Reincarnation

The first Super Duke arrived in 2005. Some 12 years after its demise, that magic "990" capacity returns to the fray. This time not as a Super Duke-only the gargantuan 1390 gets the "Super" tag these days-but simply as the 990 Duke. Here is how our first ride went off

- Adam Child 'Chad'

MANY OF US RECALL KTM'S original 990 as a thing of brilliance. The first Super Duke did not so much break the sports-naked mould when it arrived in 2005 as pop-a-wheelRidiculously in-the-air-and-shatter-it-into-a-thousand-pieces light and agile and powered by a torquey V-twin, it was stupendously good fun on both road and track.

Some 12 years after its demise, that magic "990" capacity returns to the fray. Priced at £12,999 (Rs 13.65 lakh), it replaces the 890 in KTM's naked line-up and is powered by a biggercube and thoroughly updated version of KTM's ubiquitous LC8c parallel twin. It features a new frame, suspension, and electronics which, bolted together, produce a riding experience every bit as compelling as that offered by the original 990.

Starting with that power unit, the 990 uses a Euro5+ development of the liquid-cooled motor that so excelled in the outgoing 890, with virtually every component uprated or new. Externally, the new LC8c is even more compact than before although capacity creeps up from 899 cubic centimetres to 957 cc-so, no, it is not a 990 in the true sense--with the bore increasing from 90.7 millimetres to 92.5 mm and stroke from 68.8 mm to 70.4 mm. The compression ratio remains at the 890's 13.5:1 while peak power rises from 115.5 hp to 123 hp at 9,500 rpm and maximum torque of 103 Nm at 6,750 rpm.

There are three standard riding modes: Street, Sport, and Rain. Two more, Track and Performance, along with a range of other optional electronic rider aids, including Quickshifter+, are available in a "Demo" mode for the initial 1,500 kilometres of the bike's life but are subsequently locked out unless you choose to pay to have them activated. Supermoto ABS, however, is standard.