KTM Duke: The Most Loved & Hated Motorcycle In India

By Super

The KTM Duke was released in India in 2012. Bajaj Auto owns about 40% of KTM and is responsible for manufacturing, selling, and servicing the KTM motorcycles in India.

ktm duke 200

Currently, the Duke is offered in two variants: the KTM 200 and the KTM 390. Since its release, the Duke has taken over the Indian motorcycling market like none other.

The Duke's pure and international standard designs with quality parts and unmatched performance in power and handling, have youngsters drooling over it with envy.

ktm duke 390

While the younger and eager generation think the Duke is the best motorcycle in the country, the old hats have opposite views about the Duke.

Reasons why some people don't prefer the Duke

1. It is too fast and dangerous: The "parents" find the Duke 200 and 390 unusually quick and noisy. They are concerned about their children's safety and well-being. Also, since the motorcycle has a powerful performance, they also don't trust their heirs to ride moderately.

2. Parts and service are costly: The Duke is a pricey affair at Rs. 1,43,000 for the 200cc and Rs. 1,96,000 for the 390cc, ex showroom, (Delhi), respectively. Each general service will dent your wallet, costing in the range of Rs. 3000 - 4000, which is considered to be expensive by Indian standards.

3. The way the motorcycle is ridden: The Duke can be seen used and pushed to its limits. Youngsters zip past everyone else in the traffic, which mostly causes panic with the auto drivers and other commuters. Most times, we get the feeling, the Duke is not respected for the beautiful machine that it is, but rather taken advantage of the powerful performance to escape traffic and be ahead of everyone else.

4. Most number of accidents: There is no certain percentage or number to define the rate of accidents the Dukes have had. Lately however, most cases of road accidents and on the spot deaths have been reported to be on Dukes. The death toll on Duke is much more than any other motorcycle in India. Due to the Duke's performance, youngsters who want to show-off, find it thrilling to push the motorcycle to its limit.

While these reasons might be a little off-putting for the KTM lovers, the Duke 200 and 390, is the most sought after and hated motorcycle in India. Any second thoughts?

KTM Duke Technical Specifications Overview

Model Displacement Power Mileage
KTM Duke 200 200cc 25bhp 35km/l
KTM Duke 390 373cc 44bhp 25km/l
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Read more on: #ktm
Article Published On: Monday, April 25, 2016, 18:00 [IST]
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