KTM Duke 200 - Click above for picture gallery
The KTM Duke 200 has shaken the premium motorcycle segment with its aggressive price. The bike has all the right ingredients to be a massive success in the Indian market. The headlights are diamond shaped while the indicators use LEDs. The tyres of the KTM Duke are made by MRF and the rear tail light resembles alot like the Kawasaki Ninja 250R. The quality of parts are extremely high and the switchgear feels nice to operate. Start the KTM Duke 200 and she roars to life, displaying the message ‘Ready To Race’ on the console. The instrument cluster is lit in orange all the time and displays important information like stand stand on and time to service. Other things like distance to empty (the 11-litre fuel tank was showcasing around 300 kms! with 80% fuel on board) and timings are also displayed.
Sit on the Duke 200 and it gives a good view to the rider. The mirrors fall well in line for good rear view visibility. The engine is exposed and the under belly exhaust is conspicuous by its absence. The Duke 200 has an inbuilt crash guard too and the front forks look very chunky. The tank has wing like projections and that theme continues on the pillio seat with similar projections for the grab rails. The rear mudguard has been integrated quite well and does not spoil the appeal of the Duke. The rear tyres look very good indeed and the overall paint quality is top notch. KTM Stores are not only letting prospective customers come and snap the Duke but will also let you sit on it. Test rides will be offered too and this will be done on the roads and not on the dyno. All in all, Bajaj Auto has made a commendable effort with the Duke,. Now how does it ride is something we will have to wait for to find out if the Duke lives up to the hype.
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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
xbhpians have already tested it and according to them, this baby duke is going to be a trouble for cbr250r….. ;)
Girish, yes the Duke will not only trouble CBR250R but even R15 V2.0.
this bike is a sure fire winner, it has everything, modern looks, modern instruments, good fuel economy, the lot, an excellent product
Robin, it is the price that really wins customers in India and the Duke 200 is very aggressively priced.
Nice pictures and information Faisal
Thanks Ramesh ;-)
quality is a nightmare for other bikes in India. The backlight is taken from Kawsaki as well noted. Exhaust look and finish is superb as well the seats. Though it does not have handle bar weights. Does it lack tripmeter too?
Abhisek, tripmeter is present.
@Fas, I had been to the KTM showroom yday and tried all sorts of things while the bike being stationary. Following were my observations.
http://i39.tinypic.com/vzhlxu.jpg
Fantastic riding position- could visualise myself drifting on twisties. Suspensions to die for (wish had those forks on the CBR.
Monoshock has ten preload settings and surprisingly soft.
Revs like a firebreathing dragon. Feels a 2 stroke bike in a 4 stroke avatar..people who like fitting those noisy dabbas to their bikes will love the exhaust in stock form. I found it noisy though- but might feel exciting when you rev her to the moon on the road.
Looks small under me ;) Am 5.8.
On the downside-
A few plastics here and there are of flimsy quality.
The finishing of the chassis looks a hurried job- crude looking welding joins and uneven grinding shows up in light.
Vibey at the footpegs post 4000 rpm.
Thanks Deepak for your insight. I wanted to know if your CBR250R also has built quality issues reported on earlier bikes?
…forgot to add. Pillions will like it when the bike is new (owing to the excitement of a new bike)…later they will start complaining.
the exhaust is strikingly similar to p220….the all digi meter has some good touches like side stand down warning n all but i would hav preferred an analog tacho….but overall this is a killer vfm product
Hritik, same here. Analog tacho is what bikes need and even SBKs have analog tachos.
Fas not all SBKs have Analog tacho. Nowdays most of the racing 1Litre SBKs have digital tacho for instance ZX-10R. Old SBKs had analog tacho most of them.
Abhisek, some top SBKs still use analog tacho. The Hayabusa has analog speedo too!
^^^The P220 and the KTM exhaust are miles away from each other. I agree it needed a tacho.
Without a doubt, Duke 200 is going to be a winner and is going to upset competition big time in their current sales and as well as future product plans.
Pulsarboy, what will be interesting to watch is if the KTM bikes cannibalize the Ninja.
In INDIA design plays a major role, so according to me DUKE 200 only hamper the sales of BAJAJ PULSAR.
Seetam, no ways will Duke eat Pulsar sales as price difference between both is significant.