KTM 990 Super Duke - Best Used Bikes

Ten Best Award 2007 Honorable Mention Winner.

KTM 990 Super Duke - Best Used Bikes

Years Manufactured: 2007-'08

MSRP new: $13,998 ('07); $14,398 ('08); $15,598 ('08 Super Duke R)

Blue Book retail value: $7720 ('07); $8500 ('08) $10,315 ('08 R)

Basic specs: An exceptionally sporty naked bike powered by a 1000cc, 75-degree V-Twin that bangs out 106 horsepower and 68 foot-pounds of torque. The counterbalanced engine hangs in a steel-trellis frame fitted with excellent WP suspension at both ends. In 2008, a separate R-model offered engine, exhaust and other hardware upgrades, adding $1200 to the MSRP.

Why it won: The Super Duke did not win a Ten Best Award in 2007 but it came damned close. Though barely edged out in the Best Open Streetbike and Best Standard categories, it did earn a much-deserved Honorable Mention. Thanks in no small part to its 417-pound dry weight—barely more than the top middleweight repli-racers of the time—the Super Duke turned in a 10.79-second, 123.9-mph quarter-mile performance. It also registered a top speed of 142 mph, not terribly shabby for an unfaired V-Twin.

Then there's the bike's sensational handling: In the twisties, the Super Duke is about as much confidence-inspiring fun as you're likely to experience on two wheels. As our May, 2007, test proclaimed, "Long, constant-radius curves are carved like flying on autopilot—no further input needed once your bank angle has been set." On the open road, the Super Duke is a pleasant all-around ride. But on a backroad, it's naked-bike excitement at its best.

Useful resources: Super Dukes sold in comparatively small numbers and only for a couple of years, so you won't find large volumes of information about them anywhere. There is, however, a dedicated Super Duke forum (www.superduke.net) on the Internet, and discussion of that model is included in some other KTM sites, including www.ktmforums.com. You'll also find parts, accessories and a bit of tech information for this particular Katoom on the Web, and even a few Super Dukes for sale. They're hard to find, but if you're lucky enough to score one in good condition, you're in for some fun rides you won't soon forget—all for just a little more than half of what the bikes sold for when new.

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