Near-ready KTM Duke 800 spotted testing

The 800cc parallel-twin engine powered KTM Duke was spotted testing on public roads near KTM’s Austrian headquarters in Mattighofen. The motorcycle looks to be in its final stage of testing and near production ready when compared any of the 800cc test bikes spotted before.

In the previous spotting, we had discussed that the engine displays the compact architecture of a modern inline twin-cylinder powerplant that appears short from the  front to rear. It incorporates all the current technology, including liquid-cooling, double-overhead cams with four-valve per-cylinder and ride-by-wire. There are rumours that it will use a 270-degree crank angle as opposed to the more typical 180 or 360-degree cranks.

These new pictures of the test mule reveal a lot of new details about the looks. The motorcycle appears to be using the same headlight and windscreen as the ones we see on our Dukes in India. It is almost certain that this will not make it into final production because the Indian model is set for an update sometime in the beginning of 2017. If you have seen the spy shot the upcoming sub 400cc Dukes (if not, click here) you will notice the similar angular tank design and the sharply raked tail, which will make it to the final product.

Another interesting bit is the new exhaust, the high-level unit which appears to have a catalytic convertor built into the muffler. Expect this exhaust to meet Euro-4 regulations and have a less crude finish on the final product The Duke 800 will come with steel trellis frame and a WP (a KTM subsidiary) fork and Brembo brakes.

If this motorcycle is manufactured by KTM-Bajaj in India and sold here, we can expect to see very competitive pricing. Stay tuned to BikeWale for more updates.

Picture courtesy - MCN