2024 KTM Duke review - channeling our inner Jack Miller

KTM is well known as setting the benchmark for fun in the world motorcycling… and just why that is was perfectly reflected how it celebrated 30 years of its Duke range.

Yep, it’s been a whole three decades since the Duke 620 hit the market and set the course for a series of groundbreaking naked bikes that are adored around the globe.

READ MORE: 2023 KTM 890 SMT review

390 Duke

Let’s start with the 390, the baby of the new trio.

The 390 Duke is effectively a brand new bike, with 90 per cent new parts when compared to its predecessor. That starts with a new frame design with increased stiffness. The engine is a ground up job as well, the new unit lighter and more compact, while service intervals have increased to 10,000km for oil. New electronics help manage engine temperature, boosting the warm-up process in cool climates (perhaps not a huge issue in Australia) while swiftly limiting high engine temps in warm climates (very handy in Australia).

There’s new suspension front and back while a move to a new rim design and Michelin Power 6 rubber has dropped 4.3kg from the rolling stock alone. And the seat height has been dropped by 10mm down to 820mm to improve rider comfort.

In summary, the goal was to turn the 390 – the global bestseller for the Duke range – into a bike very clearly inspired by the Super Duke.

The 390 was an incredible amount of fun on the mountain roads around Almeria. For an average rider like me, both in terms of ability and size, it’s more than enough bike. It packs a decent punch, particularly once it hits 5000rpm, and is so light and easy to ride. It’s not a big bike and doesn’t feel like one, but it doesn’t feel small either. Part of that comes from the alignment with the rest of the Duke range, from the styling to the electronic display, which is a clone of what comes on its bigger siblings.

Having ridden the bike, the remarkable thing is that this is entry-level motorcycling. This is a LAMS-approved bike that you can ride from the moment you get your Ls. It’s priced at $8695 ride-away. It’s an incredible amount of bike for the money and a heck of a way to kick start life as a biker. And definitely not something you’d necessarily be looking to sell the second you came off your Ps.

990 Duke

Next up was the 990, another almost entirely new bike and effectively a new-generation 890 Duke.

Again it’s a new frame and swingarm design, with a 15 per cent increase in stiffness. The frame now connects to the outside of the swingarm in a bid to improve front feeling and rear stability, based on feedback that the 890 can be a little sharp. The new LC8C engine has been developed with a focus on torque, with 103Nm supporting the very capable 123-horsepower.

There’s new adjustable WP suspension, Bridgestone S22 rubber and a new front wheel that is identical to the front wheel on the Super Duke. The brakes are one of the few components carried over from the 890, while the optional Track Pack will give you access to the electronic niceties such as launch control, slip control and wheelie control.

This was another bike that we hit the mountains with, and what a ride it was. Stunning scenery, amazing roads and even the somewhat unique (at least for a West Aussie) experience of riding through snow. I did for a while wish my bike had the optional heated hand grips as my focus shifted from the potential of black ice on the road to the deep ache from my frozen fingers.

But other than that chilly intervention from mother nature, there was nothing not to like about the ride or the bike. If I didn’t spend all of my spare money on my silly little racing cars, this is the bike I’d buy for myself. It’s the perfect fit for someone like me. Physically, in terms of ergonomics and stability on the freeway, and in terms of my experience. The bike is much better than me, clearly, but it didn’t make fun of it. In fact, it made me feel better than I am.

That’s helped significantly with those Track Pack bits and pieces, with the customisation of the electronics allowing you to set some strict boundaries, so you can play without worrying you’ll overstep your mark. Another huge plus is the torquey nature of the motor. Unlike the 390, gear selection is a lot less critical. Given I was running low on thinking capacity while rolling around the mountain roads, it was nice to know that the motor would pull me out of basically any corner, in any gear, with absolute ease.

But as suitable as it is for casual cruising with someone like me on the seat, it’s far from limited to that. The more experienced – and significantly faster riders – in the group were raving about the bike after giving it a flogging through the mountains. I mean, if, “it’s a great wheelie bike” isn’t good feedback, I don’t know what it. The same can be said about more than one of the fast riders lamenting that the opportunity to take the 990 on the race track didn’t present itself. And that was after they’d ridden the 1390 Super Duke R around the Almeria circuit.

Speaking of which…

1390 Super Duke R

Of course, a celebration of three decades of Duke wouldn’t be complete without sampling the latest iteration of ‘The Beast’. Developed at the hands of former MotoGP star Jeremy McWilliams, the new Super Duke is the least ‘new’ of the three newcomers, with 60 per cent carry over from the 1290.

Much of the focus is on the revised LC8 engine now with KTM’s camshift technology as it looks, once again, to create mega torque. And 145Nm along with the 190hp is pretty mega (the horespower figure climbs close to 200 with the Akrapovic Evolution Line exhaust option, too).

The highly adjustable WP suspension package has been updated, while the pricier EVO version of the bike comes with KTM’s Semi-Active Technology (SAT). As with the 990, the optional Track Pack adds all the rider aids that are a must-have for more spirited road or track riding.

The reality is that getting the best out of this bike is well outside my pay grade. But riding it isn’t. The lap record holders weren’t exactly sweating as I rolled around the Almeria track, but neither was I. The bike sounds angry, looks angry and feels angry when you climb onto it. But once you get going, it’s remarkably easy to ride at whatever speed and aggression you fancy. Given the motor is all about torque, there are no nasty surprises in the delivery of the power. It’s a very fast bike and you know it from the second you crack the throttle. From there, you can easily regulate how and how much of the power you want to use. There is no reason to be scared of it. Same goes for the chassis, with someone at my skill level able to competently manoeuvre the Super Duke.

To summarise, if you love the idea of the Super Duke and want the street cred that comes with it, but think you’re not good enough to handle it… stop thinking that. If you’re a competent rider, you will ride it with ease and you will enjoy every second of it.

Of course, some riders are better than competent. And as docile as the bike is when you want and need it to be, it’s not called The Beast for nothing.

The thing is very clearly a track day weapon. Even if I’m no two-wheel track star myself, it’s capabilities were obvious when watching it in the hands of the fast riders on the launch. It looks every bit like a race bike once the mirrors come off. In fact, McWilliams let slip that during early development work he sometimes found himself rounding up the KTM Moto2 riders on test days.

If you’re in the market for a big Duke, and you’ve got a healthy enough budget, there’s a good chance you’ll end up at debating whether the 990 is enough, or if you go for the Super Duke R. Given there’s a decent difference in ride away price ($31,795 for the 1390, $20,090 for the 990), it’s a very fair question. And in terms of value for money, it’s very hard to go past the 990. As is the case with the 390, the 990 is an amazing amount of bike for the money and it’s unlikely you’ll ever ride it and be left wanting much more.

Then again, some people just want a Super Duke R. It is the flagship for a reason. And if you can afford it, why the heck not.

The best thing is that you can’t actually go wrong with anything in the Duke range.