2024 KTM 990 Duke Review [A Dozen Fast Facts]

April 21, 2024

Since KTM introduced its parallel-twin-powered middleweight naked motorcycles, the Austrian juggernaut has been roughing up the class with its performance-focused, no-holds-barred approach. First, we met the rowdy 790 Duke, which grew into the snarling 890 Duke variants, all of which left black eyes among the competition regarding carving corners or scuffing knee pucks. Now, that same snotty, surly attitude that garnered such well-deserved praise returns with an even more honed edge in the virtually all-new 2024 KTM 990 Duke, which the brand hopes will deliver a knockout punch.

The folks at KTM tallied up the 2024 990 Duke’s fresh 947cc parallel-twin engine, redesigned frame and swingarm, updated appearance, and revised electronics, figuring 96 percent of what rests on dealership floors is all-new. What has been carried over? A few bits—the J.Juan master cylinder and calipers are the most notable components. As for the rest of it, we can call it a clean-sheet design that’s also warranted a philosophical shift, according to brand reps—this isn’t merely a bigger 890, but perhaps a smaller 1390 Super Duke R. And that, friends, is something entirely different.

With those facts swirling in our heads, we landed in Almería, Spain, sampling the 2024 KTM 990 Duke on some of Andalucía’s best roads. Now, let’s get on with the Fast Facts.

Want a new standard? Meet KTM’s 947cc parallel-twin engine. The 990 Duke’s new revised powerplant is said to pump out 123 (+2) horsepower at 9500 rpm and 76 (+3) ft-lbs of torque at 6750 rpm—a relatively small bump in bragging rights over the 890, but that’s on paper. The 990 starts out by taking a larger step in refinement than we witnessed from the 790 to the 890, captivating audiences with its rich, low-end punch, doled out with impressive smoothness. The broad midrange power resides between an expansive 3000 and 7000 rpm stretch, giving riders access to a wealth of tractable, on-demand toque—no need to hunt for the perfect gear here. Ferocity and an eagerness to hoist its front wheel when exiting corners are Duke hallmarks that continue to thrive, yet it can behave when trawling the city at a civilized pace.

No hand-me-downs here: The p-twin is a from-the-ground-up redesign. Since we’re jabbering about the engine, let’s address a minor quibble—the 990 Duke and its classmates stretch the definition of middleweight to where that descriptor is hanging on by a thread. We know. We get it. Displacements grow to keep up with tighter emissions and loftier performance goals. Peeking inside the cases, we’ll find new pistons, a new crank, cams, and connecting rods, all coinciding with the larger 92.5mm bore and longer 70.4mm stroke. Interestingly, some repeated engineering logic is employed that we’ve seen on prior KTM p-twin iterations, with sturdier bits gaining a touch of rotating mass—it helps bottom-end delivery and makes the engine easier to handle. Beyond that, the radiator is significantly larger to cope with more displacement, and a new exhaust is utilized for the same reason.

A sporty six-speed gearbox sweetens the deal. KTM staffers cited revisions to the gearbox in keeping up with other tweaks, which extend to the optional up/down quickshifter (included in the Tech Pack; $364 if purchased individually). Short, tight throws make for expeditious shifts. Snicking through gears is made easier, thanks to the quickshifter that’s received some algorithmic massaging and offers greater precision than prior examples. With an MSRP of $12,500, it’d be nice to see this feature standard, and it’s tough to imagine not wanting to wail on the 990 without it.

Three ride modes and an IMU-supported electronic suite are standard. We have the usual preset ride modes on deck—Sport, Street, and Rain. Those modes influence your cornering ABS, traction control, wheelie control, and engine braking settings. Street mode is quite livable, taming the mid-sized Duke to a congenial level, while Sport gets the 990’s hackles up without becoming snatchy. Meanwhile, Rain works as intended when the heavens open, and the ride-by-wire throttle is well-sorted across the board.

The Tech Pack includes everything you need to dial in your electronic settings. Any discerning 2024 KTM 990 Duke buyer will want to fiddle with the nannies. That means ignoring the software demo mode (first 1500 miles) and installing the $935 Tech Pack at the point of sale, which provides access to the fully customizable Performance and Track riding modes. These modes allow the selection of throttle maps (three settings), on-the-fly TC (nine levels), cornering ABS (two modes; standard and front-only), and KTM’s engine braking management system (on or off). In addition, cruise control, launch control, and the up/down quickshifter all live under the Tech Pack umbrella. Frustrating as it is to unlock features commonly offered by the competition, at least everything is packaged together.

Rider aids with an intuitive user interface streamline the affair. Flipping through the five-inch TFT display is performed in a few ways, beginning with the new glove-friendly switchgear. The interface relies on graphics to indicate settings and intervention amounts simultaneously. For example, a slipping rear wheel illustration is shown when TC is lowered or disabled, while wheelie control displays an entertaining 990 Duke pictogram, demonstrating how much you can expect the front end to come up when cycling through Very High to Very Low settings. It’s fun, direct, and simple to navigate on the fly, and the entire aid package functions excellently. Are there any hiccups? It depends. MSR modulates engine braking during deceleration, such as when trailing the brakes to an apex at hotter paces. Switching to front-only Supermoto ABS nips MSR in the bud and nets pure engine-braking consistency.

