'High Speed Stability Is Not So Good, But It Is A Fine Piece Of Machine' - Rohit Karmakar | KTM Duke 200 User Review

Manufacturer : KTM
Model : DUKE 200

On-road Price : Rs 1.49 lakhs

Dealer name: Jai Bajaj, Chennai - Adyar 

Purchased On: 15 Nov 2012

Odometer : 19,000Kms 

I would have gone for the Kawasaki Ninja 250R. Ninja 250R was not available in the market so went for the KTM DUKE 200. Why KTM? Because it was newly launched at that time and the bike's specifications were too good and after a test ride I fell in love with it 

Engine

Power is enough for a 200cc bike. It provides 25 bhp and 19.2Nm torque which is the best in its segment. Yes it has a little engine noise issue, the service guy told it is common on Duke and never took an action on repairing it. I change my oil after every 3000kms and lube my chain after every 500kms.  For every service I spend around Rs.2000. I have changed my chain sprocket at 14,000kms.

Brakes & Tyres

The Duke 200 comes with big 300mm Disc brake at the front and 230mm Disc brake at the rear. As for the braking, this duke has the best braking system I have ever tried.

At the front the duke comes with 110/70 section tyres whereas at the rear the tyre is much more wider at 150/60 section. Both the tyres are soft compound tyres so it is advised to change the tyres after 15k for better grip on roads.

Suspension / Ride comfort

As per the suspension for a single rider it is good for city use and the upside down forks is new to the Indian market and it is really good compared to the normal telescopic forks. Riding comfort is good for the rider alone. With a pillion is a nightmare.

Styling

As per styling it has a naked looks and the trellis frame makes it look too naked with big tyres on the rear. It has LED indicators which are very powerful than the normal ones. The tank design looks big but it holds only 10.5 litres of petrol .The best part of Duke is the underbelly exhaust which is never seen in any current Indian bikes except the 200NS. The tail lamp is too LED based and gives a good look to the bike.

Stability & Handling at high speeds

As the Duke is a naked bike no one would go for it for top speed rather than enjoying every ride in the city . High speed handling on Duke is good unless it is on pure tarmac or else u might end up in horror . Highspeed stability is not good since its naked but still its fine to ride once or twice.

Best experience is when I ride with my fellow bikers on a long smooth tarmac.

Fuel economy

I get 28-30kmpl in city and 36-37kmpl on a highway on travelling speed of 70-80kmph. On hard riding I get 20-22kmpl in city and around 30kmpl on highway. On a full tank I get 380kms travelling on a speed of 70-80kmph on highway and 300kms in city on a full tank.

  

Verdict

Service experience for KTM is not up to the mark in some service stations in Chennai. Spares are not costly and its available but service people doesn’t take care of the vehicle in a good way.

Nonetheless, I am satisfied with my duke anyday. If you are planning to buy KTM Duke 200 then you would enjoy riding it everywhere!

Rohit Karmakar,

Chennai