[Ownership Thread]: KTM Duke 790 2019 Ownership Experience Thread

[Starter71_Kish]

Hello guys,

A long pending addition to the garage finally fulfilled, and I could not find anything better than one of the most electronically advanced middleweight bike in the world, at present. Here's presenting you the 2019 Scalpel, 790 Duke. Also proud to be the first owner of the 790 Duke in Karnataka. I'll be coming up with more details in the coming posts, as it has just been two days since delivery and I haven't got time to explore the bike yet.

[xBhp]

Re: The Scalpel - 790 Duke reaches home

Thread approved.

Many congratulations on the purchase. Do let us know how it goes!

Keep riding and ride safe.

[Starter71_Kish]

Re: The Scalpel - 790 Duke reaches home

Thread approved.

Many congratulations on the purchase. Do let us know how it goes!

Keep riding and ride safe.

Thanks a lot! Will be taking it out for a long ride this weekend. Will post on the experience soon after.

Mods : Could you please move the thread to Superbike And Imports section ?

[B7ACKTHORN]

Re: The Scalpel - 790 Duke reaches home

Thanks a lot! Will be taking it out for a long ride this weekend. Will post on the experience soon after.

Mods : Could you please move the thread to Superbike And Imports section ?

hi, Kish. Congratulations on your acquisition. The reason we've merged here is, it helps in the ownership review and readability of your scalpel, and hence helps get more audience to see this thread more easily. Don't worry, you can continue posting your photos, awesome reviews and experiences here.

Rock on! Please ride safe!

Cheers!
VJ

[Starter71_Kish]

Re: The Scalpel - 790 Duke reaches home

hi, Kish. Congratulations on your acquisition. The reason we've merged here is, it helps in the ownership review and readability of your scalpel, and hence helps get more audience to see this thread more easily. Don't worry, you can continue posting your photos, awesome reviews and experiences here.

Rock on! Please ride safe!

Cheers!
VJ

Thanks VJ!
I thought I started the thread in the wrong section and hence I requested for it. Will post the ownership experience and pics, soon.

[Globe Trotter]

Re: KTM Duke 790 2019 Ownership Experience Thread

That is a good looking bike...congratulations...

[Dandamudi Mohan Krishna]

Re: KTM Duke 790 2019 Ownership Experience Thread

Congratulations !!
I was just wondering in the pics there's no hand guard on the bike did you removed it or the bike doesn't come with one ?

[Starter71_Kish]

Re: KTM Duke 790 2019 Ownership Experience Thread

That is a good looking bike...congratulations...

Thanks a lot!

----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

Congratulations !!
I was just wondering in the pics there's no hand guard on the bike did you removed it or the bike doesn't come with one ?

Thank you!

The bike doesn't come with hand guard as standard. I suppose the lever protectors will be available as KTM Powerparts in a few weeks time.

[Dandamudi Mohan Krishna]

Re: KTM Duke 790 2019 Ownership Experience Thread

Thank you!
The bike doesn't come with hand guard as standard. I suppose the lever protectors will be available as KTM Powerparts in a few weeks time.

My bad , actually there's no handgaurd on KTM website only lever protectors and hand bar mirrors.

[thedromomaniac_]

Re: KTM Duke 790 2019 Ownership Experience Thread

Wow!! This is one bike, I have been drooling over since it’s international launch. I saw a 790 at Mekhri circle ktm, up for delivery some days back when I went for bike servicing there. The guys over there told it’s the second bike to be delivered from Mekhri circle ktm. You can immediately feel the difference in quality. The switch gear and especially the levers looks premium with a textured feel to them.
Saw one near mg road, zooming past, the exhaust sound was so good.
Waiting eagerly for the full blown review and lots of pics.
Congrats and enjoy the bike.

[prasenjit220]

Re: KTM Duke 790 2019 Ownership Experience Thread

Can someone share the cost of ownership under the following heads

A. Servicing
B. Normal consumables: Break pad set, chain sprocket set, tires cost
C. Spares availability

[Starter71_Kish]

Re: KTM Duke 790 2019 Ownership Experience Thread

Wow!! This is one bike, I have been drilling over since it’s international launch. I saw a 790 at Mekhri circle ktm, up for delivery some days back when I went for bike servicing there. The guys over there told it’s the second bike to be delivered from Mekhri circle ktm. You can immediately feel the difference in quality. The switch gear and especially the levers looks premium with a textured feel to them. <br>
Saw one near mg road, zooming past, the exhaust sound was so good. <br>
Waiting eagerly for the full blown review and lots of pics. <br>
Congrats and enjoy the bike.

