All-New KTM Duke 800 Spied With A Parallel Twin Unit

KTM’s under-development street bike, the Duke 800, has been spied testing with an 800cc parallel twin motor ahead of its reveal, which is expected to happen sometime towards the end of this year. The 800cc motor powering this bike had been hinted at by KTM’s CEO, Stefan Pierer, back in 2014, along with the possibility of a 500cc parallel twin unit. Apart from the 800cc Duke, KTM was also found testing the next-gen Duke 125, discussed later in this piece.

First things first, the spied Duke 800 test mule was an all-black bike, certainly to hide the design details. However, it still brought some essential bits of the design to light, such as long aggressive tank shrouds, a sleek tail (which is characteristic of a KTM), and radically crafted fuel tank. Other highlights include the headlamp unit from the current Duke 200 line-up, probably a makeshift unit for the test, a large radiator unit, split seats, upside-down front forks, and a rear mono shock suspension. One could also notice a dual disc brake unit up front and a long slingshot exhaust.

If launched in India, the Duke 800 will compete against the Kawasaki Z800, Triumph Street Triple, Ducati Monster 821. And since KTM has a habit of astonishing enthusiasts with its splendid performance and competitive pricing, we sure are tempted. The price could even lie in a bracket of 6 to 7 lakh, undercutting its rivals by a huge margin. Moreover, there are reports that the same 800cc parallel-twin motor could be used to power an adventure tourer that KTM intends to bring in the near future.

Speaking of the Duke 125 test bike, it carries a more angular and sharper design approach compared to the current bike. The headlamp unit has a noticeably stretched chin, the fuel tank is sleeker, and so is the sharp tail. Other than these, the bike is expected to use the same set of equipment in terms of chassis, front and rear suspensions, and the engine.

Now, the question is, will the bike make it to India? Quite unlikely. The reason being, at the launch of the RC range in India, Anand Bajaj had expressed his concern over Indian consumers not accepting a high-priced 125cc bike, despite the performance it offered. Nonetheless, the spied motorcycle still gives a good idea of how the next-gen Duke 200 and 390 could look like, since the current generation of these bikes have identical styling to the Duke 125.

Source: visordown.com