Demo ride, KTM 790 Duke...

[Skub]

Second best bike in the whole world ever: fact!

2011 990R. They don't make 'em like they used to.

I had a test ride on one back about then and loved it. A great road bike for fun times. My concern was,it's a KTboom and in the end I didn't bite for one. Still could someday...

[weeksy]

In some ways I shouldn't have sent mine back when it split the headers, but it had a few other niggles too. However, like above, I could easily own one.

[Screwdriver]

Second best bike in the whole world ever: fact!

2011 990R. They don't make 'em like they used to.

What's first? If it's the Fazer I'll get the ban hammer ready

My lips are sealed...

Second best bike in the whole world ever: fact!

2011 990R. They don't make 'em like they used to.

Thank fuck. It's hideous.

On the road you'd only ever see the back end as it vanishes into the distance.

I like the look of it but it's not why I loved it. Reminded me of the old RD350LC. Mental hooligan missile.

It had six owners from new when I bought it, with less than 2k miles on the clock and after a few miles I can see why. It is a license killer. Cross between a supermoto and a sportsbike. Sadly, cost too much for such a single minded machine and top speed was pathetic.

[weeksy]

Second best bike in the whole world ever: fact!

2011 990R. They don't make 'em like they used to.

What's first? If it's the Fazer I'll get the ban hammer ready

My lips are sealed...

Second best bike in the whole world ever: fact!

2011 990R. They don't make 'em like they used to.

Thank fuck. It's hideous.

On the road you'd only ever see the back end as it vanishes into the distance.

I like the look of it but it's not why I loved it. Reminded me of the old RD350LC. Mental hooligan missile.

It had six owners from new when I bought it, with less than 2k miles on the clock and after a few miles I can see why. It is a license killer. Cross between a supermoto and a sportsbike. Sadly, cost too much for such a single minded machine and top speed was pathetic.

I had 150+ on the clocks on several 990s. Not exactly what I'd call pathetic

[Screwdriver]

I had 150+ on the clocks on several 990s. Not exactly what I'd call pathetic

Yes lexicon failure sorry. Wrong choice of wording...

Uhm, "disappointing" then.

Let's face it, 150+ on the clocks is 140+ IRL. Jump off any of the genuine 170-180mph bikes and it just felt a bit breathless. Before anyone says 140 should be enough, the truth of the matter is if you can find somewhere in the UK where you can get away with 140, for the risk/reward ratio, you want to be doing 180...

I thought I'd be clever and traded it in for an RC8 with the view to streetfighter it.



That was disappointing also because the engine wasn't anything like as pokey as the 990. It was more like a warhammer. Damned thing went like a high speed train and I think it's probably the only bike I ever owned that I never truly found the top speed. It was relentless. It just never stopped accelerating.

Where the 990 was super clean and responsive on the throttle, the RC8 wanted revs. Lots of revs. More than seemed "right" for a big twin. But it was fast!

I think if I ever got another bike, it would be a KTM of some description. Superduke I guess on my budget.

[Tricky]

Second best bike in the whole world ever: fact!

2011 990R. They don't make 'em like they used to.

What's first? If it's the Fazer I'll get the ban hammer ready

My lips are sealed...

Second best bike in the whole world ever: fact!

2011 990R. They don't make 'em like they used to.

Thank fuck. It's hideous.

On the road you'd only ever see the back end as it vanishes into the distance.

I like the look of it but it's not why I loved it. Reminded me of the old RD350LC. Mental hooligan missile.

It had six owners from new when I bought it, with less than 2k miles on the clock and after a few miles I can see why. It is a license killer. Cross between a supermoto and a sportsbike. Sadly, cost too much for such a single minded machine and top speed was pathetic.

SDs and Tuonos are cracking bikes IMO, but if you haven't already, I think you should try a 790 , or even better an 890- it's a 990SD/SR in character, but lots lighter and more nimble, and with and up and down QS, which really adds to the fun on bikes like these.
Suspension on the 790 is a bit so-so, but didn't detract from the love for me - if you like wheelies, and wringing a bikes neck whilst still feeling in control (relatively speaking), I don't think there's anything better currently out there

[Screwdriver]

Yes I think that’s the way to go. If you can’t really do those sorts of speeds anyway, no need for a bike that can.

But I do still have a couple of XT500’s to nail together and a slightly modded one of those would serve as a functional cheap runabout (remembering I’m in London where Saddo Khant would tax walking if he could get away with it).

I do like the look of those newer KTM’s always had a soft spot for them tbh. Maybe once they become closer to my price range….

[DefTrap]

Im still amazed you can buy a 2k miles bike with 6 previous owners. That's just a few sunny Sundays each FFS.

[Screwdriver]

Im still amazed you can buy a 2k miles bike with 6 previous owners. That's just a few sunny Sundays each FFS.

IKR and it was MINT.

But also very expensive, highly impractical with a lightning fast twitchy throttle backed up with monster torque. It did not so much as accelerate, it was more like a pounce. Should have had a Tigger colour scheme.

Great fun and perfect for wheelies but in traffic you would end up filtering in a series of hops. Luckily the brakes were razor sharp and also perfect for stoppies but not exactly perfect for smooth filtering.

Being effectively a race bike it was really fussy about fuelling. It took ages to get the thing "perfect" especially with the superloud Akras and it had a nasty habit of stalling.

One of my most memorable moments was thrashing it down towards some big biker "event". Can't remember exactly where but pretty sure it was meeting up with Weeksy somewhere. I arrived in a fury of noise, hammering down a long straight then a cacophony of blips and downshifts as you play the Akras like a musical instrument. The god of thunder has arrived!

All eyes are on you as you turn triumphantly into the bike park. A spine tingling moment of glory like Harry Kane stepping up to take a penalty.

He shoots. He stalls...

Oops.