Thanks! You would have probably spotted me near MG road(I stay close by). Will be writing about the ownership soon.

----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

Sorry guys, I had been caught up with so many things and couldn't pen down the ownership experience. I have been riding a lot from the time I bought the bike, clocking close to 5000kms. I'll share my experience and pics soon.

----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

Can someone share the cost of ownership under the following heads

A. Servicing
B. Normal consumables: Break pad set, chain sprocket set, tires cost
C. Spares availability

The 1st service costs close to 10k. Not sure about the cost of brake pads, chain sproket and tires. With respect to spares, KTM has been very supportive with replacing some defective parts in the least possible tme.

[subhashjo]

KTM 790 Duke - Initial Impressions &amp; Long Term Ownership

Thread Approved and Merged

Prelude
My earliest memories of a two wheeler was on the Bajaj Chetak that my father used as a workhorse & then when my mother got her DL - the Kinetic Honda.

My first taste of 'riding' a bike was the Honda Dio that my mother owned - which I ensured to ride at every given opportunity on the pretext of running errands for my folks.
I was officially gifted a bike (Bajaj Pulsar 150) when I passed out of 12th & started my Bachelors; post which I bought the KTM Duke 200 on 29-Feb-2012 when I started working, which I loved & cherished. Happy to report that it currently sits in my friends garage.


Let’s skip to the chase.


The KTM 790 Duke was launched at an on-road price of Rs.10.83 lakhs in Bangalore – aka Dead on Arrival.
No amount of marketing or positive reviews was going to move the common man to pull out his wallet for the ‘Scalpel’.
Cut to 09-Mar-2020 & KTM dropped the huge bombshell of issuing discounts on the existing BSIV units off up to Rs.2.65 lakhs. So, guess who decided to bite the bullet.


After calling almost every KTM dealership in South India & maybe I even reached out to folks in Bombay & Pune – I found out that there were bikes available with TWO caveats.
Caveat 1 – Limited stock availability
Caveat 2 – Full payment needed to be made on spot for the bike to be allotted to you
Well there goes my dream of finally owning a Super Bike.

But – it ain’t over till the fat lady sings & she was just warming up.

Going off on a tangent here – the following would have never transpired if it were not for the constant support of my wife. She was not a silent spectator; rather – there were instances where she was a force of nature with multiple folks in our endeavor to get the bike.

Now back to the story; Khivraj Motors said they had 8 bikes in stock. 5 bikes had full payments against them & the other 3 had partial payments.
Popular Bajaj did not wish to give me their quota of bikes, but also sang the same tune of all bikes being booked.
Whitefield dealer was sold out, Marathalli had 1 bike & BTM did not wish to answer or return our calls.
Our only hope was if one of the people who made the payment backed off at the last minute.

We went to the Indiranagar Showroom to possibly meet someone & see if we could move the ball along. The Manager Mr. Dhinakaran at Khivraj (Indiranagar) took a booking amount of Rs.20k from us on 10-Mar-2020 with the assurance that he would somehow try to arrange for a bike to come our way.
So with that – the better half & I went out to have celebratory drinks; chalking up plans on where we would go on our first ride.
Reality however struck when we went the next day to make the remainder of the payment. We were told that no bikes were going to come our way & we were gently suggested to take back our booking amount.
It was absolutely disheartening, not only because I was not going to get the bike; but to also see that this news affected my wife more than myself.
She asked Mr. Dhinakaran what it would take for us to get a bike; any bike; even the test ride bike. But we were told that there was no news to be provided at that point.
So we signed the cancellation papers to get the Rs.20k amount refunded & were told that the amount would be credited to us in 3-5 working days.

Meanwhile, we continued our search to see if we could get our hands on the 790.
Calls were made to KTM Showrooms across Karnataka – but to no avail. We even checked online to see if there was anyone who had previously purchased the bike & was putting it up for sale; & to our luck – one individual was selling his barely run (1000km) 790 in Bombay.
Quickly got on the phone with him only to be notified that someone had beat us to the punch by making a down payment of Rs.1 lakh . The prospective buyer had asked for 3 days to arrange for the remainder of the amount.
We spoke to the seller & asked if he could let us know if the buyer backed out so we could come over & see if a deal could be struck.

We were called on 13-Mar-2020 to collect the refund of Rs.20k & was introduced to Mr. Chetan, a counterpart of Mr. Dhinakaran – who was in charge of the KTM 790 sales. Chetan was quite up front to say that there were A LOT of people who were in the queue for the bikes & some had even paid the entire amount to Khivraj with the hopes that should there be a bike made available, they could have it allotted to them. These guys were willing to have Khivraj Motors hold onto their money for as long as needed.
Having gone there, I saw the KTM 390 Adventure & the 790 Duke test ride bikes parked outside. So I decided to make the most of the visit & asked for the test ride of the ADV.

