1.2 lakh rupees ex-showroom for a 125cc motorcycle???
Does that even make any kind of sense? Well… it is a KTM after all the brand
new 125 Duke and to make sense of it
here are 5 things you need to know about the new baby Duke
1. It looks identical to the 200 Duke now the Both the 200 and 125 are available
in three Very Similar colour options – black, orange and is white back in ceo
both bikes also have that The frames painted black and the wheels painted orange which
is a very lovely ktm touch the only way to differentiate between
the 200 and 125 others graphics on the tank and if i had to comment on that i think the
graphics on the 125 look a little more youthful. But outside of that everything is identical
duke 200 –headlight, taillight and even that small get highly informative, instrument
cluster and it all stage the same
Hop on the bike and it’s a very familiar
experience – now I have the first gen 390 Duke, and i Feel Right at home on this 125
So far, things are looking good
2. It carries over the same underpinnings from the 200 as well
now it’s really hard to believe that This is actually a 125cc motor cycle now let
him this way if an avarage 125cc motor cycle is like a wada pav this is like a growable burger
its one hell of a growable burger sure that frame is not from the current
gen 125 duke this is no bold of suffering but this frame has been taken from the 200
Duke and the last gen 390 and that is very kepable.
and is the running is the most advanced suspension that we have seen
on a 125 cc bike in the indian market today. Those fact frontfox 43mm upside the limit
and the monoshock have actually been designed by WP and know new gen 390 and there the same much
as got previous 390 and cuurent 200 Duke
and even the Tyres these are – mrf revz s – Radials 110 in front and rear 150 and again
from the 200 Duke and put All that together
We get a bike that handles really really well out here on the bajaj rest track… the bike
felt very nimble and the chassis has always been very keepable
on the 125 because you have little less power.you can active the extra that chassis
to its maximum
You can open the throttle with reckless abandon thru the corners, and the bike just cupes
without breaking a sweat
3. It’s the only 125cc motorcycle in the country that gets ABS.
And the breaks have been brought from current gen 200 Duke as well
a single 300 mm single rotor at the front
a single 230mm rotor at the back with a calipers from by bible
brakes feel is kind a similar to what we get on ktm 200 Duke but most of actually
on the previous generation 390 now unlike the new 390 this doesn’t get the
new master cylender the large a risk and a single pack so feel is not that great. There
is be decent bike but there is a sudden lack of progression when we go hard on the liver.but
thankfully ABS intervention isn’t that improves but that what nice smooth racetrack
surfaces out in the real word lose surface tell me a not sure but it a only a single channel
ABS so which means its go hard on the real break
4. the only real difference here is that engine
Now this engine isn’t entirely new… it’s essentially from the last generation European 125 duke
So there’s no ride-by-wire throttle here like the current-gen 125. and is the
good reasion why is engine looks identical to the 200
that’s because the 200 is esstionally a bold out version of the 125cc mill.
So 14.5HPS might not seem like on that much but its actually quite similar to lots
of bike in 150cc category off course the torque is all that much at just 12mm but that should
how small this moto be actually is so how dose it is perform will of course you can expect some at high performance from
this smaller engine but let put this out there its actually a pretty fun little motors it does a wake up was 7000rpm
and then full quite strong up z line to little 10000rpm
that side the gearing is a beat on toiler side so why leave does full bejewelling 1st
to 5th gear in 6th gear pull can i eye out so on the back sit you see about 107 kph in 5th
after going to 6th you just end up the losing steam end of that
but of course upshot having of lower performance is refinement
this the smoothest motor that is experience on any ktm in india till date the absolute
no vibration even upto z line and plenty of time a performance on the lieder before i
even realised it and the second of course high efficiency this point is we don't
have number but KTM assure us that is actually more efficient buy a 15% compare to the 200 duke
And then, there’s the sound!
Sounds almost like a two stroke right?
And 5. It’s aimed at those who want a KTM,
but feel that a 200 might be all little too much
now as an enthusiast it might seem a little silly to say that invert horse power is to much
but KTM assure us that are a people to day feel that a 200 duke is a little to much motor
cycle for them for in that case for them this bike makes
perfect sens because its gets the perfect ktm experience with the indian that a lots
easier to live with and then it comes questions of the price
Now this is not a chip motorcycle by any means but think about that 200 Duke with 5
year of insurance and with ABS cost 2 lakh on road more cities in india
and entry point fat has moves quite bit ahead until of course they got this bike into the picture
and surprisingly at rupee 1.18 lakh ex showroom its price exactly the same as the 200Duke
when at the first launch 2012 so that brings the final question is good
value for a performance ummm may be not but the entry-level KTM we think so.