HELMET: SCHUBERTH S3 SUIT: MITHOS CUSTOM KANGAROO AIRBAG VEST: ALPINESTARS TECH-AIR 7X GLOVES: LEE PARKS DESIGN SUMO R BASELAYER: VNM ACTIVCOOL-GP COMPRESSION PANT SHORTS: BOHN ADVENTURE ALL SEASON ARMORED BOOTS: RICHA SPEEDMASTER GLASSES: FLYING EYES COOPER AVIATOR NARROW
The complete package: The 990 Duke R was purpose-built for performance and only gets better with time. The aesthetic is an acquired taste. replacement surgery. Yes, my doctor eventually signed off after I promised to leave his office, and I had a bit of seat time on my BMW R 1300 RT- P a few days prior to this launch, but riding a new motorcycle with legitimate racers on an unfamiliar racetrack is a whole different level of stress.
Luckily, a few minutes before I pulled into Chuckwalla, I remembered my tried- and- true police motor competition routine to help calm my nerves: a Starbucks iced latte and a chocolate croissant. Caffeinated and carbo- loaded, I was ready.
After I got suited up, I headed over to the riders meeting, where KTM’ s tech staff said they bumped up our suspension base settings from Street to Sport. In doing this, it reconfigured all aspects of the various clicker adjustments that impact damping, essentially stiffening things up for the additional forces the track( and slicks) were going to dish out. Staffers also brought to our attention that the taillights and mirrors were removed, a quick two- minute process to get the bikes ready for the track.
I discovered another cool trackrelated part on the 990 Duke: a Brembo MCS radial master cylinder. This“ Multiple Click System” enables the rider to adjust the mechanical ratio of the lever by changing the lever pivot distance. I set it at the mid- level( 20mm) mark and noticed right away it generated a somewhat quicker and shorter response when I pulled the lever.
With the green flag flying, I headed out to acclimate to the track. Lucky for me the group of seasoned journos was generous enough to ease the pace and
“ tow” me around the track, showing me the correct lines along the way. Still, we carried enough speed in the first session to feel the knee puck test the power ceiling of the ibuprofen as it roared through the bones and muscles attached to my new titanium joint.
By the second session, the KTM 990 Duke R began to express itself, because at that point I knew the track, wasn’ t concerned about my new knee, and trusted the tires completely. The first thing that stuck out was that damn motor. Chuckwalla has two straight sections, but most areas are doubleapex turns and short blasts between corners. And with this 990 Duke R, I was able to hold gears out of a corner and let the motor scream from the rooftops all the way to the next one, without the motor falling on its face. Insanely fun.
26 / OCTOBER 2026 / RIDERMAGAZINE. COM