KTM’s middleweight range doesn’t abide by five-year renewal cycles. The 790 Duke emerged on the scene in 2018 only to be replaced by the 890 Duke R in 2020. One year later, in 2021, the base model 890 Duke joined its R-spec sibling, and the family looks to gain another member this year with the 2022 890 Duke GP.
Announced in a press release and via social media, the Mattighofen firm will launch its Midweight Naked campaign throughout February, 2022. KTM plans to roll out details behind its revised 2022 890 Duke R on February 7, 2022, which the company claims to be “an even sharper iteration of The Super Scalpel". Of course, the R variant already boasts premium WP Apex suspension and Brembo Stylema calipers, so we can’t wait to see if other chassis adjustments highlight the refresh.
While the renewed 890 Duke R will take the lead, KTM is saving the best for last. The brand will reveal the new 890 Duke GP on February 22, and it’s calling the model “a Grand Prix-inspired entry into Dukedom”. The thought of a GP-inspired naked bike may seem contradictory to most, but with KTM’s recently RC 8C project gaining massive attention in 2021, we wouldn’t be surprised if the team of designers and engineers infused some of the sportbike into the upcoming naked.
Given the photos released by KTM, we don’t expect the MotoGP-inspired bodywork to show up on the naked bike. However, the RC 8C’s 25CrMo4 steel tubular frame, ultra-light aluminum Dymag wheelset, dedicated airbox and racing air filter, composite subframe fuel tank, 128-horsepower LC8c parallel-twin engine, and Grand Prix-style livery are still on the table.
Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait for February 22, 2022, before we learn the full details behind the 2022 890 Duke GP, but the 2022 890 Duke R’s full specs should hold us over until then.
