2017 KTM 690 Duke

The 2017 KTM 690 Duke sits as the brand's single-cylinder flagship, a big-bore thumper built for riders who want maximum character from minimum cylinder count. This is a bike that makes its single cylinder feel like an event every time you crack the throttle, with a punchy, torquey delivery that rewards aggressive riding through corners and hard acceleration out of them. It's light and flickable in a way that twins and fours often aren't, and that agility defines the ownership experience more than any spec sheet number could. Expect a bike that feels most alive on twisty back roads and city streets, less suited to long highway slogs but genuinely entertaining everywhere else.

The 2017 model carried over without significant mechanical changes from the prior year — buyers comparing it to a 2016 example should focus on mileage, service history, and condition rather than spec differences.

This bike attracts riders stepping up from smaller singles or naked bikes who want more punch without the weight and bulk of a liter-class machine, along with experienced owners who value simplicity and want a single-cylinder bike as a daily companion rather than a novelty.