2026 KTM 990 DUKE R

Base Price: $ 13,399 Price as Tested: $ 14,298 Website: KTM. com Warranty: 4 years Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse parallel- Twin, DOHC w / 4 valves per cyl. Displacement: 947cc Bore x Stroke: 92.5 x 70.4mm Horsepower: 126 hp @ 9,500 rpm( factory claim) Torque: 76 lb-ft @ 6,750 rpm( factory claim) Transmission: 6-speed, cable-actuated slip / assist wet clutch Final Drive: Chain Wheelbase: 58.3 in. Rake / Trail: 24.1 degrees / 3.9 in. Seat Height: 33.1 in. Wet Weight: 419 lb( factory claim) Fuel Capacity: 3.9 gal.

The rest of the day was mostly spent in the canyons, so I had plenty of time to give the throttle a workout. Interestingly, the 126 horses generated by the 990 Duke R were exciting and fun but never intimidating, no matter the situation I was in. I never felt like the motorcycle was going to react in a strange or unpredictable way when I twisted the throttle. On the contrary, it exhibited a nice balance of raw torquey power and high rpm pull without punishing me for mistimed inputs.

The next morning, we packed up and headed to Chuckwalla Raceway, which sits in the middle of the desert an hour east of Palm Springs. To be perfectly honest, I was mildly nervous about the day. Why? Well, for starters, I’ d never spun any laps at Chuckwalla and I was going to be on track with national pro- level journalists and staff, with all the bikes getting race slicks and tire warmers for added intensity. But maybe the biggest cause for concern was the fact that I was only five weeks post- op from total knee

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RIDERMAGAZINE. COM / OCTOBER 2026 / 25