*Rare* KTM 990 SUPER DUKE R Owner's Review - ONLY 100 of these made for NA

Watch this super rare 2008 KTM 990 SUPER DUKE R review done by the owner who bought this bike new. This vintage Super Duke R from KTM is ultra rare as only 100 of these bikes were shipped to North America. In this review, you will see the owner, Jamie, co-owner of TractionWerks Moto Guild (www.tractionwe...), give his insights on what he likes and dislikes about the bike. This isn't the typical KSMC's motorcycle review but I thought I would give the owner of the bike a chance to speak while I concentrate on filming and editing. I definitely had a chance to ride the bike and yeah, this machine is one hell of a bike! ‪@KTM‬ ‪@KTMAustralia‬ did a great job making this bike and hopefully I get a chance to review some of their new bikes in the near future.
#KTM #superduker #tractionwerks
Motorcycle: 2008 KTM 990 SUPER DUKE R
Instagram: KS_MOTO_CAFE / ks_moto_cafe

[@KSMotoCafe]

Hey everyone, I am looking for feedback on what your viewer's experience was for my new style of filming and editing. Let me know in the comments below on how it went! I know my Harley fans won't care for this bike but I want you to help me improve my content as a content creator! So tell me whats what!

[@tready1]

I liked the video - very professional - would like to see more content and rider comment. 😁

[@KSMotoCafe]

@@tready1 thank you! I am hoping to do more of these because it is more fun to be a cameraman/director than be the subject

[@krausriggentropp1970]

Very well made clip

[@lynntussey42]

@@tready1 oo

[@Okke-j2n]

​​@@KSMotoCafein italy is full of sd 990 r...you can buy an used one with 10000km for 5 6000 euro

[@djpeterson09]

I own this same bike!! Absolutely love it and feel the same way as Jaime does about his. I’ll never get rid of it. Such a unique ride. I had no idea it was so rare over here in the States.

[@KSMotoCafe]

aw man that is so cool! I really enjoyed the ride of this bike, it really felt like a mechanical beast

[@rexcielli17]

Have you had any reliability issues with your bike? I'm lookin' at getting a 990 as well.

[@NudaMan]

@@rexcielli17I had a 06’ 950 Sm and it was absolutely reliable but that was because of the early Rotax V-Twin in KTM’s lol, valve adjustments every 7500 miles, oil change every 3500-4500 miles, get some sticky rubber and the bike will be your best friend lol

[@rexcielli17]

@@NudaMan thanks for the info. Cheers!

[@Crittermoto]

What a bike! Just rider and machine….that’s awesome. Absolutely great job on the editing! The cuts from A to B roll spot on! Audio was excellent. Cinematographer excellent. Very enjoyable video to watch! Well done! Cheers!

[@KSMotoCafe]

Thanks Cris!!

[@NudaMan]

Back in 2020 a buddy of mine let me try this bike out as my first 1000cc, it was my dream bike at the time, so when he threw me the keys I knew my dream was coming true! And eventually started working at a Ktm dealership months later 😂 now I’m looking at 990 SD’s again man time flies!

[@raincoastadventures]

Great vid Kris! I like the interview style and the footage used was cool. Unlike a lot of videos, I didn't feel like this was too long, if anything it was over before I was ready!

[@KSMotoCafe]

There was a longer version with my riding impressions but it took away from the interview flow so I opted to keep it out.

[@mattsmith6636]

Dude this is a great video, I dig the interview format! What a sick bike. Keep it up man, good job with the editing.

[@KSMotoCafe]

Thanks for the positive feedback Matt!

[@joellaurin9007]

Yup! Ten thumbs up for the editing! I like the transitions and camera angle to the interviewed. Would like to see a follow up and maybe some track stuff with the guild! Drone shots too?

[@KSMotoCafe]

thanks man - I will be taking my sporty to the tracks next week!

[@KrakensGarageandAdventures]

Awesome video and I really like the voice over and the interview. Amazing drone footage as well Kris. Eric

[@KSMotoCafe]

Thanks Eric! A short video that took massive amount of editing hours hahah

[@KrakensGarageandAdventures]

@@KSMotoCafe Man... you're preaching to the choir!

[@nickmurray721]

Had my 990 superduke new way back in 2005, it’s been in my garage ever since. Carbon bodywork, Dymag carbon wheels, rebuilt suspension, flashed ecu and akravopic pipes. Will never sell it.

[@aggelosdarmanis9095]

Hey Nick I have the same bike as you describe it.

[@nickmurray721]

@@aggelosdarmanis9095 you have great taste!!! Mines been around the Nurburgring and thrashed down B Roads here in the U.K.

