An almost perfect motorcycle with a bad aftertaste - KTM 990 Duke test in everyday life & angles 

I’m a Gen 2 1290 owner (2 years almost 10K miles). My previous bikes - 2018 Speed triple 1050S This bike had peeling and bubbling engine casings which was still under warranty and I had to fight triumph to get them replaced under the warranty which was still valid. This bike was used and I had it for 2 weeks before I noticed. It also guzzled oil. 2018 Aprilia V4 1100 Tuono Factory This bike had slightly weepy engine fasteners which would sweat oil. I also had to replace the full left hand switch gear as the indicator had stopped working (£370). My uncle had a BMW S1000r which had QS issues and clutch sensor issues and he was left at the side of the road on more than 1 occasion. Furthermore, my uncle has a speed Triple 1200rs which is just out of warranty and it in absolutely immaculate condition (he’s had it used, from 2500 miles). He’s just noticed that his engine casings are peeling and bubbling directly under the headers. Every bike I’ve had, I’ve seen and heard horror stories on the online forums, of bikes dropping valves, overheating, blowing up. The Triumph 1200rs and Tuono V4 have probably been the worst for this, but there’s plenty out there for the Superduke too. My KTM has been faultless in my time and mileage. In my experience, it’s better and more reliable than any of the bikes I’ve mentioned. The reality is, I disagree with you. Every bike model has had a few extreme cases. The KTM usually suffered from electronic gremlins when the exhaust servo gets out of calibration or you need a new battery. In reality, KTM’s are no less reliable than any of the other European manufacturers.

​@@VFactory-vl5fi 100% this^. People hear horror stories online and just make assumptions after having little to no experience at all with anything else. Ive had clutch and frame issues with Kawasaki, ive had electronics issues with Yamaha and KTM, and Ive had oil issues with Ducati etc... Anyone who bags on one manufacturer for reliability, and assumes nobody else has that issue simply doesnt have the experience to know any better!

The only bikes close to this is the triumph. MT Yamahas are for street squids. I never see MTs at the track but plenty of these and that's in America. Sure a few years theyve had issues but I believe they've have sorted it out for the most part. I'm not sure about the 990 yet I wouldn't be interested until they come out with the R version. If they improve the power with the R version it would be able to take a 600 on the track no problem.

10 k miles? That’s three oil changes! Everyone knows Ktm’s are designed to blow after the warranty expires.

@@theinnerdreamer7043 you’re talking absolute nonsense!!

You are right that these are J Juan, not Brembo. J Juan is owned by...Brembo, so half right.

The new gen4 MT09 SP got Stylema's as part of a great overall bike package "made in Japan", with a price sticker that is more customer-friendly... 😅✌🏁

Seat Height and Width was absolutely fine for me and my colleagues, we're tall 170cm (5'7"), 175cm and 185 (6'1") especially after sitting on the 1390 duke i appreciated the tank width / seat width of the 990.

yes, Schaaf works for 1000PS, its the same bike.

@@1000pscom Yea I figured, just asked to check. Your bike might have had air in the lines or something, no one else complained about the brakes like you guys did.

but how are your camshafts? 😅

Lucky you - update us after 50'000 kms 😅✌

Nor does mine...but it leaked a little coolant (easily fixed) ... and I'll be popping the camcover off in a few days to check the cams. Bit of a pain, but what a great bike. I think that sure, it's not ideal, but I can live with these potential issues given the rewards.

​@@Mr4321aldohow are the cam lobes? Is DLC coating damaged?

@BraapBanana_ Yes, there is some visible scuffing on one of the inlet lobes, but it wasn't worn to the touch. I'll keep an eye on it every 10,000km.

Spot on fella, well said.

It lets you know they are shyster

The gsxr k6 would have a dry weight of 166kg there is no chance that is wet weight. Even ANY 600 doesn't have such a wet weight.

