2023 KTM 990 Duke

Images – S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

990 is a bit of a magic number for KTM as it was the 990 cc LC8 V-Twin that really launced their foray into mainstream road motorcycles 15 years ago.

I owned a KTM 990 SMT, and a 990 Adventure R, had no problems with either and to this day wish I never sold them in a fit of economic rationalism.

The 990 has long been missing from the KTM line-up as the LC8 grew to 1090, 1190 and 1290.

While the void for a smaller capacity twin was filled by the new 790 and 890 LC8c parallel twins.

For 2023 it looks as though a 990 will be back in the line-up but this time around it will be in parallel twin format rather than the 75-degree vee of the original.

Some shots have already been seen of a new 990 Duke undergoing testing in Europe but today we can bring you some less disguised views of the new machine which reveal some new body work, lights, exhaust and chassis.

We hope that this will also spawn another SMT model that combines the hooligan and practical natures of the original 990 SMT.

Source: MCNews.com.au