[@aggelosdarmanis9095]

I am from Greece my friend. Do you want add you on Facebook to see your KTM

[@nickmurray721]

@@aggelosdarmanis9095 sadly, I don’t do FB, but I have started a KTM superduke on Reddit (which nobody has joined 😂😂😂)

[@tready1]

@@nickmurray721 Hi Nick! I have a 2007 version with Akros translogic and a rottweiler induction kit - is the best commuter bike ever! Sat in garage atm waiting a new fuel pump. Would I sell - Not the fastest, not the most comfortable, no fuel guage (I bought one from Europe that measures fuel weight - had to buy 2 to cover postage fees so one for sale) Beast at overtaking and fastest out of the corner - awesome sound - never gonna sell!

[@gibblestick]

Jamie is a great guy. That KTM sounds awesome and goes well with Jamie on board for sure. TractionWerks is well worth attending if you're on the island. I even make a brief cameo appearance in this video

[@KSMotoCafe]

he definitely is! I will be attending their cornering 101 course next week with my sportster 😅 - so it will be interesting. Was your cameo in the classroom pic or the group start line pic?

[@gibblestick]

@@KSMotoCafe I was in the Start line. I did 101, great course. Will you be making a video about it?

[@KSMotoCafe]

@@gibblestick I was given permission to film but I am still wondering how I would present the experience.

[@ReQuiem_2099]

How convenient, when news of the possible 990 Duke R have been popping up everywhere this week. :P I got curious earlier this week on how the performance of the 890R faired against the 990 Super Duke R, then you go and put up a video of this awesome bike!

[@KSMotoCafe]

lol for real?? wow that is good timing but I had no clue a out the rumors. The 990R was seriously a fantastic ride. No room for error tho, as soon as I pulled the throttle it was immediate torque.

[@Sanisani9]

890 is like 790, the same engine but bigger pistons. 990 is the whole, another beast, and different engine lc8 more reliable. I also have 790 and love it for city riding and in town. Light and flickable. 790 has been super reliable for me, no complaints.

[@noidreculse8906]

Great video with excellent editing and sound. The drone footage is always a nice change of perspective. I stuck with the clip all the way through, mostly because you were looking for feedback. Normally I would not have paid attention to a review of a bike like this one, it’s not my style of riding. Your production values continue to improve and I like your interview style too. The bike on the track would have been cool to see. Keep up the good work 😎🤘🏻

[@KSMotoCafe]

Thanks Rick - yeah I suspected most of my viewers don't care too much about these types of bikes but I appreciate your time to go through this. If the interview/bike was from a Harley rider with any Harley bike in similar style (say roadglide or dyna or shovelhead)- would you be more interested?

[@DeadNought]

This was a great video, great format. I loved the cinematic effort that I know is a lot of work to put into the editing. I also recognized a couple stretches of road that are fun to ride. Yes, the HD crowd will be offended, mostly for the fact that a 990cc machine puts out so much more power.

[@KSMotoCafe]

thanks Rob! Yeah the editing was way more challenging than I had imagined! The aim was to make an 8 min video but it came out as 4 minutes after I was done haha

[@joellaurin9007]

Not true... but funny

[@DeadNought]

@@joellaurin9007 are you saying a most 100+ cubic inch HD models have more horsepower?

[@joellaurin9007]

@@DeadNought no, not at all... what I was sarcastically refering to is that I am a die hard Harley fan and rider. Mostly in the purist category and this was not offensive. In fact, I ride Harley purely on nostalgia, sound, feel, quality and style.... definitly not for power haha... To be honest my first bike was a GS500E and then a CBR 600F4. I have always dreamt of a KTM bike but never pulled the trigger... I like power, just don't care for it in a Harley.... they have their place, and this KTM at 990cc with its power has its place..... in fact you can say this KTM is the grandfather of production monster bikes.... Does anyone remember Starboyz? Fairingless power monsters used to be wrecked fairing CBR900RRs... those were the first iterations of monster bikes...

[@KSMotoCafe]

@@joellaurin9007 this bike did feel like a monster bike! I actually commented that during my ride (i should have included my ride experience on this video damn)

[@MM-qv5lf]

I was fortunate to ride one a bunch of times many years ago, it's a fantastic bike, just pure fun, incredible sound and feel.

[@_pinguso_]

Nice video man. Im from brazil, the superduke 990 is very unique here too, but its not so expensive. People here usually buy hondas or yamahas, but my first bike is a ktm duke 200, i literally fell in love with Ktms, maybe some day i will buy a 990 Excellent video and ride safe✌🏻

[@KSMotoCafe]

thanks man! these are not very expensive either on the used market but it is nice to know it is rare on our continents!

[@DustyVisorMotorcycles]

Enjoyed the edit mate, and the bike, what a beast! Love bikes that require 100% rider input! 😎

[@KSMotoCafe]

yeah man this bike's throttle response was no joke - instant hard power to the bike. It was exciting!

