Car & Bike TestDriven: The New KTM Duke 200 Launched in India

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puneetritehere

puneetritehere

Racer911
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Hey guys.. after a lot of wait and anticipation, the new KTM Duke 200, Austria based European Company has finally been brought to India by Bajaj Motors who now own a 40 % stake in the company.

The Bike is available at a very competitive price considering the designing, build quality as well as the efficiency of the engine and is available in the country at a price of anywhere between

Rs. 117000 to Rs. 128000 depending on your state taxes.

The company is readily offering test drives to those who have a driving license.

It came as a surprise when I got a call from the Bajaj Pro Biking showroom requesting me to come over for a test ride and.. well.. I wasnt one to say no..

The bike looks fabulous, with wide rear tyres, large disc brakes, the black and orange combination adds to the looks and the bike has definitely proven to be head turner on the roads which was my experience in my city..

The Engine is quite revvy, sporty and responsive. .It is really enjoyable the way the RPM needle keeps climbing smoothly through the RPM range however you do feel a slight increase in acceleration at higher RPMs which is obvious because most of the bikes have their optimal powerband at higher rev ranges.

The 25 HP that the 200 cc engine manages to squeeze out is impressive and puts the Pulsar 220 and Karizma to shame even if you consider the premium that you pay for the bike which after looking up close, you will realize is not just because of the extra power that the engine gives out..

BUT THE BIKE IT REALLY PUTS TO SHAME IS THE HONDA CBR250, which gives out the same 25 Horsepower, though the torque is slightly more at 22 Nm . which the Duke really mocks at... especially at the given price..

One thing is for sure, the Honda is clearly overpriced and so is the Kawasaki Ninja, but atleast the Ninja manages to squeeze out impressive power and torque and differentiates itself from any other 200cc or 220cc motorcycle on the road.

The engine sounds good, though I feel it can sound much better if you modify your exhausts.. which may be a bit difficult as this bike does not have conventional exhaust pipes..

Rather, it has a bottom floor exhaust.. (check out the pic.) This is what I think causes the engine to have a slightly thinner note than some people might desire.

The bike has very soft front telescopic fork suspension and mono suspension in the rear which is quite comfortable as well. the bike is really comfortable but some people may have to spend a few days to get used to the riding position on the bike.

The bike is definitely an impressive and welcome addition to the Indian Market and I foresee it giving a tough competition especially in the bigger cities..
 

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dude no other sub 3lacs bike beats this one on power to weight ratio. I have booked one for myself after taking a 5 kms test ride! This is the easiest bike to pull off stoppies with..
 
^^^^^^^Yeah i agree. it has amazing front braking.. lot of road grip..

@devvfatality.. do share your experience and pics once you get your bike..

Hello people.. if anyone else has test ridden this bike.. plz share your views of how you felt.. criticism as well as appreciation is equally welcome...

if you havent test ridden, go to your nearest bajaj probiking showroom with a drivers license for an enjoyable test ride. .

and take note that they will first take a xerox of your drivers license, make u sign a waiver form that they are not responsible for any injury to yourself..
 
Did two test rides. Got loads of feedback for would be buyers - which i will elaborate later on - but the KTM 200 is out of the equation for me. Its going to be the new Pulsar 200NS simply because the pillion of the KTM is simply does not exist and this is will be a problem for I often have company
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. But all said and done the KTM is a brilliant brilliant bike! I can't always think with my heart and the Pulsar will have better resale value later if I plan on upgrading to something else.
 
heheh.. well. your smiley suggests what company you must be having. and if you want them to stick close to you and hold you tight, you better buy the KTM. the KTM's anyway gonna be much better in terms of engine quality, every other part quality, the tyres everything, the worst thing the pulsar has that the company hasnt been able to improve is the gearbox.. the quality of gearbox on all the pulsars is shit. and i dont expect any better in the new pulsar..
 
I took my "better half" and she, although being super slim, found the rear seat uncomfortable and I was made to swear on everything I owned that I would not exceed 80 Kmph and that she would keep her schedule free to make sure I didn't breach the 80 kmph barrier. That didn't bother me as much as the real world issues of the 60+days waiting, the low availability of spares at some remote outpost or along the highway, the lack of skill road side mechanics might have in order to fix the bike should something go wrong on one of my out of city rides. That killed it all for me!

