2016 KTM 690 DUKE
FIRST RIDE
P74
IT'S GOOD TO BE SINGLE! THAT'S
ESPECIALLY TRUE IF YOU'RE KTM AND
YOU'VE JUST GIVEN YOUR PRECIOUS
SINGLE-CYLINDER 690 DUKE A BRAND
NEW LEASE ON LIFE.
BACHELORHOOD
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KTM
I
t's good times for KTM right now in Mattig-
hofen. Europe's largest motorcycle manu-
facturer is coming out with new models thick
and fast, ranging from 1305cc world-crushing
adventure bikes to tiny 125cc commuters. They
are so big it's hard to believe they only stared
making roadbikes in 1994, with the very first
620 Duke. Progress has indeed been swift for
the orange-clad Austrians.
This new 690 is the fifth installment in the
Duke story and the second since teaming up
with Indian powerhouse Bajaj Auto. That part-
nership has been decisive in KTM's continued
expansion, and this year they're on track to
break through the 1 billion euro turnover barrier
for the first time in the company's history.
Yet as the world goes mental over super-
charging and potentially turbos, over multi-
cylinders and max revs, KTM is staying true to
its roots. They are first and foremost a single-
cylinder company, responsible for some of the
finest dirt bikes the world has ever seen, and
for 2016 they've just released the most power-
