Duke 125 vs RC125 – here are the differences between these two siblings. Can the aggressive RC replicate the success of the Duke…?
After producing the 125s in India for a long time (and exporting them to various countries), KTM has finally launched the 125cc twins in India – Duke 125 (which came first) and RC125 (launched today). Both these motorcycles offer customers a lower entry point into the KTM fold.
Though lesser in engine capacity, they both offer some extremely premium features not seen before in the 125cc segment – like 43 mm upside down WP suspension, liquid cooling, DOHC engine and a six-speed gearbox. Both of them produce 14.5 PS of peak power and 12 Nm of max torque from the same 125cc engine at exactly the same rpms (9250 and 8000 respectively).
Duke 125 vs RC125
They share the basic platform but differ in a few specs. Let us list them down for you…
- Seat Height – The Duke was itself higher at 818 mm but on the RC you will be perched even higher (835 mm).
- Wheelbase – Duke has a wheelbase of 1366 mm whereas the RC is shorter at 1341 mm.
- Fuel Tank – Duke can hold 10.2 liters of fuel whereas the RC only has a capacity of 9.5 liters.
- Dry Weight – Because of being a naked, Duke weighs 148 kg, however, the RC with all that flab tips the scale at 154.2 kg.
Apart from this they differ in size and the seating posture of RC is a lot more dedicated whereas Duke can have a wider application because of a relatively upright posture (Duke comes with regular rod type handlebar and RC has a triple clamp clip-on).
Duke 125 vs RC125 – Price
After a couple of hikes, Duke has seen its price increase from 1.18 Lakh to 1.30 Lakh. RC125, launched today, costs Rs 1.47 Lakh which means that you will need to pay approximately Rs 17,000 more on the ex-showroom price to get that added sportiness (and a bit of pain in the city 😀 ).
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Duke 125 has been a pretty good seller for KTM and they would be hoping the same for the RC125 as well. Both the motorcycles target youngsters and are ideal for college students whose parents will never get them the more powerful KTMs!