It feels like there are bits of orange everywhere. The Sheraton Golf Resort hotel has been cornered by almost twenty staff entertaining media from across the continents and with forty-five 2016 690 Duke and Duke Rs at the ready. Four years ago KTM were upbeat about the vast update for the 2011 model of a motorcycle that saw the brand spread further from its off-road roots. Now they were back on the island with a major revamp of the same bike…even if the 690 did not appear outwardly radically different. KTM had twisted heads with their 1290 Super Duke and their incarnations of the popular Adventure model in the past eighteen months but there was a fanfare about the 690 that belied the seeming understated fresh apparition before us. “It has been the brand within the brand for more than twenty years and, in a way, is the founder of KTM street motorcycles,” claims PR Manager Thomas Kuttruf on the prominence of the Duke. “The LC4 is central and important to us. The 690 has a new engine, finely-tuned chassis and a huge effort has been made on electronics.”
Like the 1290 – that was somehow portrayed as a fire-breathing beast but was in fact a very usable and practical twin with a fantastically powerful and outrageous alter ego – the new 690’s performance and re-shaped potential is revelatory, and hidden through the similarity to its older self. We were told about lighter weight, more power, less vibration, more electronic options and additions (traction control and motor slip regulation – MSR), more effective ergonomics (principally a two-part saddle) and, dammit, the thing really delivers. The R version is an added bonus: a track-ready plaything that 690 fans would have been able to partially create in the past by raiding KTM’s comprehensive Powerparts catalogue. KTM have fashioned their own alternative to the regular 690 as a way of throwing away the leash (via an Akrapovic exhaust increasing output to 75hp, fully adjustable suspension, machined triple clamps, a racier riding stance thanks to the footpeg position and Brembo brake system that feels sumptuously good around the small Circuito Maspalomas racetrack with its three hairpin bends and long final spoon curve). The R is also a nod to the forefather of the ‘naked’ range – the 620 Duke I – back in 1994 that was essentially a road-going enduro, scarily powerful and only lasted four years until KTM realised they were onto something and started to take their streetbike development more seriously.
“The first Duke was super-brutal,” offers Kuttruf. “It had a kickstarter and wasn’t really user-friendly but was a lot of fun and its DNA has been carried through the years as the bike became way-more sophisticated. We educated ourselves in terms of ride-by-wire and other technology and made it more appealing to a wider community of riders.”
“Now [the Duke] it is at such a pedigree that the line reaches six models [1290, 690 and R, 390, 200 and 125]. It is the most complete naked bike line-up,” he adds. “It is pure brand identification and good business. It is still the best seller for KTM. LC4 bikes account for 68,000 sales and 110,000 since 2011 with 125 and 390s. The LC8 contributed 13,500 though the 1290: it is a clear statement of importance to the brand.”
KTM’s choice of destination in Gran Canaria might be a repetition of their staging for the 2011 690 but from the comprehensive press conference to the impossibly friendly and efficient organisation, delivery of materials and hospitality is again standout. It’s a formidable introduction to a new bike that many motorcyclists might only have ‘acknowledged’ instead of become excited about (and the 1290 and the Adventure were pretty sensational cards thrown onto the industry deck when other brands were not quite so proactive) but the ‘16 690 demands attention when the wheels start to turn – we were also here in 2011 so we’re well poised to offer a comparison – and KTM themselves are pushing ahead after more ground-breaking in 2015. “It was our most successful year ever in the history of the company with one billion euro turnover and over 160,000 bikes sold,” ‘TK’ continues. “A few years ago we could only dream about these numbers. It is thanks to a company policy towards on-going development product strategy. Five years in a row we have seen an increase. KTM now numbers 2200 staff and an R&D department that aims for innovation to fit global requirements.”
Those requirements mean attention to emerging markets, giving the 690 more versatility by making it safer, advanced (ABS and electronics), practical (more reliability and higher service intervals at 55,000km) and also ‘sexy’ with more torque, ABS Supermoto mode and – as mentioned – a whole R version for those wanting the adrenaline to flow a little quicker. There is also the formatting for the upcoming Euro4 emissions that could bring difficulties for many motorcycles on the road in Europe.
Scott, Shoei, Puma, Alpinestars and Ogio gear in place it was time to see and feel just how proficient the orange had been with their toil…
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