#Galfer
Track Showdown: 2019 KTM 790 Duke "R" Vs 2020 KTM 890 Duke R
By now, my ongoing relationship with my 2019 KTM 790 Duke is possibly one of the most documented motorcycle love affairs of recent history. That’s okay. I can live with the ribbing from my coworkers. If that’s all they can think of to tease me about, I’m coming out way ahead in the game. Still, they have a point. I bought my 790 fully expecting that there would be a Duke R in the upcoming model year or two. I just didn’t expect it to have an 890 in front of it.
So, it naturally begs the question: Was all that time, effort, and money I spent building my own R-model with KTM PowerParts and the aftermarket wasted? Since we had the 890 Duke R and the Triumph Street Triple RS scheduled for a track day, I figured that the boys could spare a session each to throw a leg over my 790 and give me their impressions of how it stacks up to the 890.
MO Tested: KTM PowerParts Wave Brake Discs
If I was happy with how EBC brake pads improved the KTM 790 Duke’s binders, why would I install the PowerParts Wave Discs? First, I was curious if the discs really would deliver KTM’s claimed 25% increase in braking power, and after our recent trip to Laguna Seca, where I found myself coming into the corners at increasingly higher speeds and requiring more and more from my brakes throughout the day, I realized that perhaps more power at the lever would be a good thing. So, I decided to check out the waves, front and rear.
2019 KTM 790 Duke Review – First Ride
Live With This: 2019 KTM 790 Duke Long-Term Review
MO Tested: Factory Pro Shift Kit Review
Like the OEM discs, the PowerParts Wave Discs are sourced from Galfer. However, they are very different units. While both sets of front discs are 300mm items (Galfer does have a 320mm kit, though.), they offer some structural differences, but first, we’ll cover the similarities. Both discs use the same 420 high-carbon stainless steel for the swept area of the disc. Both are laser cut instead of stamped, which allows for more consistent shapes. Although they receive different grinding treatments, both discs are put through the same parallel double disc grinding machines. (The PowerParts discs receive a slightly coarser grind, according to my contact at Galfer.)
