A tale of two Test Rides (KTM 790 Duke, Honda CB650R)

PrefaceI've been riding a 2008 Yamaha WR250X for about a year, and had a DRZ400SM before that, preceded by a smattering of other bikes like KLR's and Harleys. I love my Supermoto, but lately I've been wanting to ride further out into the mountains. Currently live in Downtown Denver, where the Supermoto shines, but that shine wears off quickly any time I need to get above 65 for sustained periods or want to ride for longer than an hour or two.So today I hit up a local dealer (Fay Myers, who was super accommodating with the test rides) to take the Honda CB650R and KTM 790 Duke out for a spin. I basically started saving my pennies as soon as the 790 was announced, so I had cash handy. The Honda threw a wrench in my 790 plans with it's silky smooth lines, retro styling, and Honda reliability.Honda CB650R - The sedate Japanese Businessman with a drinking problem.Starting with the looks, the CB650R was a great bike. Good level of tech, nice 4-cylinder engine, plenty of power, that oh-so-gorgeous front fork and headlight. Once you sit on it, it does feel a little portly coming from a WR250X, but otherwise is surprisingly light on its feet. The clutch engagement was nearly the polar opposite of my WR250X, engaging quite far out from the bar. Engine response was smooth, and it had a surprising amount of power down low. Overall, below ~5500RPM, it's a great around-town bike with absolutely no buzziness and a very quiet exhaust. It's very nimble. My biggest gripe from a fit/finish standpoint is that the gauge cluster is effectively impossible to read in direct sunlight.Riding position was okay (I'm 6'2, 185lb, 34-inch inseam). My knees would be sore after a few hours.Above 5500RPM is where that "drinking problem" comes in. This thing likes to party. Once you give it the beans, it willingly pulls allllll the way to redline and the exhaust sounds really good once it's wide open. Merging onto the highway was an experience bordering on religious. The whole time, it maintained that Honda smoothness. Bottom line? It's a Honda. Not too crazy, but it's fun. For myself, I could see it getting boring around town, though.KTM 790 Duke - The Colorado Software Developer that likes to climb mountains on the weekends.Ohhhh the Duke. Sitting on this really does feel like it's the bastard lovechild of a Super Duke and a Dirt Bike. The seat is nice and narrow, with the tank kind of flaring out in front of you. The most prominent thing you see is that big, beautiful TFT display, and those nice backlit controls. The tech on this bike makes the Honda feel like it belongs in the stone age. Auto-blipper, quick-shifter for up/down (Honda is only up), adjustable riding modes, dual-channel ABS and TCS with wheelie mode and the ability to disable all the tech to the rear-wheel for you to let loose your inner Hooligan. The engine is incredibly smooth, but definitely feels closer to my WR250X in grunt and overall behavior. It's happy to chug along below 4500 RPM (important in the city) all day, and the clutchless shifting means traffic sucks a little less.Crank that throttle open, and it's party time. If the Honda was a semi-religious experience, the Duke was God coming down from on-high and punching me straight in the kidneys. It climbs to the redline fast, and it sounds like pure, Austrian sex the whole way.Riding position on the Duke was great. It felt every bit like a dirt bike, with no stress on the knees or arms. The bike feels very light underneath you, but has enough heft that I don't feel like it'll get blown around a ton.Bottom line? If you are a more urban-oriented person with nearby mountains, the Duke is a solid fucking bike for the price.I was decided on the Duke in the first 2 minutes of the test ride. I pick it up Friday. To be fair, after "market adjustment" the Duke was only $250 more than the Honda so the decision was much easier.In the interest of equal time;Yamaha WR250X - That angry, drunken ex who might stab you but also the sex is amazing and maybe you can sneak out before she wakes up.The WR250X, for those not in the know, is the Supermoto version of the WR250R. My particular X is a 2008 that's been geared down, has a full FMF exhaust that is obnoxiously, illegally loud, a power commander, and really encourages you to make poor life choices that seem awesome until the cops show up.Riding position is great as an urban and canyon-carving bike, and it honestly feels like the bike weighs nothing. The re-gear means it pulls really well for a 250, but it also means the highway is like your partner ignoring your safe word. You'll come out sore, tired, and wondering why the fuck you did that again. Then she starts whispering sweet nothings in your ear about "dank whoolies" and "just ride on the sidewalk, the cops won't catch you!".TL;DR - Shut the fuck up and tell me what bike to buyGet the Duke, you nerd. via /r/motorcycles https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/c00m6h/a_tale_of_two_test_rides_ktm_790_duke_honda_cb650r/?utm_source=ifttt