After several sightings of new KTM motorcycles on test rides powered by the new 990cc twin cylinder, there are now renderings comparing the new 990cc twin cylinder to the familiar 890 twin.
According to a supposedly official design registry, the footage is said to be from CFMoto, who are also said to produce the engine. It is likely that CFMoto may also use the engine in their own models in the future.
KTM 990 Duke and RC 990 caught during test rides
The 990 Duke was already spotted at test rides a year ago, and then the upcoming RC 990 at the end of 2022. Both motorcycles are powered by the new two-cylinder engine with around 990 cubic capacity.
Now pictures have also surfaced showing the new engine compared to the previous version.
It is still unclear exactly how much displacement the new twin has. The current 890 has 889cc and features a bore-stroke ratio of 90.7 x 68.8 mm. The upcoming 990 is believed to have a 95 x 70 mm ratio, making it 992cc.
The extra 100cc will certainly have some impact on performance, though increasingly stringent emissions regulations are also likely to nibble away at volume somewhat. It’s still unclear when the second stage of Euro5 will be introduced and how that will affect emissions regulations. However, KTM seems to already be preparing for the changes.
Performance of KTM’s new 990 Twin
Let’s look at the evolution of the engine in the Duke: In the 790 Duke, the engine produced 95 horsepower. The 890 Duke saw a whopping 26 hp increase, with 121 hp available. Due to the further jump of 100cc to approx. 990cc, however, one should not expect to be able to add another 26 hp. More likely is 20 hp, or even less.
It should be noted that the 790 Duke was tuned according to European regulations to be throttleable to 48 hp (the maximum output power can not exceed 95 hp). Before that, it still made 105 hp, which puts the 26 hp increase in power into perspective at 16 hp.
The future Duke could therefore produce around 140 hp, although this is currently still speculation and we will ultimately have to wait for the final data from KTM.
Which KTM 990 models are coming?
The pictures show that the engine mounts are arranged in the same places as before. So, theoretically, it would be possible for the engine to also be used in all models that currently feature the 890cc twin. The engine will probably have a longer stroke, but the necessary higher build has apparently been compensated for by a cylinder head that is not as high and a lower oil pan.
You can expect a 990 Duke, 990 Adventure and the all-new RC 990.
Extensive engine changes
Even though the original design and dimensions have been retained, there are extensive changes to the engine. New is the cylinder head, the housing, the oil pan and also the covers were changed.
The oil pan has not only been made lower, but also moved to one side, making room for the catalytic converter and exhaust system. The oil cooler has also been made larger, which is a sign of some extra power.
Of course, we can currently only guess how this will affect the inside of the engine.
When are KTM’s new 990cc models coming?
One can expect KTM to unveil the engine and announce all the data about it this year. The new models equipped with the 990cc Twin are expected to be launched in 2024.
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