Cycle News

VOL. 55 ISSUE 45 NOVEMBER 13, 2018 P69 but it's around the 5000 rpm mark where it really starts pulling hard. Cycling through the gears with the KTM's quickshifter is one of the best systems I've ever used, with minimal pressure required to grab the next gear—up or down. It works best with the throttle pegged on upshifts, and for downshifts it prefers you to be in the upper third of the rev range, but you could easily go all day without ever touching the clutch lever except for starting or stopping. I found that I preferred to blip the throttle and clutch my own downshifts most of the time, but only because that's how my brain is wired. The light pull of the Power Assist Slipper Clutch paired with the back-torque-limiting Motor Slip Regulation really make you feel in tune with the motor. Going fast is nothing if you can't slow down, and helping in that department is a pair of Chris Fillmore's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Winning 790 Duke W hat does it take to set a new PPIHC middleweight- class world record on the KTM 790 Duke? Aside from being one of the world's most talented racers, not that much apparently. Having raced America's mountain on the 1290 Super Duke R before, Chris pitched the idea of doing it again on the 790. Big horsepower isn't the key to going fast. While it does help, Chris wanted a more neutral bike that's easy to ride with sharp handling so that he could change direction quicker and carry more corner speed—the 790 Duke fit that bill. To get the 790 where Chris wanted it, he didn't have to change very much, and the parts he used aren't classi- fied as unobtanium like most other high-end race bikes around the world. Aside from his custom Troy Lee De- signs paintjob, every single part and alteration is available to consumers in the KTM PowerParts catalog. Here's what's different from a factory-fresh, showroom- floor stock 790 Duke: Weight reduction was first and foremost, so the headlight and passenger seat were the first to go. Then an Akropovic Evo exhaust system was fitted for better throttle response, sound, and feel. Different triple clamps were paired to a fully adjustable WP fork with a straight-rate spring. The rear shock was also replaced with a three-way adjustable unit. Racing rear sets replaced the stock ones, as did Dymag wheels. Chris' 790 got more aggressive J.Juan calipers and rotors to match. And finally, sprockets, of course were chosen to optimize gearing ratios. Other than that, nothing else was touched, and there was no internal motor modification. When the 2019 790 Duke be- comes available to the public, you too could own the same bike Chris rode to a new world record at Pikes Peak. radially-mounted, four-piston J.Juan calipers biting down on twin 300mm floating rotors up front, and a two-pot caliper paired with a 240mm disc out back. The 790 Duke's engine braking does such a good job of keeping your speed in check most of the time, though, you rarely have to engage the brakes much. When you do, they provide great initial bite with progressively linear power and feel. My only complaint regarding the brakes, however, is at the lever. While both the clutch and brake levers are easily adjustable, I wish the radially actuated brake lever could be adjusted out even further. I only ever use one or two fingers, and the lever would hit my ring finger before providing maximum stopping power. Front suspension is surprisingly non- adjustable.

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