Stiffness is the name of the all-new chassis’ game. The new frame raises lateral and torsional rigidity by 15 percent, with much of that figure credited to the frame’s lowers now capturing the swingarm between them, effectively pinching it between the spars—the opposite of the 890. Chassis design is a balancing act. The updated closed-lattice swingarm sheds 3.3 pounds compared to its predecessor and reduces stiffness by a massive 35 percent, with the cast-aluminum subframe following a similar path. More flex aims to foster better mechanical grip and feedback at each end, which the 990 provides in spades. Tightened geometry continues a tradition of mountain-road-ripping agility while considerably upping the stability ante. Taken together, there is a sense that this is a more mature, more serious Duke that almost demands riders hurl it into curves before lunging out corners on the attack.

WP Apex semi-adjustable suspension lends a helping hand. The suspenders are revised for the 2024 model year, which feature toolless five-position rebound and compression damping clickers on the fork, while the shock has spring-preload and rebound damping adjustments. Each damping step makes a notable difference—there are only five, after all. After fiddling with the clickers, the 990 Duke becomes an even more formattable weapon, dispatching tight, sinewy roads as effectively as it slayed high-speed sweepers and undulations. The reworked WP units follow that thread of seriousness, leaning toward the sporting side without rattling your fillings out, though you could crank the settings up to do that. The 2024 KTM 990 Duke is not harsh across broken pavement, which Spain has aplenty, and doesn’t feel out of place cruising through picturesque villages either.

J.Juan braking components return to the scene. Reprising their middleweight supporting role are the axial master cylinder and four-piston calipers last seen on the 790 Duke and base-model 890 Duke. KTM springs for steel-braided lines, which do improve feel. However, our observations from the 790 still stand—the initial engagement at the front is on the softer side for a machine of this caliber. Still, rest assured, braking power is no issue when you increase pressure on the lever. If an R model materializes, an up-spec Brembo master cylinder would render these comments moot. However, the front disc carriers are tangentially related to the handling and are said to be 2.2 pounds lighter, reducing all-important unsprung mass and aiding in its handling prowess.

Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22 tires are standard. KTM is not beholden to one tire manufacturer and is well known for choosing rubber that its internal testing team feels meets its performance needs. The Bridgestone S22s rose to the occasion on the 2024 KTM 990 Duke, with the sporty multi-compound tire well suited for aggressive street riding or a cheeky track day.

Minor updates to the riding position have big payoffs. Taking a quick look at the new Duke, it seems slightly more muscular than its ancestor. KTM engineers angled the front of the 32.5-inch-high seat upward an additional two degrees, and the 3.8-gallon fuel tank capacity increased slightly, as did the surrounding bodywork. Together, these updates help prevent riders from sliding forward in the saddle, while offering more real estate when leant over or braking. The multi-position handlebar width feels appropriately middleweighty, and plenty of legroom makes the 990 a daily rider or canyon carver. As for wind protection, this Duke is naked, and you’ll have to take it to the chest—as is tradition for the class.

The 2024 KTM 990 Duke is an absolute knockout. There’s no doubt that KTM’s latest not-so-middleweight is gearing up to throw haymakers at the competition. Even in a stacked class, the KTM has the potential to outshine competitors with a rock-steady chassis and ridiculously entertaining engine that never wear out their welcome. The potency doesn’t end there, as it could quickly start sizing up liter-class naked bikes, and it doesn’t take much of an imagination to see how those same traits would see a few competitors tucking tail. Within all that is a motorcycle that speaks to both the average sport rider and the kind of raving hooligans that align with KTM’s pure-performance ethos. It’s bigger, sure, perhaps a bit more cut-throat than the 890, I suppose, but there’s no denying how blisteringly—absolutely.

RIDING STYLE

Helmet: Shoei X-Fifteen
Jacket: Alpinestars GP Force Airflow
Gloves: Alpinestars GP Tech V2
Pants: Alpinestars Copper V3
Shoes: Alpinestars Superfaster

2023 KTM 990 Duke Specs

ENGINE

Type: Parallel twin
Displacement: 947cc
Bore x stroke: 92.5 x 70.4mm
Maximum power: 123 horsepower @ 9500 rpm
Maximum torque: 76 ft-lbs @ 6750 rpm
Valvetrain: DOHC; 4 vpc
Engine management: Bosch ride-by-wire
Lubrication: Pressure lubrication w/ 2 oil pumps
Cooling: Liquid and oil
Transmission: 6-speed
Clutch: PASC slipper clutch
Final drive: X-ring 520 chain

CHASSIS

Frame: Chromoly steel
Front suspension; travel: Damping adjustable WP Apex 43 fork; 5.5 inches
Rear suspension; travel: Spring-preload and rebound-damping adjustable WP Apex shock; 5.9 inches
Wheels: Cast aluminum
Front wheel: 17 x 3.50
Rear wheel: 17 x 5.50
Tires: Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S22
Front tire: 120/70 x 17
Rear tire: 180/55 x 17
Front brakes: 300mm discs w/ radially mounted 4-piston J.Juan calipers
Rear brake: 240mm disc w/ 2-piston J.Juan floating caliper
ABS: Bosch 9.3 MP; defeatable w/ Cornering ABS and Supermoto mode