890 Duke R

[Liteitup]

Brought one of these home this weekend. 2020 model with 4400 miles, clean as a whistle. All electronics switched on, best I can tell. Tech pack, track pack, cruise, quick shifter, etc.

Rode it 236 miles yesterday (65 degrees!). 121 hp, 400ish# wet. I've never ridden anything that corners like this. KTM calls it the "Super Scalpel" for good reason. The brakes are insane as well.

It's my first true naked bike I suppose. Wind management wasn't a problem yesterday, my neck will eventually get used to it, right? I need new cheek pads, as I've lost weight and my helmet isn't as tight as it should be.

[Grumpy Goat]

It's my first true naked bike I suppose. Wind management wasn't a problem yesterday, my neck will eventually get used to it, right? I need new cheek pads, as I've lost weight and my helmet isn't as tight as it should be.

Very nice. I really like the KTM 890 Adventure, which has the same engine as this one.

   

As for the neck getting used to the strain ... only if you ride it regularly to build up the muscles. If you ride it occasionally you might find that there is discomfort most times you go back to it.

That said I do love fast naked bikes, but as I get older they are probably not for me as I tend to not be always in the mood to ride like a hooligan. This based on my 1 year ownership of an S1000R, also a scalpel with massive acceleration and braking performance.

[darrell]

Track days ahead in 2022. What a great find. New technology in a newer model low mileage motorcycle.

Congratulations.

[Liteitup]

Track days ahead in 2022. What a great find. New technology in a newer model low mileage motorcycle.

Congratulations.

Thanks, you know me too well. I've done my first two track days this winter, both on the XR. I'm excited to see how this bike works on the track after my ride yesterday.

[maxredline]

Yes Congratulations! Oh sweet lord I have serious bike envy. Great pick!
I hope your body reacts well to the scalpel.

[runnerhiker]

Great find. What tires do you plan to run on it? Sport tires? Or sport touring tires? I don't mean for track days.

[Liteitup]

Great find. What tires do you plan to run on it? Sport tires? Or sport touring tires? I don't mean for track days.

Original owner put a set of Bridgestone Battlax S22r's on 200 miles before my purchase.
https://www.bridgestonemotorcycletires.c...ct-results

Haven't thought about it past that. Yet.

[runnerhiker]

I have 1000 miles on my new ZH2, at around 3000 miles I'll probably get new tires, I am leaning towards Dunlop Mutant or Michelin Power 5. I had a 2017 Super Duke 1290 that I put the Michelin's on it and I liked it.

[Liteitup]

Good to know. I have zero experience with sportbike tires. Well, I ran Dunlop Q2's on my FZ1 before switching to Power Road 2's. That was 10+yrs ago, so probably not relevant.

[Chris216]

You might take a look at the Dunlop Q3+, I have found them to be an excellant sport tire with decent mileage.
Chris

[runnerhiker]

You might take a look at the Dunlop Q3+, I have found them to be an excellant sport tire with decent mileage.
Chris

Yes, thought about these also, I used one set of Q3 (before +) on a ZX-14 a few years ago and they worked fine, but that was a single compound tire, I think the Q3+ is a dual compound.

[Liteitup]

Thanks for the tire recs.


I probably shouldn't tell off on myself, but we're all friends, right?

For the past month, six weeks I've been casually looking for one of these. Found one on a Houston forum that was completely decked out with Woodcraft protection , an SC can, etc, etc. Never could reach the guy, then found the same bike on Facebook....almost $2k higher than the forum price. Seller would not even discuss first price, so I kicked him to the weeds. Next bike i found was also on Facebook, in Arkansas. Listed as a Duke, no mention of R but the one pic in the ad was an R. Contact seller, he's selling for a friend and doesn't have a clue about R or no R. Says he will get more info and pics and let me know. I suppose he will, some day. Two or three weeks later I suppose he's still taking more pics. Strike two.
There's one on ADVRider, been there a while. I call him on Thursday, we make our deal, I send a deposit.
Friday I leave Waco at 6:30 am Central and drive to Knoxville TN, arriving at 9pm Eastern. Meet seller Saturday morning, finish purchase, load bike and head home at 9:30 AM. Arrive home that night at 9:45 PM Central, 1848 miles later.

So see, I'm even goofier than you thought

[Grumpy Goat]

Thanks for the tire recs.

I probably shouldn't tell off on myself, but we're all friends, right?
...
Friday I leave Waco at 6:30 am Central and drive to Knoxville TN, arriving at 9pm Eastern. Meet seller Saturday morning, finish purchase, load bike and head home at 9:30 AM. Arrive home that night at 9:45 PM Central, 1848 miles later.

So see, I'm even goofier than you thought

Sounds exactly like something I would do ... also the same way I'd handle these flaky sellers. Bought my travel trailer in a similar way ...

[runnerhiker]

Thanks for the tire recs.


I probably shouldn't tell off on myself, but we're all friends, right?


So see, I'm even goofier than you thought

Not a goofy story at all. But your signature might be goofy. Or the title of this thread might be goofy. But if you have both a 390 and an 890 then I am the one that's goofy.

[Liteitup]

Sig is goofy, I do have a 390 Adv as well. I'll work on that.
Something will likely go away this spring, just haven't decided what yet.

[Grumpy Goat]

Sig is goofy, I do have a 390 Adv as well. I'll work on that.
Something will likely go away this spring, just haven't decided what yet.

You have a nice spread of vehicle / engine types and I could see why you might want to have all of them. The two BMWs are both Sport Tourers (even sharing the same panniers) but they are different enough in character to keep both.

[Lee]

Sig is goofy, I do have a 390 Adv as well.

If I lived in the Texas Hill Country, Colorado or NW Arkansas I would like a 390 ADV for the unpaved back roads.

[Liteitup]

Sig is goofy, I do have a 390 Adv as well.

If I lived in the Texas Hill Country, Colorado or NW Arkansas I would like a 390 ADV for the unpaved back roads.

That one is staying. it punches way above it's class.

And that's the problem. My normal riding group doesn't turn around for gravel roads or bumpy paved goat paths, making the RS the last choice for most of my local rides. The XR is far better in that situation , and the 390 far above both. Remains to be seen how the Duke will work, but gravel duty will be as limited as possible because I don't want to clean those orange wheels any more often than I have to.

So, it will come down to the XR or the RS. No idea which way that will go at this time. Maybe I keep 'em all, but I'm getting pretty pressed for space.

[Lee]

And that's the problem. My normal riding group doesn't turn around for gravel roads or bumpy paved goat paths, making the RS the last choice for most of my local rides.

Sometimes down there we'll take some of the bumpy lane and half roads. More suspension travel would be nice on those roads.

[Liteitup]

And that's the problem. My normal riding group doesn't turn around for gravel roads or bumpy paved goat paths, making the RS the last choice for most of my local rides.

Sometimes down there we'll take some of the bumpy lane and half roads. More suspension travel would be nice on those roads.

The forward lean, slight as it is, kills my wrists on bumpy roads. All the other bikes have an upright seating position that mostly eliminates that.