Here’s the SCOOP first look at the 2016 KTM Duke 690 which gets loads of tech and a new engine! It’s one of the bikes that has undergone major revisions in the Austrian’s range for next year.
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At first look, it might not seem that the bike is much different from the previous model, aesthetically there’s little that looks changed other than a new seat, tweaked riding position and painted frame – but the main changes that should make this bike even more fun on the road are mostly internal.
The motor has come in for some major work, the bore and stroke have been decreased although the engine stays at 690cc, the head has been completely redesigned and is now more compact, there is a balancer shaft on the motor to reduce vibration and the lump also gets bigger diameter valves.
That all adds up to a supposed 7% more power than the current bike’s 67bhp and the redline goes up by 1000rpm. According to KTM the engine is much smoother at low revs.
The forks have come in for internal tweaking (for smoother range of motion, but we’ve not been told how, we’re assuming it’s down to oil flow) and the offset has been changed. The bike is the first KTM 690 to be Euro IV compliant.
Another first for the new 690 Duke is a digital (TFT) dash with an automatic light sensor fitted for that it automatically changes the brightness of the screen depending on the ambient light around it.
The bike gets three riding modes (Sport, Street and Rain), Traction Control and ABS (which is a Bosch 9M dual channel system which can be switched off) – there will be a MSR (Motor Slip Regulation) system as an extra option on the bike to give the rider adjustable engine braking.
Expect to see this bike officially shown for the first time at EICMA in November this year.
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