Why DUKE? This may be the 100th review of duke you may be reading but it is my First love story. What is KTM? That was the first question my dad asked me when I wanted to buy KTM Duke 200. My dad asked me KTMae dhan venuma. I said yes petromax lightae dhan venum.
After pestering my dad for 13 months (Yes you heard right even before it was released on 24th January 2012) I finally bought my duke on 23 January 2013 (exactly a year after its launch). I explained my dad that KTM is an Austrian motorcycle brand which has won the Dakar a dozen times in a row (Yes KTM won this year 2013 too).
Even today when my dad’s friends ask me which bike I bought I simply say KTM they ask me is it from Yamaha (Just like you I also wanted to shoot them). After longing for 13 months I brought my bike home. It is like The Beatles or ilayaraja’s or AR Rahman’s music to my ears when the bike breathed. I come from Pondicherry where I bought the bike for Rs.1,32,750 on road exactly, nothing more nothing less (Yes the lowest I guess).
The Bike:
Cockpit (minicomputer)
- Digital Speedometer
- Odometer
- Gear Indicator
- Two trip meter with additional F meter
- Dot matrix messages
- Ready to race
- Side stand on
- Low fuel level
- Distance to service
- Distance to empty
- Average speed during trip
- Average fuel consumption
- Shift alarm for driver
- Light dependant console display
- Digital watch
- Indicator display
- Engine Temperature
- Fuel level
- Tachometer
- Turn signal
- MIL
- Neutral & Hi beam
Cockpit Rating: 10/10
Performance
If you are a city dweller you want to zip through city traffic and no worries about mileage and money then hurry to your nearest KTM dealer and book one. Best-in-class power to weight ratio of 184 PS/ton. The gear box needs a high five so smooth, fell in love with it. I don’t want to reach the technical bits you guys know more than me.
Performance Rating: 9.5/10
Safety
- The tyres are radial (MRF revz) do the job well.
- The brakes are from bybre. The front one is two pot caliper.
- The back one is single caliper, could have been a teeny weeny bit more efficient.
- One of the safest bikes on road.
- You keep your knees close to the tank; your knees are safe this way.
Safety Rating: 8.5/10
Fuel and Fuel efficiency
- It is about how you drive. If you trash it real hard you may end up seeing single digit mileage figure, I drove sanely sane and it ended up showing 57Kmpl (Yes you are right on the highway).
- Another doubt which most potential duke owners have is about the RON of fuel.
- The manual and showroom recommends RON 91, but the vehicle runs even on RON 87.I strictly recommend RON 91 for the engine safety, life.
- On an average expect 37-42kmpl in city.
- And 45+kmpl on highway.
P.S: The mileage figures are cockpit indicated. And remember the bike is 200cc and expect it to retun the efficiency of a 200cc.
Fuel and Fuel Efficiency Rating: 9/10
Handling
- The best bike in the segment. W.P.Front suspension, Rear monoshock .
- 0-60 mere 3.34 seconds.
- 0-100 mere 9.01 seconds.
- Top whack 136 (restricted).
- My bike is still in Run in I did not test the above.
- I used to drive my friend’s R15 and my brother’s apache 160,
- I can definitely say the best handler in market today is the duke.
- The underground exhaust manages with ease on flooded roads, no worries guys.
Handling rating: 9.5/10
Pros
- Quickest in the segment.
- Bang on buck pricing (personal opinion).
- Eye catcher looks (personal opinion).
Cons
- Pillion seat could have been better.
- It is a pain to clean the area near the monoshock, it gets dirty easily.
- The horn is puny.
Overall: A lion with a cat’s voice.
Overall Rating: 9.3/10
Few Words
I would like to thank my parents for buying me this wonder as my first own bike, especially my mom without her today I would have not written a review. High five dad and mom. I would also like to thank my friend gowrishankar for the photos. I am an adherent reader of bikeadvice.in since December 2010.
I thank bikeadvice team for providing me a chance to write a review (this is my first article for bikeadvice). You can ask me nee enna avolo periya appatakkara duke pathi review eluthuruthuku, yes now I too own an duke and am 19 years old. I did not have time to wash the bike, sorry.
Ride Safe Wear Helmet. Happy Duking..!
Regards,
Pranavh Devidasan