[@patrickmurphy8774]

First video I’ve watched of yours… great stuff keep it up

[@KSMotoCafe]

Thanks for the watch and leaving a comment Patrick!

[@josephruiz8358]

I've got one of the 100. Didn't know it's rarity till now.

[@KSMotoCafe]

niceeeee congrats man!

[@nukezat]

Great video! What I would like to know is how he fitted delkevic cans on it?

[@StNemo]

What exhaust is on this particular one? It sounds much more gutteral and beefy compared to standard, beautiful

[@MotoMedicine904]

Great video. I recently sold my 07 Super Duke 990. I do not believe the 990R was limited import in the US though. Theres a crap ton of them for sale throughout the states.

[@KSMotoCafe]

Thanks for watching! How much do they go for on the used market?

[@MotoMedicine904]

@@KSMotoCafe depends on the state. I've seen quite a few anywhere from 6-8k for the R version. The regular SD 990 is going from 5-7k. I sold my 2007 with 34k miles for $4500.

[@Bsteazy]

Are the they the early R? Because they were kinda special (and not just saying cause I have one). Some different internals, chassis setup and exhaust header etc. The easiest way to tell the difference is the redline, the early (true R) go to 10.5 instead of 9.5.

[@st1peq]

I bought 990 as my first bike. It really is uncomfortable and when the engine throttles up, its scary. You really need a brain to hold that throttle back as a first bike but i really enjoy this machine. Now going into 2nd summer with this beast. Sorry for my english, from EU

[@KSMotoCafe]

that is amazing! Good job having the discipline to not go crazy on your first year!

[@mook16v]

I genuinely think the 990 Superduke R is one of the prettiest bikes ever made, there really isn’t a bad angle. Raw, uncomfortable & impractical but I absolutely adore mine & will most likely never have another owner!

[@KSMotoCafe]

they are definitely unique looking!

[@RobertKehl]

I owned that bike for 6 years. The only thing that made it hard to ride was it’s twitchy throttle. As long as you went from turn to turn it didn’t bother you. But if you had to stay on the highway it was Torture. It had a really light flywheel with crappy off throttle mapping. I had a love hate relationship with the bike. But it handle good on the road and looked cool.

[@KSMotoCafe]

yes sir thank you for your input!

[@krausriggentropp1970]

This clip made me descide to keep my 990, they have SOUL

[@KSMotoCafe]

thank you for the feedback!

[@poguemahone5476]

Test rode one in 08 and loved it. So antisocial and everything I like about bikes. Sadly the dealership was arrogant, reluctant to let me ride it and didn't take me seriously, so I went for a Ducati M1100, because they were super friendly and let me ride whatever bike I wanted off the floor. Might pick up a SDR this winter to ride with a buddy that's about to take his test.

[@aucklandsadventures]

Nice video. I’ve never seen that bike before.

[@KSMotoCafe]

Thanks! Yeah I never even imagined getting on a KTM before but now that I have, they make really good bikes!

[@aaron.hudacky]

I've had an 08 SDR since new. What was used as reference for the stated production total? I have never seen an official total from KTM, but have read prior speculation of 250 or so imported to the US, for 2008 only, and three white 09s when KTM was considering selling them in the US in 2010 again. They are more common in Europe, although the 07 R and the 12+ 990 R had the milder, non-R engine. Regardless of production totals, these motorcycles are impractical but exhilarating to ride. I love mine. 4:14

[@abrahanpareja2393]

I have that same model and it's true, it's wonderful, I wouldn't sell it even though I need spare parts and it's difficult for me to get them. Could you give me a link to get spare parts?

[@pasha_houston]

Thus reminds me of my old 03 tuono 1000 so so much ! Dry sump, v2, the oil level mesire even looks similar, torque for days, even soudbs the same. Im sure it rides sinilar in the way. I miss my tuono :'(

[@robertcokljat3612]

What exhaust is this?

[@Chickadeetrain]

Awesome video!

[@KSMotoCafe]

thanks!

[@sarahdell4042]

These are a handful! The throttle makes riding it a chore.

[@KSMotoCafe]

I loved it! It felt so raw and beasty

[@Newmanicus]

I love mine she s a beast and looks to die for too❤

[@tonyleonard1659]

I had 2008 R. I didn’t know it was that rare! Then I sold it to my buddy…and the guy was right definitely not a first rider bike…it’s a raw bike! Tried to tell my friend that and now…she is in the graveyard…I’m buying it back from him for $1000 bucks it still runs, but the front end is smash!

[@KSMotoCafe]

Yikes! hope you can revive the bike soon!

[@andrewmeline3857]

How did you find the production numbers on this bike?

[@KSMotoCafe]

I was told from the owner, Jamie. Only the 990 R version is the rare one in North America. They are not rare in other parts of the world.

