KTM, no stranger to hyperbolic marketing, has their latest naked bike hitting the scene today in EICMA with a bold title. The new KTM 990 Duke R, aka The Punisher, extends KTM’s supernaked series into the parallel twin lineup for 2025.
Basically, this is a beefed-up Duke, with more zip, better stoppers and an improved suspension over the standard 990 model (which was itself an upgrade from the 890 last year). The paint, too, is specialized (orange frame, B/W bodywork) to show that this is no ordinary, slummy base model.
Let’s start the list of upgrades with the engine. This is the same LC8c twin that we’ve come to know and love, in 947 cc displacement, but tuned-up with a higher rpm limit to make a potential 130 horsepower at 9,500 rpm (up 7 ponies from the base model). Peak torque is still 76 pound-feet at 6,750 rpm.
To harness that muscle, you get a 48 mm WP Apex open-cartridge fork, fully adjustable (with high-speed and low-speed damping tuning) and with 5.6 inches of travel. Thanks to a larger diameter than the base 990, KTM says it’s 34 percent stiffer and has a more sporty feel. The rear shock (also a WP Apex component) has a new linkage connecting it to the frame, which required an updated mount. The end result is slightly less travel in rear, down to 5.5 inches instead of the standard model’s 5.9 inches. No big deal, nobody’s buying this bike for off-roading!
A face only a mother could love, but that doesn’t matter on a trackday. Photo: KTM
KTM updated the brakes to four-piston radial-mount Brembo Stylema calipers up front with a Brembo MCS pump. The front brakes now have 320 mm discs instead of 300 mm discs (which is the stock bike’s configuration). We’ve seen no mention of ugprades to the cast wheels, but they’re shod with Michelin Power Cup 2 tires, DOT-legal rubber that is really built for the track.
Bosch 9.3 MP two-channel ABS comes standard, with a supermoto mode that keeps the front free-wheeling while allowing you to lock up the rear. The electro-safety features are lean angle-sensitive thanks to a built-in IMU, and the traction control has three levels of sensitivity. Pay for Track mode, and you can fine-tune it even further. The 990 Duke R has KTM’s new H88 TFT dashboard and updated switchgear, which is how you manage all the electronics as well as the on-screen nav system and your smartphone connectivity.
Trick new TFT dash. Photo: KTM
KTM claims a curb weight of 418.8 pounds; depending which market you’re in, that may be a slight drop from the standard 990, or pretty much the same.
We’ll see the 990 Duke R at some point in North America, we’re sure, because Chris Fillmore has already demo’d the bike in Super Hooligan racing. More details when we get ’em!
