So,
here we are.
Subscribers and all of you
who ought to subscribe.
Back here with me at Chakan.
This time, to test
KTM's new dark horse
the Duke 250.
And if you have already seen this,
there's a good chance that you know the specs
Even better than I do.
But why not,
put some perspective to the numbers, shall we?
Well, this one makes
5 Ps and 5 Nm more than the baby Duke.
But is also 13 kgs heavier.
So how quick exactly is the 250
as compared to the baby Duke?
Let's find out.
So, they are neck-to-neck
from 0 to 60.
but then the 250 opens up a gap, 0 to 100
and a lot of that has to do with the fact that
this one has a much bigger rear sprocket,
A 46 teeth sprocket which is biggest among all the Dukes.
and also it makes the power and the torque
a lot earlier as compared to the Duke 200.
Which also helps it clock
a higher top speed
which is a good
10 kmph higher than the Duke 200.
So for a bike which accelerates this quickly
you also expect it to stop on the dime, right?
Unfortunately,
the 250 doesn't.
Because,
we were under the impression that
this one gets the sintered pads from Duke 390.
Unfortunately, that's not the case.
This essentially has the same unit from the Duke 200,
and doesn't work as well because
the 250 is both heavier and quicker.
On the handling front,
the specs did give us an indication
as to how well this will handle.
It handles better than that.
Because,
you're sitting higher up now
the stance is sportier,
and there's a little more weight on the front,
which helps to load the tyre better.
Which means that
you've a lot more feedback coming in from the front tyre
and that's great because
it gives you the confidence
to carry that much more speed
in the corners confidently.
The wheelbase on this
is shorter than on the Duke 200.
Which gives the 250
the agility of a cat
I mean, you think and it turns
Also, because of the new tank size
there's a lot more room to move around.
Especially when you're leaning
from one side all the way to the other.
And while it is difficult to tell you the difference
that split function forks make in isolation
that is,
without the old 390 here as a reference
and also on a track like this which so beautifully well laid out
What I can tell you is that
the damping felt great
even on the bumpier section of the track
which was on the bowl
even when the bike was completely leaned over.
No problems there.
But I still feel that
you're just about skimming the surface
when it comes to handling on the 250, because
the race seat height means
the pegs are also a little bit higher
which means you can use
pretty much the entire rear section of the tyre
and the only thing stopping you then
is the omega shape of the MRFs
For if you slap on Metzelers
I am sure that you can have
even more fun in corners
and can carry even more speed.
Another aspect which I like about the handling
is the fuelling
I know this does not get
ride-by-wire throttle like the 390
but just like on the 200,
the fuelling is brilliant
that really allows you to dial in the throttle
even when you're leaned all the way over.
So that was the performance bit,
now for the daily grind,
the rider's seat and the pillion seat
are now noticeably softer and wider.
I know a lot of you are worried about
the new subframe coming in the way of
the pillion rider
Well,
I am happy to report, that's not the case.
Also, the seat height now for the India specific model
is not 830 mm, what we were told initially
but 822 mm
I know 8 mm doesn't sound like a lot
But,
Trust me, it's not as much of a climb.
and even shorter riders
should be able to ride this
reasonably well.
I think I can go back with the smile on my face
after my first encounter of the Duke 250
I think it's a really fun bike,
perhaps even more fun than the Duke 200
because it's punchier
It handles better
It's also a lot more comfortable, which should
which should inject vigor even in your daily commutes
Touring, I am not so sure about,
because the bike does heat up a fair bit
when you're here, belting it out on a race track
We noticed that it very well could be
down to the fan,
it kicks in a lot later
as on the old Duke 390
And ofcourse, we'll verify this
when we ride it
on the road, in our congested steets.
Also, it does get quite vibe-y,
quite buzzy,
high in the rev range.
So from a touring perspective, I am not so sure
Mods!
that's the other thing that you guys were really curious about.
If the headlight,
the LED headlamp,
and the TFT screen from the Duke 390
can be retrofitted on the 250
Well we asked Bajaj the question
and they've told us
that
when we come down here
again in the first week of the march
for test riding
the new
2017 Duke 390
they will give us a proper download
as to what is possible and what is not.
For now what I can tell you is
that the adjustable levers from the 390
can be retrofitted on the 250
Yes, we thought that they came as standard
unfortunately that's not the case.
just like the sintered pads
And one last time,
I am going to harp some more,
on the inclusion
of ABS.
Because bikes like the 250,
as engaging as the 250
definitely need them.
At least as an option.
So hit like if you agree with me
But for now,
this is Sarge
signing off,
from Chakan
and if I were you
I would definitely, definitely turn on the notifications
because you clearly do not wanna miss out
on 390 first ride from PowerDrift.
See ya!
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