[@abrahanpareja2393]

Hello, I am the owner of one of these units, the 2008 r version and I am looking for the air filter, if you could help me I would appreciate it

[@LizardMane]

Gosh I'd love to own one but I hear they're coming out with a new 990 duke?

[@KSMotoCafe]

that is correct! I didn't know that fact until I saw the news day after this was uploaded lol

[@LizardMane]

@@KSMotoCafe do you think it's better off just getting a ene 1290 or is the 990 worth it

[@KSMotoCafe]

@@LizardMane I honestly am not familiar with the KTM brand, I am mostly a HD guy with some Ducati Monster experience. This review was for me to practice interviewing and trying some different with editing!

[@kennethcole02]

I got the same one its been giving issues lately, and just replaced the stator and yesterday i put a new battery which i thought it was fine it turned on twice and then stall after 1 km of a test ride. Everything seems to work fine as a fuel pump, carburetor etc anybody would suggest a fix problem? Thank you 🙏🏼

[@KSMotoCafe]

I obviously don't know the solution but I will ping Jamie (the owner of the bike) to see if he's got an answer

[@kennethcole02]

@@KSMotoCafe i really appreciate it brother 🙏🏼😄☕️☕️

[@KSMotoCafe]

@@kennethcole02 can you explain some of the symptoms?

[@danielkoch200]

I would never be able to part with my beast even before I knew that it was so rare lol!!!

[@KSMotoCafe]

good choice!

[@TheRedcroatian]

I own a 2009 FZ1 and will run circles around you. This looks like a hooligan bike for an adolescent in the city, pulling wheelies all day long and posing in front of the local cafe/bar.

[@Newmanicus]

I owned an fz1, good engine and does go well, but cheap suspension and no bottom end what so ever, goes well when wound right up, and doesn't do well in old age, ktm oodles more quality!!

[@TheRedcroatian]

@@Newmanicus you gotta put in the work, it's a great base bike. I have Penske shock in the back, and RaceTech springs in the front, she's on rails now. Bottom end is a bit sluggish, I'll give you that. I just ordered Delkevic headers to resolve that issue and to pair it with my Scorpion slip on. The bike has a custom map and EVAP eliminated. She goes like hell now and I often shame CBR1000RR posers on the highway, the top case in the back confuses them when I pass them by and leave them in dust going up through my quickshifter :)

[@chrisalexandersb1748]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@TheRedcroatianMy 2006 990 SD weighs 163kg dry and has 130hp/109Nm on the rear wheel. Good luck getting the Yamaha that light and punchy😂 Race ready with a full tank its 179kg. Id take that and the more aggressive geometry over a few horses extra any day of the week. If highway pulls where my thing, I would just get any modern +200hp rocket.

[@Sanisani9]

That's the bike that got me to buy 1290 sdr

[@j007hazzard]

i have a 2008 with Yoshimira's - monster

[@ScarfDoesGaming]

I found one for sale... imma have to buy it now that I know it's rare

[@KSMotoCafe]

well.. KTM is re-releasing the 990R soon with new tech, so I don't believe this bike will get more expensive or anything but a cool collector bike for sure

[@ScarfDoesGaming]

@@KSMotoCafe bad news, it's not the R model... and I dont think I should buy it since my only experience has been a DRZ 400

[@kmacs9905]

I absolutely love my sd.

[@sushi_edits225]

I thought You’re a pure Harley guy😂

[@KSMotoCafe]

lol I seem like it but I am into all bikes. It is just I happen to ride a Harley as my first bike and I got the opportunity to cover many other HD bikes... But I do have some Ducati Monster content and off-road content if interested lol

[@sushi_edits225]

@@KSMotoCafe great, because even I started off as a Harley guy, later on I expanded my taste for all motorbikes

[@KSMotoCafe]

@@sushi_edits225 that's awesome! Congrats on being able to leave Harley lol I am still fighting that feeling

[@sushi_edits225]

@@KSMotoCafe I didn’t leave Harley 😂, I just expanded my taste that’s all, but I blame Harley for converting me into a bike guy as previously I was a car guy

[@pasizdobrekuce]

Fresco Vale cans 👌👌👌

[@KSMotoCafe]

yeah they sounded amazing

[@pasizdobrekuce]

Try to remove DB killers, it sounds obnoxiously good. 🙂 I have them on my 2011 SD990. Fits better than Akrapovic IMHO.

[@judycrawford3915]

Have one for sale now…California

[@KSMotoCafe]

nice! hell of a bike

[@ashezplayboy]

One in ct

[@osirisfilmproductions]

They aren't rare at all, commercially available at release in the UK. Thousands of them.

[@KSMotoCafe]

I meant in North America. They only sent 100 to North America in 2008.

[@DaneH64]

They made a specific batch to send to NA in 2008, in which was only 100. Yes, Imported models from other countries aren't rare, but for the US model, only 100 were made