2008 KTM 690 Duke

The Super Duke was born from KTM’s Adventure dual sport, but the Duke’s lineage is more off-road. It uses a similar chassis and is powered by the same LC4 motor as KTM’s 690 Enduro and 690 Supermoto bikes. -- Susan Carpenter  (Don Kelsen/ Los Angeles Times)

In its new incarnation, the liquid-cooled LC4 is fuel injected (for better performance), counterbalanced (for less vibration) and more powerful (for reasons I don’t need to explain). -- Susan Carpenter  (Don Kelsen/ Los Angeles Times)

When you’re riding the Duke, it’s clear the LC4 was developed for racing because it’s happiest when the grip is twisted. In lower gears at low and middle revs, the throttle was a little glitchy when I held it steady. -- Susan Carpenter  (Don Kelsen/ Los Angeles Times)