FORGET THE FASTEST ROUTE

I might have done around 450 miles in all testing KTM’s new 790 Duke, but deciding it was going to be my kind of bike came after about just 450 yards! It’s a real rider’s machine and one of the most enjoyable of the many bikes I’ve had the good fortune to have tested this year.

Leaving KTM’s HQ in Silverstone to head back home in Cirencester should have had me travel via the most direct route. I just didn’t have the time to take my much preferred and far more interesting choice of twisting roads. But almost instantly it became apparent that electing to spend any time aboard the Duke on either a boring dual carriageway or motorway would be a majorly wasted opportunity. So I reverted to plan A and diverted, wisely as it turned out, to the much more appealing long way home. As it was quickly confirmed, the KTM is so rewarding to use on real roads, getting anywhere on time becomes less of a priority.

WEIGHT ADJUSTMENT

There are many things contributing to the bike’s huge fun factor, and one of the most influential is its light weight. Just lifting the 790 from its side stand gives you the first clue. By the time you’ve whipped round a few corners, in my case just three closely sited roundabouts, you’ve got the message. Loud and clear. So little effort is required to steer it, it seems like you only have to think your way through bends. It really is that toy-like, that intuitive, that easy. If I’m honest, I needed more than the 75-mile trip home to recalibrate my efforts sufficiently to feel fully at home on the KTM. Applying the usual levels