Austrian Motorcycle maker KTM has officially launched the highly anticipated 2026 990 Duke in Europe, unveiling fresh new colour options that enhance its aggressive streetfighter appeal for the 2026 model year. The motorcycle comes in striking Black/Orange and White/Black/Orange liveries that reflect KTM’s classic and race-inspired liveries.
While the 2026 model year KTM Duke 990 receives fresh new attire visually, mechanically it remains unchanged, sharing the same technical description as its 2025 predecessor. This could be due to the financial woes KTM has faced from the start of this year, or it could simply be that KTM engineers believe the Duke 990 doesn’t require a mechanical overhaul.
The 2026 KTM Duke 990 features a Chromium-Molybdenum-Steel (Chromoly) trellis frame that utilises the engine as the stress member. The suspension hardware includes a homegrown adjustable WP Apex USD unit at the front and an adjustable monoshock unit at the rear. The suspension allows the riders to adjust compression, preload, and rebound to match the needs of the riders and the road conditions at hand.
Beneath the trellis frame lies a 947cc LC8c parallel-twin engine producing 122 hp of peak power at 9,500 rpm and 103 Nm of peak torque at 6,750 rpm, enough to propel the Austrian streetfighter from 0-60 mph under 3.3 seconds. The engine remains unchanged from the 2025 model.
The 2026 KTM Duke 990 retains its electronics suite from its predecessor, which includes Cornering ABS, Ride by wire system, Traction Control, Wheelie control, selectable ride modes with 10-level MTC/Slip Adjuster, 5-level Anti-Wheelie (AWM), and Launch Control. The motorcycle features a 5.0-inch TFT display with upgraded graphics.
The Motorcycle was launched in Europe for the 2026 model year, for €12,990, since the brand acquisition of the KTM by Indian Motorcycle maker Bajaj may lead some to harbour the belief that the Duke 990 may come to the Indian shore anytime next year, i.e 2026. While KTM hasn’t officially made any statements hinting towards an imminent launch, the consensus is that the motorcycle will make its way to India, either as a completely built unit or if and when Bajaj Auto manages to shift the whole production of KTM motorcycles from Austria to India.