Going off on a tangent again – the ADV is an absolute breeze to ride & the ‘hooliganism’ of yester years' KTM is not to be found. The word I would use to describe the ride would be – refined.
When I finished my round & parked the bike – Mr. Chetan suggested I take the 790 also for a spin.
He did call out that this was in no way an indication that I would get the bike but since I was there already – why not hop in the saddle.
I gladly obliged.

The 790 is an absolute beast. I am certain it is not like the BEAST that is the 1290 Super Duke. But it is absolutely brilliant in its own regard. The entire ride I had a smile plastered on my face & kept laughing out loud – which caught a lot of motorists & passers-by off guard.
I came back, parked the bike & could only look at my wife & say – OH! MY! GOD!

It was then I saw a lady – the General Manager at Khivraj Motors (Ms. Jaya Chacko) who had helped me get the KTM 200 Duke all the way back in 2012.
I was lucky enough to have been allotted the 2nd bike in Bangalore & took delivery on 29-Feb-2012.
My wife managed to get a chance to speak to Ms. Chacko & all credit to Wifey – we were told that while no new bikes were available; perhaps the test ride bike could be given to us at a later point in time.

Well – it was something. It was not a total write off. So off we went to Doff Pub, that was right next door for lunch.
Again, we thanked God for small mercies that we were assured that eventually the test ride bike would come to us. Something is better than nothing eh!

However, on 14-Mar-2020; Mr. Chetan called me up in the morning to ask if I could come over & make the payment for the bike – because someone had dropped out of the queue.

Transcript of the call below:
Chetan: Hi, this is Chetan from Khivraj; is this Subhash?
Me: Hey Chetan! Yes, please tell me.
Chetan: How soon can you come over & make the payment for the 790?
Me: Why? What happened?
Chetan: Well I managed to get a bike for you. So uhh..
Me: One moment..

I immediately handed over the phone to my wife while the news of what I heard was still sinking in.

Did he just say I was getting a bike? Like a new bike? Not the test ride bike, but the actual bike? Did I hear him right? OMG, what is going on?
By then my wife had finished the call & she immediately started screaming & ran over to me.
What transpired next could be described as two individuals resembling teenage kids at a Justin Bieber concert, as we jumped around screaming at the news we just heard.
We could not believe what just happened & did not want to take any chances – so we were at the Showroom in 15 mins.
Chetan laughed out loud to see how soon we had landed there & we completed the remainder of the payments.

In the course of 5 days, we went from no bike, to test ride bike, to new bike & we were still not sure how we managed to pull this off.

Our sincerest thanks to the entire team at Khivraj – Ms. Chacko, Mr. Dhinakaran & Mr. Chetan who helped us out.

The process of getting the bike registered started on 18-Mar-2020 & was completed on 20-Mar-2020 & was told I could pick up the bike on 21-Mar-2020

Chetan called us up in the morning & confirmed that the formalities were done & we could expect the bike at 2:00pm.

We grabbed a quick lunch & headed out to the Khivraj Showroom at Indiranagar & arrived at 2:10pm.
After signing a few documents – I was briefed about the particulars of the bike & the unveiling took place.

Apologies in advance for not taking exhaustive pics of the delivery process as I was too busy living the moment.

So, with that – we took charge of the KTM 790 Duke & like my wifey called out in glee; “One off the Bucket List”.


First Impressions

What I like
1. Exceptionally light and nimble
2. Comfortable riding position
2. Rev Happy Engine (Hooligan)
3. Packed to the brim with electronic safety features (Dual Channel Switchable ABS, Launch Control, Anti-Wheelie, Ride Modes, Lean Sensitive Traction Control)
4. Throaty exhaust note


What I don't like so much
1. Engine heat dissipation (well its a KTM right)
2. Styling is a hit/miss. Head on there is very little to differentiate the 790 Duke & the 390 Duke. The rear of the bike is also its worst angle & I sincerely do wish they had tried to keep it as close to the prototype that they teased.
3. Switch-gear and plastics do not feel premium
4. Mirrors while adequate feel like KTM cutting corners in the cost department


