2012 KTM 200 Duke Review
The soon-to-be launched KTM 200 Duke is a pocket rocket which will thrill the burgeoning breed of sport riders in India. KTM, the Austrian bike manufacturer, and Bajaj, the Indian two-wheeler giant, are giving the final touches to the launch of the streetfighter bike, both in India and internationally.
Bajaj, which has a 39 per cent stake in KTM, will sell the bike from exclusive Probiking outlets in select cities in India.
2012 KTM 200 Duke Features
Performance
Most of the riders won’t be able to fully exploit the potential of the KTM 200 Duke and the reason for this is the chassis is so sorted and forgiving that you can’t make it go wrong, how hard you try. You will give up but the bike will not.
Part of the reason is the superlative suspension set up made up of 43mm WP upside down forks at the front and a WP adjustable mono shock at the rear.
Coupled this with meaty 110/70×17 (front) and 150/60×17 (rear) tubeless radial tires and 280mm (front) and 230mm (rear) disc brakes, the bike will not step out of line.
The overall build quality is close to perfection and this speaks volumes about the manufacturing process at Bajaj’s Chakan plant where the 200 Duke will be exclusively built and exported all over the world. The 200 Duke’s younger brother, the KTM 125 Duke, is being already manufactured there and exported to the discerning European market where it has met with huge success.
Powertrain
KTM’s bikes have always boasted of healthy power-to-weight ratios and the Duke 200 is no different. With a kerb weight of just 136kg the power output from the 199.50cc engine is an impressive 25bhp and this translates into class-topping 184bhp/tonne power-to-weight ratio. This makes the 200 Duke accelerate faster than its peers and also have a higher top speed.
The water-cooled engine is fuel injected and is a four-valve DOHC unit having a very short stroke bore x stroke configuration of 72x49mm which makes the bike high revving, underlining its sporty characteristics.
Mated to this rev-hungry engine is a six-cog gearbox and the power and torque outputs are 25bhp @ 10,000 rounds per minute and 19Nm @ 8,000 rounds per minute, respectively.
While the power delivery is crisp and smooth and there is ample of torque to play with in virtually every gear, the role played by the trellis frame can’t be praised enough. It is a superb balance of rigidity and flexibility which makes the Duke 200 as agile as a Cheetah. The engine+transmission+frame combination is flawless and makes the bike a pleasure to ride at any speed.
The 200 Duke will be manufactured only in India at the Chakan plant and exported, so the quality levels on the bike are impeccable. The dash of the bike is fully digital and is small though it is very comprehensive with all the data amply displayed. This includes the speedometer, the fuel and temperature gauge, twin trip meters, facility to measure fuel consumption and average speed, a tachometer and engine malfunction light among others.
The headlamp is styled aggressively and has a powerful halogen lamp (12V 60/55W) which lights up the road perfectly during the overcast conditions and at night. The stylish LED turn indicatorsand tail light add to the naked style of the 200 Duke.
2012 KTM 200 Duke Launch & Price
The KTM 200 Duke is expected to make it to the showrooms in January 2012 at a price of Rs 1.50 lakh.
