In a world full of players with competition, neck and neck, the only way to win is to change the game. The last 15 years have seen the progressive takeover of naked motorcycles from super sports bikes as the bread and butter of the industry. Now a good recipe for a middleweight naked is a punchy engine, sporty handling, comfortable riding position and using entry level materials and components. Mixing them all together to get a Banffa Bog road going bundle of joy that is on the wall in. Now the 790 Duke was all of those things but KTM ripped up the recipe sheet and have served up the 890 Duke R. When KTM launched the 890 Duke R they said the scalpel just got sharper and they are true to their word this bike feels like it's on rails. The headlined figures are 121 horsepower, 73 foot pounds of torque and weighing only 166 kilos dry. When KTM took the 790 Duke back to the drawing board for this model they've dissected it and pulled apart every element of the base model and asked how do we make it faster, lighter, sharper, better. The motor power in the 890 Duke is a bore out and pumped full of steroids 790 Duke of parallel twin. There's been a huge amount of engineering work put into the motor not only to make it more powerful but to improve the way the bike rides. An all new crankshaft generates an additional 20% of rotational mass this translates to more stability and short footedness in the corners. In terms of the riding experience this motor has got so much go everywhere. It has a massive punch from the lower RPMs making road riding super engaging. There is always a massive snap of power available and it just keeps on pulling and pulling right until you're ready to throw another gear at the thing. The combination of 166 kilos dry and 121 horsepower and all that torque make for a massively quick and engaging naked road bike. KTM makes some of the most exciting machines available and the 890 Duke are fights with the 1290 Super Duke R for that crown. In the recipe of performance a bigger engine normally equates to more weight but the KTM engineers have chiseled and shaved all of the fat off the bike, saving grams here and there. Brembo style Mccalipers, a single seat standard and lighter tires all contribute to the weight savings. Now the fact that the Brembo style Mccalipers are fitted to a middle weight naked totally changes the game like getting served to fill its stake at your local McDonald's restaurant. Now you best make sure that you've got your chin strapped on up because the power of this braking system is enough to take your helmet clean off but similar to the Super Duke R you don't feel like you're burying the bike into the floor. You just stop with power, composure and control. The aforementioned effect being delivered by the most premium suspension setup available on a middle weight naked in 2020. Fully adjustable WPA Peck suspension giving track level performance with a plushness that belies its sporting capabilities. The 890 Duke R is not a track bike, it's a road bike but the delivery of suspension and chassis setup means that you can approach both road and track with confidence, comfort and composure. Now the cherry on the top is these Michelin Power Cup 2 tires. Now if you weren't already convinced of the intentions for this bike they've put well basically a couple of road legal slicks on them and the levels of grip available as a standard fitment tire are out of this weight. A full suite of electronics keep the madness in check with cutting edge rider modes. Corner in ABS and traction control all fed information by a 6 axis lean angle sensor. This is a second to non electronics package. For the full Duke experience you need the optional track pack. Allow in track mode, launch control, slip control and anti wheelie off. Now by changing the recipe the 890 Duke R is undeniably the sharpest and fastest machine that ultimately beats the competition. But not all competitors are muscle clad sprinters, some do decaflon and some are frankly darts players and in the zero some game of making the sharpest tool in the middle weight box. Is there a slight tang to the cake that the KTM chefs have cooked up? Well there's a couple of things. The classic recipe for a middle weight naked is about delivering a good taste of fun for bang for buck value and this is the first challenge for the 890 Duke. The bike costs 10,399 pounds but if you want to ride it like a Duke you need the tech pack and the quick shifter and that bumps the price up to 11 grand. And that's especially a difficult pill to swallow since the 2019 790 Duke came with those things as standard. And it also puts the bike into a position where it's bumping its head on a ceiling to a place where other bikes live such as the S1000R and the MT10. And the fact that it's so uncompromised can also be a compromise too. And then a bit to trim weight, the bike can feel a little bit too light, a little bit too stripped back and there I say it a touch plasticky. Like when you spoil yourself from driving a 5 series BMW and then you go back to a 1 series. The 5 series being the Super Duke R and this being the 1 series, there is a market difference in quality and riding environment. And this is a bike you've got a little bit of everyday and just like snuggling up to a muscle bound athlete isn't the same as having a hug with a cuddly bear. There are more comfortable everyday middle weights out there. Bikes like the Z900 and F900R are probably not going to compete with this bike in terms of performance but you probably prefer to ride them on a cold and wet January commute to work. But you pay your money and you take your choice and if you're looking for the fastest, the most uncompromised middle weight naked, a bike that has you grinning from ear to ear from start to finish then this is the bike for you. And KTM have delivered us the sharpest tool in the middle weight box for 2020. .