Twin-Cylinder KTM Duke 800 spotted testing

KTM boss Stefan Pierer had hinted that the Austrian automaker is working towards prepping up new middleweight performance motorcycles that will be launched in the latter part of the decade with twin-cylinder engines under the belly.

With development in full swing, it is for the first time that KTM’s next big offering the Duke 800 has been caught testing somewhere in Europe, giving a glimpse of the company’s next absolutely bonkers motorcycle set to take on the Kawasaki Z800, Ducati Monster, Triumph Street Triple and the likes in the segment.

The KTM Duke 800 (could be christened as the 790) retains the edgy, radical and sharp design language from the smaller and bigger Duke models. The triangular shaped headlight cluster makes an appearance on the test mule while the minimal body shell exposes the radiator grille, part of the Trellis frame (likely) and the new twin-cylinder motor.

Speaking of which, power on the Duke 800 will come from a newly developed twin-cylinder engine that is set to produce around or in excess of 100 PS of power and will be paired to a 6-speed gearbox. The KTM Duke 800 will feature a host of performance bits true to the orange lineage with Up Side Down (USD) forks, monoshock rear, dual front disc brakes and a single rear disc brake coupled with dual channel ABS, LED tail light, step seats, wide handlebar, slipper clutch, side mounted exhaust, 5-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in meaty rubber, all digital instrument cluster and much more.

There is also a possibility of a quickshifter featuring on the middleweight KTM Duke. Given KTM’s legacy of creating hooligans, the Duke 800 won’t be any less with the newly developed twin-cylinder motor offering an expansive rev range. The great news however, is the fact that the new bike is likely to be manufactured and exported from the company’s Chakan based facility and will be catering to Indian and overseas demand.

Given the growing popularity of middleweight bikes in India at present, the Duke 800 will come with a serious price advantage undercutting the competition by a massive margin. Expect prices to be in the range of Rs 5-6 lakh but the launch is still a good three years away. In addition, KTM will also introduce a new twin-cylinder 500cc Duke that will subsequently replace the outgoing Duke 690 in the company lineup.