- KTM 790 Duke spotted inside factory
- Will be launched very soon
- Likely to be priced around Rs 8.5 lakhs
A few days ago, we reported that the 790 Duke has reached Bajaj’s Chakan plant. This time around, the bike was spotted for the first time in India. Considering the amount of buzz that the bike has generated, this is big news for all motoring enthusiasts.
From the pictures, it’s clear that the Pune-based manufacturer is readying this big bike for the launch. While some reports suggest that the 790 Duke was spotted at a dealership, we believe that the pictures have been clicked inside Bajaj’s factory in Chakan. Moreover, unofficial bookings of this KTM have already begun in some showrooms for a token amount of Rs 10,000.
This middle-weight KTM will arrive in India as a completely-knocked-down (CKD) unit and will be assembled at Bajaj’s Chakan Plant. Owing to this CKD operation, the 790 Duke is likely to be priced around Rs 8.5 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi). According to our sources, the Austrian maker is planning to undercut the Triumph Street Triple RS by Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 lakhs.
The 790 Duke is powered by KTM’s newly-developed LC8 799cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled motor that churns out 105bhp of max power and 86Nm of peak torque. The motor comes mated to a six-speed gearbox assisted by a slipper clutch. On the features front, the 790 Duke comes with TFT instrument console, bi-directional quickshifter, lean-sensitive traction control, cornering ABS, launch and wheelie control and different riding modes including the ‘Supermoto’ mode that is offered in the 390 Duke.
Apart from the Triumph Street Triple, this KTM competes against the Kawasaki Z900, Ducati Monster 821, MV Agusta Brutale 800 and the Yamaha MT-09.
image source: maxabout
