I’ll take two, please’.
THOMPSON’S TAKE ON IT
I’d heard a hell of a lot of good things about the new 890 Duke R, so I was as keen as mustard to take the bike out for a spin and see for myself if it really was as good as everyone had said it was. KTM seem to have a knack for building bikes that are nothing if not fun to ride, and I had a feeling the 890 was going to be no exception.
The only way to accurately describe the KTM is a honey badger on wheels… The second you touch the throttle it wants to rip your face off and laugh at you in the process. The engine is incredibly eager and packs a huge punch, which is perfect for the road and will put a massive smile on your face without the need for the huge top-end speeds of a litre bike. The KTM must weigh the same as the average malnourished house fly, and certainly corners like one too. The only downside to this bike is the likelihood of losing your licence every time you accelerate (or decelerate – I’m looking at you, Boothy), because it’s incredibly difficult to maturely use both wheels at the same time… saves on tyre wear I suppose! Personally the first thing I would do is change the handlebars because despite the whole bike having a supermoto feel, the bars are surprisingly narrow and have a strange angle towards you, resulting in feeling like you’re perched on the bike and steering a Zimmer frame, instead of the precision weapon that the KTM is. If you want a sexy-looking Tonka Toy for a Sunday rip, there is no better choice.
I did quite a few miles last year on a 790 Duke, and I think I was expecting something similar to that when I first climbed aboard the 890. Initially, it’s not too dissimilar; you get the typical KTM supermoto-esque feeling straight away, which isn’t a bad thing. You are sat up high on the bike so you can see plenty of what’s going on around you.