KTM Duke

Bajaj Auto will be launching KTM PowerWear and PowerParts, which the company showcased at the Duke 200 launch a couple of months ago. The Austrian automaker offers a range of accessories and parts for its complete Duke line-up, which includes the Duke 125, Duke 200, Duke 690. For the 2012 KTM Duke 200, the company plans to launch parts which include unpainted tank, headlights mask, rear fenders (both left and ride side), sticker sheers, chrome sticker kit (helps you to differentiate your Duke the way YOU LIKE it). For the stock Duke, parts like the tank pads, rim sticker set (Orange and White), illumination kit (for the tank), smaller head light mask kit, license plate holder (a la Pulsar 135LS, 200 NS), carbon fiber finish tank cap sticker sheets, stainless steel chain guard, alarm system, brake bleeder screw, crash pads at the front and rear (to protect the swingarm and forks) are available. [click to continue…]

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The KTM Duke is undoubtedly the motorcycle which offers the most horses per Rupee. Producing 25 BHP of power and priced at Rs. 1.30 lakhs (on-road, Pune), the Duke 200 is a hoot to ride and is quicker than its nearest rival, the Honda CBR250R, which too produces 25 BHP of power but costs atleast 20% more. When the KTM Duke 200 made its way to India, initial riding impressions showed disappointment with the revv limited kicking in at 10,500 RPM. This revv limit has been put for the longevity of the engine by Bajaj Auto, but the Duke 200 feels much eager to cross this and the ECU abruptly cuts off power at 137 km/h.

Now Kiirus (a tuning firm based in Mumbai) has come up with a solution, wherein they will remap your ECU to increase the revv-limit to 11500-12000 RPM, resulting in a claimed increase in horsepower by 3 BHP. This revv limit increase is in every gear and the company claims a new top speed of 145-148 km/h. Further more they also claim that the flashing of the ECU with a new map also results in softer idle and less stress on the engine. Two people have already got this done on their Duke 200, which has resulted in a 10% increase in mileage too.

The folks at Kiirus will need your ECU for four hours to complete the job, which if you are in Mumbai can be done by visiting them, while people staying away can courier in their ECU’s. At a price of Rs. 12,000/-, this software only update doesn’t come cheap, while at the same time also runs the risk of voiding your bike warranty. Furthermore an increased revv-limit will also result in more wear and tear of the engine. While we don’t doubt the claims of Kiirus, we will wait till a dyno reading is revealed to show the actual gains with this ECU remap.

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Everybody knew Bajaj Auto made a nice move when it bought a majority stake of the Austrian naked bike maker, KTM. After a long and desperate lull, Bajaj had finally launched the first KTM in the Indian market, the Duke 200. Wrapped in orange livery, this bike commands performance from all angles. Few select auto journos got to test drive the vehicle and the feedback, which I had already spoken about, was mighty impressive. But there was a small disappointment. Bajaj had introduced a rev limiter in the KTM Duke 200 which kicks in at 10,000 RPM. This restricts the speed at a mere 126 km/h which won’t be liked by the motorcycle enthusiasts. [click to continue…]

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Bajaj Auto has converted all its pro-biking showrooms into KTM stores with the launch of the Duke 200 in India. These showrooms still have a few Avengers and Pulsars parked in them, but will not be selling any Bajaj vehicle in the near future. The KTM showrooms are solely going to sell the Duke 200 and future KTM bikes along with the Kawasaki Ninja. Currently there is a Ninja 250R on display at most of the KTM showrooms but no Ninja 650R has been put on display. [click to continue…]

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Last month Bajaj Auto announced the launch of the KTM Duke 200 in India. This is the first KTM which hits our shores and is only the beginning as the Austrian automaker will launch even more motorcycles in the near future, including a 350cc and 1000cc machine. Now the price of the KTM Duke 200 was an instant hit with many as the Duke 125 is sold for Rs. 2.8 lakhs in Europe. With 95% level of localisation, Bajaj Auto has been able to achieve this price point. The initial booking amount announced by the company was Rs. 30,000/- but now the company has decreased this to Rs. 20,000/- to encourage bookings. The cancellation amount has been increased to Rs. 3000/- to prevent withdrawals. [click to continue…]

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