, in 2023 the LC8c engine has undergone a major update again, and although the displacement has been increased, it still has a 285-degree crankshaft. Compared to the current 890 engine, the cylinder appears to have a higher stroke and longer. The cylinder head has also been redesigned, the engine looks more compact to offset the height brought about by the increased stroke, and the cam cover is also new because there is an extra bump on the left side. Its purpose is unknown, but given the competitors currently using variable valve timing systems, it is not excluded that KTM will also adopt this technology. The larger area of the cooler also indicates a good performance improvement.
The new 990 Duke also features a new chassis and exterior, especially the larger extremes of the deflectors on both sides of the fuel tank, which is very different in design compared to the current Duke series. However, as with the current 890 Duke model, the rear frame has been redesigned with a very high license plate frame position, and the rear subframe appears to be an exposed cast alloy design, and it is integrated into the structure itself, rather than through purely decorative overlays. The seat position also appears to have changed, with a protruding design under the rear seat, which may mean that the fuel tank has been moved backwards to the rear, giving greater control over the distribution of the center of gravity.
From the image above we can see the WP Apex inverted fork, such a short front shock stroke should be the rider braking action! The radial four-piston brake caliper is printed with the KTM logo, and presumably there will also be an R version with Brembo behind it. From this picture, it is not difficult to find that the side bracketing of the 990 Duke is very exaggerated, more aggressive than the side deflector cover of the big brother Super Duke. The front face has been replaced with stacked headlights, much like the new GSX-S1000, but KTM fans will definitely think more about the third-generation single-cylinder Duke, the first generation 690 Duke. But it doesn't seem like the final production component, but this vertical split headlight could give the 990 Duke a very different look, and the "split face" seems to be replaced.
The swingarm appears to be a brand new casting, with different support arrangements, which should be increased strength. The right exhaust bends upwards to improve passability and inclination, while replacing the existing 890Duke's high exhaust pipe. Although the car has not yet fully reached the production standard, the 990 Duke is expected to be released before the end of this year.