2020 K TM 890 DUKE R
R I D E R E V I E W
P40
proved to be the best compromise
between road holding, corner tip-in feel,
weight, stability and overall grip for the
890 platform, beating out Bridgestone,
Pirelli and Continental for the 890 gig.
As for the brakes, these are the same
you'll find on the 1290 Super Duke
R. The Brembo Stylema four-piston
calipers up front grip 320 mm discs
(up from 300 mm) all modulated via a
Brembo MCS (Multi-Click System) mas-
ter cylinder, which allows for lever and
span adjustment. Another 2.6 pounds
has been saved on the braking system
alone, all of which is unsprung weight.
At the rear, the same Brembo single
piston caliper and 240mm disc setup
is retained from the 790, with Bosch's
Cornering ABS system fitted as stan-
dard that cannot be switched off, as per
new Euro 5 rules.
All In The Electronics
As you'd expect, pretty much everything
you'll find on the 1290 Super Duke R
can be found on the 890 R—a six-axis
IMU mitigates the Cornering ABS func-
tion, and there's four different riding/
throttle modes: Rain, Street, Sport and
the optional Track setting (which KTM did
not yet have a price for as Cycle News
published this article) that unlocks the
nine-stage traction control and anti-
wheelie system.
