KTM 790 Duke

Which 790 Duke in France?

KTM France sells the 790 Duke as a 2027 model, in a single 95 hp version that can be restricted to 35 kW for the A2 licence. Its recommended retail price is €8,599, excluding registration costs, in orange or black. The 2026 model year, from the previous generation, is still offered as run-out stock at €7,399 instead of €8,599. Prices have fallen since the model returned: €8,999 in 2023, €9,199 in 2024 and 2025.

Some of the electronics are paid extras. The Track Pack adds Track mode, launch control, adjustable traction and wheelie control and a telemetry screen; the Tech Pack adds Quickshifter+, cruise control and MSR engine-brake control. KTM France does not publish their price; Moto.it quotes €799 for the Tech Pack in Italy, Motorcycle.com $900 in the United States. Demo mode, which let owners try these features for the first few kilometres, is gone. Elsewhere, the 790 Duke costs €8,699 in Germany and £7,999 in the UK. In the United States it sells for $8,999 (plus $800 freight) in the 105 hp version, the one sold in all markets outside Europe.

Replaced by the 890 Duke?

No. The 2018 790 Duke did give way to the 890 Duke in early 2021, but it returned as early as 2022 (in the French range in 2023), assembled in China with CFMoto (“designed and developed in Austria, assembled in China”, says KTM). It is the 890 Duke that disappeared, replaced in 2024 by the 990 Duke. The 790 remains the entry-level twin-cylinder naked bike in the range.

What does the 2027 model year change?

KTM calls it the biggest update since 2018. The styling is aligned with the 990 Duke and 1390 Super Duke R, with a new LED headlight. The rear subframe becomes a one-piece cast aluminium part that integrates the airbox. The flatter steel tank shrinks from 14 to 13.5 litres. The handlebar is redesigned, and the footpegs move 2 mm back and 7 mm up. KTM claims 2 kg less.

How good is the engine?

The 799 cc LC8c parallel twin, with a 75° crankpin offset, is unchanged apart from a new Euro 5+ exhaust. KTM’s press kit quotes 95 hp at 8,000 rpm and 87 Nm at 8,000 rpm; KTM France’s web page gives 9,500 rpm, the figure for the 105 hp version. MCN describes it as lively, with precise fuelling and a broad spread; Cycle News notes vibrations at high revs. Motorcycle.com lists a slipper clutch, which the 2027 manual no longer specifies.

How does it ride?

The 43 mm WP APEX fork becomes adjustable for compression and rebound over five clicks, with 150 mm of travel; the shock, adjustable for preload and rebound, gains 20 mm of wheel travel (170 mm). MCN points out that the geometry is unchanged. The J.Juan brakes give way to an in-house WP system (four-piston radial calipers, 300 mm discs), praised by the press, and the Maxxis tyres to Pirelli Diablo Rosso IVs. A WP steering damper is standard, as is cornering ABS with a Supermoto mode.

How much does it weigh?

The figures differ. KTM France’s spec sheet quotes 167 kg without fuel, but the 2027 owner’s manual gives 175 kg without fuel, the figure used here. The foreign press (Motorrad, Motorcycle.com, MCN) quotes 185 kg wet, 2 kg less than the 187 kg with a full tank of the 2026 790 Duke.

Who is it for?

The 790 Duke targets riders looking for a lively, light naked bike open to A2 licence holders, with a good-quality chassis and brakes. Its more committed position, praised by Motorrad, bothered Motorcycle.com’s knees, and Le Repaire des Motards sees it as better suited to experienced riders.

Fuel consumption and maintenance

KTM quotes 4.6 L/100 km, giving a range of about 290 km. The manual calls for an oil change every 15,000 km or 12 months, and valve and spark plug service every 30,000 km. KTM’s Premium Manufacturer’s Warranty runs up to 4 years if the bike is serviced within the KTM network. No recall has affected the 790 Duke since 2022 (NHTSA, RappelConso, Safety Gate); camshaft wear on some 2018-2020 790s was handled through a goodwill scheme, not a recall.