Technical Statistics

Engine - 799cc, DOHC, liquid-cooled parallel twin; 4 valves/cyl
Bore x Stroke - 88.0 x 65.7mm
Power/Torque numbers - 105 HP @ 9000 rpm and 86 NM @ 8000 rpm
Gearbox - 6 speed (1 down and 5 up - neutral is between 1st and 2nd gears) with slipper clutch
Weight at the kerb - 189 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity - 14L
Fuel Type - Petrol
Fuel Delivery - Electronic fuel injection w/ ride by wire
Brakes - Front - 300mm Dual Discs; Rear - 1 x 240mm Single Disc
Chassis - Chromium-Molybdenum-Steel Frame using the Engine as Stressed Element, Powder Coated
Suspension - Front - 43mm inverted cartridge-type WP fork w/ split-function technology; 5.5-in. travel
Suspension - Rear - WP Monoshock, adjustable for spring preload; 5.9-in. travel
Tyres - Maxxis Supermaxx ST; 120/70ZR-17 / 180/55ZR-17
Seat Height - 825 mm
Ground Clearance -186 mm
Wheelbase - 1475 mm


Riding experience so far
Since taking delivery, I have so far ridden about 150+ kms, all within city limits (prior to the Covid-19 lockdown) Below is my initial take on the various aspects of the bike.

Engine
The bike wants you to open up the throttle, as simple as that. You are never in doubt that there is more power in reserve should you ever feel the need to use it. It sounds absolutely glorious, even on the stock pipe - the fizzing, gurgling, banging overrun sound is really nice, rolling off the throttle is almost as enjoyable as rolling it on.
The stock exhaust system is fairly silent until 4000 rpm but the hooligan rears its head when you go higher up the rpm band. Cross 6000 rpm and the 'braap' notes come dime a dozen. Overall, the engine is fun. The clutch is very light and is very effortless to use. The gearbox also feels very smooth (unlike the 2012 KTM 200 Duke that I owned) You are also provided the choice of clutchless upshits/downshifts which I am happy to report work flawlessly.

Brakes
The bike is well equipped in the braking department. The bite & feel are top notch & the ABS is not over intrusive. I can wholeheartedly vouch that the brakes are confidence inspiring for our Indian traffic.

Suspension & Ground Clearance
I've read a lot of reports online of people bemoaning the non-adjustable suspension setup. So far, I have found the suspension to be quite good for the various types of roads that I have ridden on. The ground clearance is also a blessing for our scientifically formulated speed breaker's, so you are not really trying to baby the bike over the 'hills' on our roads.

The seats is spacious & offers a lot of room for you to move around. Once I have clocked some more time with my wife riding pillion, will update the post on her feedback. For now, she is quite happy with the cushioning & size of the seat. Admittedly, she is on the petite size.

Tyres
The bike comes shod with Maxis Road Sport tyres both front and rear. They are adequate both in dry & wet conditions. I do not intend to push the bike to its absolute limits so I will try to eek out as much life out of these tyres as possible (Indian road conditions notwithstanding).

Lights
The front headlight offers a breadth of lighting that reaches directly in front, but most significantly to each side of the motorcycle. The High Beam throw is also very good. Likewise, the TFT dashboard is easily readable.

Riding Impressions
Overall, the bike is a joy to ride. You do not feel the bike is big or unweildly. The bike is nimble enough to weave through our (dis)organized traffic & the engine does not require downshifts too often. Should you however find an open road, the bike urges you to let her go higher up the RPMs. I assure you that you will find it hard to wipe the grin that will be plastered on your face.
It's not all a bed or roses though. The engine heat is going to be an issue in our stop & go traffic. The exhaust pipe is very close to the pillion legs so one should be careful while mounting/dismounting the bike. The bike will be mistaken for the 390 Duke (which could be a blessing or not as per your POV).


In Conclusion
Overall, I am enjoying this bike and I intend to use it as my daily driver. While these impressions may come across as far too early in the bike's life cycle - I am happy to report that both my mind & heart are at ease with this purchase. Let's not forget that the better half keeps urging me to take her out for a ride. The rear really looks quite bland and I wish the 390-style LED headlight and mirrors had their own identity.

Happy Riding

[subhashjo]

Re: KTM Duke 790 2019 Ownership Experience Thread

The 1st service costs close to 10k. Not sure about the cost of brake pads, chain sproket and tires. With respect to spares, KTM has been very supportive with replacing some defective parts in the least possible tme.

Hi Kish,

What parts were defective? Care to elaborate on your first service experience.

[B7ACKTHORN]

Re: KTM Duke 790 2019 Ownership Experience Thread

@subhashjo, your owneship experience has been approved and merged.

Thank you for such a detailed review. Do keep posting your reviews, service expenses, just about everything about this motorcycle. Do let us know the total price you paid for the bike including the discounts applied.

Cheers!
VJ