Ktm Duke 790 Review

Used Buyer Review

The 790 Duke is genuinely one of the best middleweight nakeds ever built, and buying one used is arguably smarter than new. KTM sorted most of the early software gremlins through updates, so find a bike that's had those done and you're inheriting a properly sorted machine. The LC8c parallel-twin pulls hard from 3,000rpm and absolutely screams past 8,000 — it feels more alive than the numbers suggest. Ergonomics are aggressive but not punishing for experienced riders. Be honest with yourself about KTM's reliability reputation though. These bikes need their service intervals respected. Check the throttle bodies are balanced, verify the WP suspension hasn't been neglected, and look for signs of track use — plenty of these got hooned hard. The TFT dash and cornering ABS are genuinely brilliant tech for the money. Budget for consumables; Supercorsa front tires don't last forever.