And do you remember how I raved about the chassis composure when cranked over mid- turn during my street ride? Nothing changed on track, even though the speeds and forces were much higher. The 990 Duke R was planted and held its line beautifully. Did the Sport settings feel firmer than the Street settings? Absolutely. But still so composed that it compelled me to start rolling on throttle earlier and harder during corner exits. And the brakes? This new R is equipped with radially mounted, 4- piston Brembo Stylema monoblock front calipers that offered one- finger- stoppie levels of power lap after lap, with no fade or change in lever travel. Much like I’ d been discovering about other components of the R, the brakes were assertive but not overly aggressive, so I never worried about grabbing a poorly measured handful. Even when I overcooked a few turns because I forgot I wasn’ t a national pro.
Did I have any complaints or concerns while I ingested more orange Kool- Aid as the day went on? Well, I did inquire about some false neutrals during a chicane- elevation- change section, explaining that a few times while leaning into a righthander, the bike would lose power and free rev. It turned out that the Quickshifter + can be gently“ bumped” in- between gears if your boot placement is a bit off, which it was at times due to my squirming around to get my knee comfortable. They offered to make an adjustment to the shift lever for me, but I declined, deciding instead to pay closer attention to my foot. I never had the issue again.
I’ ll close with this suggestion: Buy a 2026 KTM 990 Duke R, take it to a local track day as much as you want, hit the rev limiter, engage the launch control, and scream your head off. You won’ t have more fun than this. And sure, if you want to cruise around on the street, commute on it, and hit some backroads, absolutely go for it. But don’ t say I didn’ t warn you when this thing starts getting angry because you let it sit for too long.
Quinn Redeker is a contributing editor. He wears Schuberth helmets, Richa apparel, Lee Parks Design gloves, and Indie Ridge boots. Find out more at Quinn’ s website, PoliceMotorTraining. com.
The 990 Duke R falls into corners as fast as you ask it to. It really is sublime.
RIDERMAGAZINE. COM / OCTOBER 2026 / 27