Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/524688
2015 KTM 690 DUKE QUICKSPIN P112 But that was the old shape. The shape with the pointy tail and horse-looking face. It screamed at you. Made you want to ride it. Hard. Then KTM changed the looks in 2012, and for me, changed the personality of the bike for the worse. The new, Indian-made 690 doesn't have the same appeal the old one did. But that's not to say it's a dud, because it sure ain't. It's just, well, grown up a bit. Guess we all have to at some point. The 2015 KTM 690 Duke is an evolution of that 2012 machine. It's still got the fuel- injected 690cc single-cylinder engine, but since my last ride a few years back, it now comes with the Bosch 9M+ ABS system and new colors and graphics. And that's it. Which is a good thing, really, because even though I don't like this one as much as its dad, the current Duke is sticking to its creed of simple, enjoyable motorcycling. Man, even typing that sounds grown up. The single cylinder engine houses one of the biggest pistons you're likely to find in a production engine and you can feel it – if you let the revs drop too much the Duke engine becomes slappy and feels like an old XR Honda as that big 'ol slug pumps up and down the bore – but get the revs up there and drive is smooth enough and the 68 horses help con- serve front tire wear consider- ably as you throw wheelies like candy at Christmas. Maybe the Duke hasn't grown up that much, after all? Sadly the gearbox on our testbike wasn't showing its true potential. Shifts were notchy and the throw is too long, re- sulting in more than one missed gear. The slipper clutch, though, is a handy addition be- cause if you get too gnarly on braking and downshifting (very easy to do on this thing), you'll be locking the rear quicker than you can say, "blast, I'm locking the rear." The chassis is an ample player to shenanigans and you've got the ABS safety net but it is a comfy all-dayer thanks to that wide seat and upright ride position. WP suspension – of course – make the ride pleasant enough, with 135mm of travel front and rear, however if you get into the fun side hard you'll soon start to reach the outer limits of the fork potential. For general cruising around they are more than capable of the task, but that's no fun on a bike like this… I enjoy the KTM 690 Duke, but I'd like it better if they sharpened the looks to be like the old bike. Hardware-wise the 2015 bike is excellent, has all the right bits and the ABS safety factor is a boon, but it just made me miss my 2010 bike all the more. CN S P E C I F I C A T I O N S 2015 KTM 690 DUKE ENGINE: ............. Liquid-cooled, single- cylinder, four-stroke DISPLACEMENT: .........................690cc BORE X STROKE: ........ 102 x 84.5mm COMPRESSION RATIO: ...................N/A IGNITION: ........................................ Key TRANSMISSION: ...................Six-speed FRAME TYPE: ..................... Steel trellis FRONT SUSPENSION: WP inverted fork, 135mm travel REAR SUSPENSION: ........................WP monoshock, 135mm travel FRONT BRAKE: ....Single 320mm disc, four-piston Brembo caliper, ABS REAR BRAKE: ......Single 240mm disc, single-piston Brembo caliper, ABS FRONT TIRE: ...... Michelin Pilot Power 120/70 R17 58W REAR TIRE: ...... Michelin® Pilot Power 160/60 R17 69W WHEELBASE: ................................57.7in HEAD ANGLE: ............................... 63.5° TRAIL: ..............................................N/A SEAT HEIGHT: ...........................32.8 in. WEIGHT: ...................................329 lbs. FUEL CAPACITY: ......................... 3.7gal COLOR: .......................... Black/orange MSRP: .........................................$8999 >>T I C K S •Fun engine •Nimble yet comfy chassis •Good brakes >>C R O S S E S •Not as good as its dad •Don't dig the looks •Front suspension feels pretty basic