KTM 200 Duke

The Indian bike enthusiast is an excited person and it’s about to get better for him. well almost. Following the CBR250R and the Ninja 650R, KTM is rolling out the red carpet with the 200cc Duke motorcycle at the Auto Expo in New Delhi next year.

If this was not enough for, there comes good news from the Austrian company. The third variant of the low-displacement Duke series, the Duke 350 will also be launched in India once the 200cc lays its path.

The Duke’s 350cc motor could be installed on a fully faired sportsbike called the KTM Moto3 350, an Enduro and a motocross sibling understood through a photograph published on HellForLeather magazine showing the product roadmap till 2014.

We have written several times about the alliance between Bajaj and KTM. Both the 200cc and 350cc Duke Bikes will be manufacturer at Bajaj’s Chakan plant and it is from here where the Duke 125cc is also manufactured for European countries.

Mr Stefan Pierer, CEO of KTM Sport Motorcycle AG expects KTM sell 25,000-35,000 KTM bikes in the first year of its launch with the 125′s right blend of performance, quality and fuel economy.

Will you buy the KTM200 Duke this year?

KTM Duke has been making news for quite sometime now. Though the overall looks and the features of the Duke have been confirmed, the Duke’s powerplant for India has been a case of confusion.

Several reports from most of the auto magazines and information portals predict that the Duke will sport the same 125cc engine of the export-version in India. But now, these reports have been nullified by Mr. Rajiv Bajaj’s interview to the BS Motoring magazine. Mr. Bajaj, in the interview, hinted that the Duke will be sold in the 200cc engine variant in India.

The Duke is a stylish suave sportsbike jointly developed by Bajaj Auto. Ltd. and KTM. While the 125cc model has received rave reviews, the puny engine will be a risky option in the Indian market given the premium pricing of the motorcycle. Yamaha YZF-R15, with its 150cc powerhouse, has already been criticised for its underpowered character. So we feel it is an intelligent decision by Bajaj to launch the 200cc variant of the Duke which boasts of all the latest technologies like 4-valve, liquid cooling, DOHC producing atleast 19-21 Bhp.

The Duke, like any other KTM, has excellent off-road abilities which means it can survive the harshest of the Indian roads. The strikingly smart motorcycle will be priced in the range of 1.2 – 1.5 lakh which is almost double that of the Pulsars which top the street-fighter segment till now.

The 200cc Duke will be miles ahead in terms of technology than most of the other motorcycles in the sub-200cc segment with the exception of the R15. And this makes for an interesting battle between the Austrian and the Japanese motorcycles. While the 200cc+ segment is witnessing brisk activity, the KTM is sure to spark some progress in the dull 150cc-200cc segment.

KTM Duke will surely take over as the Duke among the sub-200cc motorcycles if launched. The heart throbbing looks and the state-of-the-art technologies make the Duke a clear winner despite its steep pricing. If you haven’t booked any of those heavy 250cc motorcycles yet, we advise you to wait for the Duke 200. Perhaps, even the CBR250R, predicted to be the best 250cc in the country, might have some trouble due to the Duke. Afterall, the power-to-weight ratio of the Duke is higher than that of the CBR!

KTM 200 Duke arrives at 2012′s New Delhi Auto Expo

Last week it was made official that the first Bajaj-KTM bike will arrive at dealer showrooms next year. The 200cc KTM Duke motorcycle, which riding enthusiasts have been waiting expectantly, will be a key attraction at the Bajaj stall at next year’s Auto Expo.

Holding a 39.3% stake in the Austrian company KTM, Bajaj has been leveraging on the partnership while helping the Austrian partner benefit from its own expertise. KTM has a wide product lineup consisting of different kinds of bikes while Bajaj’s presence in India and low-cost manufacturing techniques could help KTM lower its costs at the back-end.

KTM125 Duke is the younger brother of the upcoming 200cc model

Bajaj could share its powertrains with KTM in return for which KTM can retail high displacement Pulsar motorbikes. All these are speculative details or ideas which Bajaj find sense or relevance in.

The 125cc is a fresh addition to the European markets where 7,000 units have already been shifted into the market. In the next couple of months, the Duke 125 could capture the crown of the best selling bike in Europe’s 125cc class. The larger displacement engine could be mounted on the same chassis with minor modifications. The body work could be largely similar expect for a few plastic fitments and stickers.

There is a good demand for 200+cc sporty bikes in markets like Thailand which Honda will address with the CBR250R. The Duke’s production center will be at the Chakan facility in Pune. Production lines could hum with the roll out of the 200cc bike by December 2011. Technical specifications are not all that clear, but expect around 22.5-25bhp output from the 200cc mill. The price tag is not expected to exceed 1.75 lakh rupees.

Looking at some of the spy pics that have surfaced online in the past few months, this is what we’ve learned about the KTM 200 Duke -

- Naked Street Looks
- Inverted forks will be installed up front along with a mono Shock Absorber at the rear
- Vertically stacked headlight
- Digital readouts
- 10-spoke alloys
- Disc brakes up front and at the rear
- Hidden exhaust can proving a clean look
- Unusual but funky orange paint work

If the 200cc Duke does well in India, Bajaj will be encouraged to bring the bigger KTMs high on style and performance to India. Will the KTMs be priced aggressively?