You have it the wrong way round im afraid, the ktm is 179 wet and the K6 was claimed 166 dry, however claimed dry bike weights around those years of 2006 were notoriously optimistic, often they did not even incluse the tires and chain in the dry weight. A fully fueled K6 on the scales was actually over 200kg, look it up. My old 2005 ZX6R also had a claimed dry weight of 164kg, when I actually put it on a scale and weighed it it was over 190kg... Don't let manufacturers fool you :)

I would guess it's doable if you can put up with some wind blast. KTM 890 SMT probably perfect for what you're looking for

@@gabrieltiso8537 Yeeeaaaahhh... I don't think I'll be buying a KTM anytime soon. A friend of mine works at a KTM parts counter and tells me secretly that there have been some Service problems, and that parts availability (in the US anyway) is not strong. Plus: THEY'RE UGLY, in my own opinion. I'll stay Japanese.

@@888jackflash that's a good insight for sure. Not crazy about the looks either but they seem to be perfect road going machines on the spec sheet. Too bad they're mostly overpriced toys

179 kg wet and the 890 169 kg dry. The wet weight of the 890 should be around 174-ish kg. Not that much difference. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Weight from the 990 is only up about 6/7kg's compared to the 890, that's not that bad right? All bikes are becoming heavier unfortunately.

It really doesnt matter imho. Look at the competition, they are all heavier and no one is complaining. 😄 It handles beautifully. The 890 is more playful and the 990 is more stable, serious and comfortable. I love the new engine and the sound it makes. The gearbox is awesome. I think the bike hits the sweetspot, it can do everything. 🏁👌🏼

I recently took both bikes out as my local dealer had a demo day. The 790 is very light with basic suspension & brakes not as refined as the 990 but I found it great fun & for the price a bargain. The 990 was good but in my opinion too expensive especially having to pay extra for the tech pack. It also depends on the type of rider you are I wouldn't be able to take it steady on the 790 it begs to be thrashed 😊. Book a demo for both & enjoy, cheers

@@SM-dg8do have you ever ridden the 1290 of 1390?? I have found lots of 1290s for 15K new and with the 990 being 12K I does make you think…

Yes I also rode the 1390 which was an awesome bike, the only problem is it’s too easy to ride fast & I need my licence 😂. In 3rd gear at 3-4k rpm it was doing 85mph & barely ticking over 😊 The 1290 is a great price at the moment & if you can get the tech pack thrown included that is a great deal. All depends on the type of rider you are book some demo’s, cheers

@@SM-dg8do I currently have the GasGas SM700 and the bike before that was a CBR1000RR. Ive had a lot of riding time and had bikes with some power so im not worried bout that... My biggest concern would be riding comfort. I have a buddy wanting me to get a 790 Duke like his but im concerned about how that bike would do with a passenger on the back. I remember having a GSXR600 and when you put a passenger on the back you could really tell. The CBR1000RR you couldn't tell....so thats why im leaning 1290 or 1390... Thoughts?

I would go for the 1290 there are some good deals on offer. The base model 1390 is £18k plus tech pack

BS. I have owned a 1290 for 5 years. My friend's 1200 BMW had much more issues.

​@@henryvaneyk3769fax been using 690 abs 2014 to this day my friend using mt07 keep having issues that he changed to cfmoto 800nk

I've had 2, 1290's and a 690 over 6 years, never even had a drop of oil leak, let alone anything else. It's not as bad as people think. But agreed, not good enough for the price. Although most euro bike brands suffer from that. From reliability surveys however, Triumph and BMW come out considerably worse than KTM.

Because too many people gave horrific reliability issues . Its really that simple

I’m an ex KTM service manager and they are a nightmare. Multiple issues including electrical and missing bolts on new bikes. I would never own one 😢😢😢

My 1290sdr 2019 , bought it new , daily ride , have no problem till now , no major problem. But my friend , same model , weekend ride only , have major problem just 3 months in. So i think ktm QC is the problem..

It's because haters that have never owned a KTM parrot each other's claims that KTM is super unreliable. Talk to people that actually owned them and it's really not that bad.

​@@Juuul89he didn't ride it long enough. 14k weeping valve cover and leaking thermostat, 20k cam chain tensioner replaced, 32k cam lobe gone and finger follower broke causing valve to hit piston and cam chain tensioner replaced again, 35k gearbox bearing exploded and oil pump replaced, I could hardly rotate it by hand because of too many scratches