Take A Seat Aboard The New KTM 790 Duke As Chris Fillmore Makes A Record Run Up Pikes Peak
Last week we wrote about KTM's highly successful showing at the
102nd annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb event
with Chris Fillmore earning his second record run in two years, and
Rennie Scaysbrook barely missing the overall victory in the
motorcycle division. Fillmore roasted the course on the new
790 Duke claiming the win in the middleweight class along with
setting a new course record of 10:04.38, beating out the old record
by 30 seconds. Scaysbrook ripped the course on the
1290 Super Duke R for the Heavyweight class and missed the
overall win by only .692 of a second.
[caption id="attachment_68883" align="aligncenter"
width="300"]
Chris Fillmore; photo courtesy
KTM[/caption]
While both bikes are serious machines in their respective weight
classes, the brand new, yet-to-be-released on American soil 790
Duke is proving to be a real standout as it allowed Fillmore to put
his riding skills to full tilt and beat out the closest heavyweight
litre bikes by 8 seconds.
Powered by a 799cc LC8c parallel-twin engine that puts out a
claimed 105-hp and 87-ft-lbs of torque, and equipped with a host of
electronics such as cornering ABS, Supermoto mode, lean-angle
sensitive traction control, launch control, and a quick shifter the
Duke is all business. You can get a firsthand perspective of
Fillmore's record ride and just how awesome this new machine is by
watching the video below. While not exactly stock, the Duke was
treated to a host of components from the KTM Powerparts Catalog
such as new rear set foot controls, rotors, an Akrapovic exhaust
system, and a new seat. The suspension settings were also tweaked
and the motorcycle tires
were swapped out for a set more suitable for the road
conditions.
[caption id="attachment_68886" align="aligncenter"
width="300"]
Chris Fillmore; photo courtesy
KTM[/caption]
The video is really great as it offers a 360 degree view with the
camera turning as Chris leans in and out of the corners often
shooting directly back at Chris' and giving you a glimpse of his
face through the faceshield of his Bell helmet. You also
get to enjoy the throaty rumble of the Akrapovic system. Another
interesting aspect of the video is you can get a feel for the
effects the change in elevation has on the air temperature as Chris
races up the 12.42 mile course and its 156 turns. The temp at the
start on the Duke's TFT dash shows 63 degrees Fahrenheit and drops
more than 20 degrees to 41 degrees as he crosses the finish line.
The best part of the video however, is a the 11:00 minute mark just
after crossing the finish line, when Chris looks back at his rear
tire-to see if there's any tread left I assume...hahaha.
