The covers have been lifted of the new 2018 KTM 790 Duke earlier today during the EICMA 2017 show in Milan, Italy.

Nicknamed “The Scalpel”, its 799cc parallel twin with 270-degree crank engine produces an impressive 105hp and 85.4Nm of maximum torque.

Other amazing features include lean-sensitive traction control, cornering ABS, launch control, auto-blipper, quickshifter (for both up and down shifts), slipper clutch and many more.

The bike that most KTM fans and other motoring enthusiasts have been waiting for has been unveiled, folks. The all-new 2018 KTM 790 Duke is officially introduced today in conjunction with the EICMA international motorcycle show in Milan, Italy. Dubbed “The Scalpel”, this baby is a much more agile and nimble ‘parkour-loving’ sibling of the 2017 KTM 1290 Super Duke R.

With an all-new radical design heavily inspired by the 1290 Super Duke R, the new 790 Duke sits just right in the middle of its hooligan-crazy big brother and its baby brother, the supermoto-flavoured 2017 KTM 390 Duke.

To know more on the 2017 KTM 390 Duke, CLICK HERE.

Talking about power, the 799cc parallel twin with 270-degree crank engine produces an impressive 105hp and 85.4Nm of maximum torque. With such a compact design integrated within a brand new chassis, KTM claims that their new 790 Duke is one of the lightest middleweight naked bikes in its category sitting just under 190kg fully-fuelled and “Ready to Race”. This in turn promises some impressive levels of performance from such a compact bike.

The brand new middleweight engine designed by KTM is also said to provide all the necessary power and torque from the low to middle range giving an exhilarating amount of acceleration without being too overwhelming to newer riders. Even if things are starting to go south, the electronics will kick in to help save the day.

Features like lean-sensitive traction control, cornering ABS, launch control (YES, PEOPLE. LAUNCH CONTROL), auto-blipper, quickshifter (for both up and down shifts), slipper clutch and many more makes the 2018 KTM 790 Duke one of the most technologically advanced middleweight naked bikes ever built for production use. The all-round WP Suspension package also helps with the 790’s superb handling, keeping riders glued to the road even around the sharpest corners.

The 790 Duke also comes with an IMU (Internal Measurement Unit) that’ll help with adjusting the amount of traction even when the bike is leaning hard in corner to ensure proper traction is always sufficient for the rider. This makes the 790 Duke the first ever middleweight naked bike to feature such a specification.

Moving over to the chassis, the 2018 790 Duke comes in such a compact package that’s it is said to have superior handling and stability. We have had our own experiences on the 1290 Super Duke R and the KTM 390 Duke but looking at the spec sheets, we won’t be surprised if the 790 Duke can offer more. MUCH MORE.

Looks like the 2018 KTM 790 Duke presents a very strong competition in which other competitors should take note off. While the overall package looks, sounds and feels promising, KTM has a monumental task of labelling the bike with the right price.

The 790 Duke is proof that the middleweights are here to stay and they’re out to prove that they’re just as good if not better.