K
TM's been copping it from all
angles of late with the camshaft
saga, so it's nice to see some
good news finally coming out of Mat
-
tighofen with the announcement of the
new 990 Duke R for 2025.
Based on the stupendous 990 Duke
we tested in Spain earlier in the year, the
Duke R is more than just an update to
brakes and suspension, as can be the
case for many manufacturers who re
-
lease up-spec versions of their models.
The 947cc parallel-twin four-stroke
gains seven more horsepower while
maintaining the same 76 lb-ft of torque,
and a higher rpm limit of 10,500 rpm via
a remapped ECU. Claimed wet weight
also remains the same at 394 pounds.
Chassis details are interesting in this
is the first LC8c-engined naked bike to
come with a linkage construction for
the rear suspension and swingarm for
increased mechanical feel while on the
side of the tire. That swingarm now sits
at a steeper angle than on the base 990
Duke and gives the Duke R a 15mm
taller seat height at 840mm/33 inches.
The suspension gets beefed up with
34 percent stiffer, larger 48mm (up from
43mm) fully adjustable WP Apex Open
Cartridge forks with the wheel travel in-
creased 3mm to 143 mm/5.6 inches. The
rear gets a new WP Apex shock although
its travel has been reduced 10mm to
140mm to compensate for added parts
to allow for the swingarm linkage.
The forks come with an almost exces
-
sive 30 clicks of adjustability for both
compression and rebound and are held in
P60
FIRST LOOK I 2025 KTM 990 DUKE R
2025
