Spy Photos: KTM 800cc-Class Parallel-Twin Duke

It looks like KTM is getting ready to add another Duke to its street bike line, as spy photos of the above machine have broken cover.

Said to be roughly 800cc in displacement, the new Duke would slot in well between the KTM 690 Duke and the KTM 1290 Super Duke R, which is a fairly obvious base to cover.

What is interesting about the KTM 800 Duke (our name, not KTM’s) though is that at the heart of the machine is a parallel-twin engine, which breaks from KTM’s general affinity for single-cylinder thumpers, and v-twin monsters.

Not much is known about the ~800cc Duke, though we can tell from the photos that it does not share an engine with the now defunct Husqvarna Nuda. Even though KTM now owns Husqvarna, that decision makes sense as the Nuda engine was really a repurposed BMW-branded lump.

This leaves us with the only possibility that KTM has developed its own parallel-twin engine, and a sporty one at that, considering the DOHC and large radiator on-board.

Though it’s hidden quite well, there are signs that the frame is a trellis design – again, not a shocker coming from KTM. Suspension is likely by WP, and the bike is seemingly fitted with ABS and traction control – now fairly standard items in this category.

We can expect the KTM 800 Duke to compete against the new 800cc Triumph Street Triple, as well as the Ducati Streetfighter 848. We doubt we’ll see KTM get close in price for this Duke to scare FZ-09/MT-09 owners, but things could get interesting if it does.

Expect the KTM 800 Duke to be a 2016 model, and therefore debut, in proper, at this year’s EICMA show in November.