As for the pulsar - I don't know what you mean about poor gearbox quality and all - my pulsar 135 ls has the smoothest gear shifting of all the bikes I have ever ridden. The new pulsar 200ns gives you 99% of what the KTM promises but with all the real world situations taken care of which include a better rear pillion+better fuel economy+better resale value. In India its easy to fix a Pulsar anywhere and get the required spare parts. Although this new 200NS is a totally different pulsar - the easy availability of parts maybe an issue in remote areas. According to the reviews the Pulsar 200NS has a very smooth engine and everything is refined and the build quality is amazing. Let's wait for it to hit the showrooms and then give it a try ourselves instead of this speculative banter which proves nothing.
 
yeah i agree. .pulsar is easily repairable anywhere in India and is a more practical option.. and about the gearbox, almost all the pulsars that i have seen, once they get about 3 to 4 yrs old, the gearbox gets really screwed up. How old is your pulsar 135???
 
finally noticed this thread. Anyways was away from internet for a long time. I fell in love with this bike when i saw it first sometime back in November. I had booked this bike on the first day itself. The good news is that i got a call from KTM showroom guys today only stating that they will deliver it by this weekend.
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I am going crazy at the moment.
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As i was not expecting the delivery before mid march. Cant wait.
 
plz post the fuel efficiency, top speed (if you're the person who likes testing the potential of their vehicles)

sunny27 said:
My pulsar is a sept 2011 reg bike its done 4500 km.
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yeah.. thats why.. wait till you complete an year on your bike.. not mocking you. but its just that every pulsar turns out like this after an year or a couple of years depending on the kind of rider...
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i personally dont think you made a good choice with the pulsar 135.. i think you'd have been better off. with a 150 cc from any other brand.. be it hero, honda, yamaha, suzuki.. all of these bikes have better mechanical efficiency than the pulsar.. this is what i have learned after owning a pulsar for 9 yrs now.. i have the first pulsar 150cc model silver colour. the very first that came out.. then i bought a pulsar 220cc for my younger brother recently.. my friend bought an avenger, which basically has the same engine as the pulsar.. all of them have started having noisy and worn out gearbox problems.. on the other hand, my friends with a unicorn, karizma, even a hero honda passion. have had no such problems..

devesh38 said:
finally noticed this thread. Anyways was away from internet for a long time. I fell in love with this bike when i saw it first sometime back in November. I had booked this bike on the first day itself. The good news is that i got a call from KTM showroom guys today only stating that they will deliver it by this weekend.
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I am going crazy at the moment.
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As i was not expecting the delivery before mid march. Cant wait.
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hey once you get the bike, i will also be grateful if you can post a video of your bike concentrating on the engine and exhaust sounds, a little revving (in neutral, not necessarily while riding on the road) to let the people know the responsiveness of the engine. .and any other stuff that you think everyone should know about the bike.. and a little closeups and voice description about the various parts you find superior in tech. and quality terms than the bikes we generally find in India, like the pulsar, karizma. etc..

the suspension, discs, etc..
 
Yep, At least a video of your bike's electric start sound, revving sound and engine sounds will give a fair idea of how the beast growls:)
 
How is this bike for newbies?

I mean I have been driving 4 wheelers for the past 10-12 years but have never been a bike owner/ regular rider..

So is this bike too powerful for new riders or is the sedate Honda Unicorn better? I like the looks of this one...
 
Well it is going to be tough for a newbie. The power to weight ratio is phenomenal resulting in lightning quick acceleration, failure to judge and control the acceleration will result in accidents. I suggest getting some practice of at least 4-6 months, on a 150cc bike and the proceeding with bikes like these.

I am so damn confused between this and the new pulsar 200ns. I am willing to sacrifice everything that is practical and go ahead with booking this bike. These are things you buy with your heart and not your mind. You buy the KTM because you are passionate. as for company on the pillion - luckily my companion is extra slim - I shall not think of her comfort.

The bike is for me not her!(Expecting a massive argument now!)
 
aka911 said:
How is this bike for newbies?

I mean I have been driving 4 wheelers for the past 10-12 years but have never been a bike owner/ regular rider..

So is this bike too powerful for new riders or is the sedate Honda Unicorn better? I like the looks of this one...
Click to expand...

Just get a test ride, i am sure you will be able to ride it just fine, its not a 200BHP monster like Kawasaki ZX10R, it will be silly to get a bike like unicorn and repent later.
 
if you have never ridden bikes before, 25 bhp might be a bit more for you.. but then it really depends on person to person. Some people just have a natural ability to grasp such things easily, learn really fast on their own... if you think you are that kind of person, who with every next ride can learn fast, and develop your own style of driving, i say go ahead.. just dont try to push the bike to its limits unless you have absolute control over the bike.. and remember, most of the people can accelerate fast. no big deal there.. its the efficient and safe braking that they know peanuts about .
 
I went to chennai showroom as he had called me on monday and told me arrange for finance. Upon entering the showroom, saw 9 Brand new fresh Dukes standing there. Immediately got goosebumps thinking my bike could be one of them.

Upon the approaching the store persons they told that my bike will be arriving in 2-3 days. They are planning some inauguration ceremony next week or may be this weekend also which they will inform soon. They said they will be handing over the bikes in the first lot on that day. They said they are thinking of calling some celebrity. The store person confirmed that my bike will also be among them.
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Now the wait is becoming really impatient. Getting goosebumps already.

BTW : the booking number for duke in chennai is 85 till today.
 
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