I had saved up my stipend over 2 years and it was time to turn a childhood dream into reality! After going through all the options in my budget, I zeroed in on KTM Duke 200.
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I’d been putting off this post for quite a while now. Finally decided to publish it today. It was in November 2022 that I decided I need a motorcycle. I had saved up my stipend over 2 years and it was time to turn a childhood dream into reality! After going through all the options in my budget, I zeroed in on KTM Duke 200. Luckily, one of my friends knew a guy who was selling his 2013 Duke 200. I contacted him and the very next day went to look at the bike. Since it was my first time dealing in a second hand bike, I did not really know what to inspect. I rode the bike for about 2-3 kilometres and loved it immediately! The owner was asking Rs. 95000 (he was the first owner and the bike had run about 53000 kms). After some negotiating he settled for 85000. The duke was mine!
Right after taking delivery
The bike had quite a few issues that needed to be looked into…
1. The instrument cluster was dead. Initially I got it repaired at a local auto electricals repair guy near Lalbhag. However, the work was shoddy and I had to replace the whole instrument cluster with a new one. Cost – Rs. 8613
2. Fuel tank had a minor crack that I noticed on fuelling up. Replaced with a new one. Cost – Rs. 2426
3. Leg guard and mirrors – Got new ones
4. Rider’s seat had a tear. Got both rider and pillion seat covers replaced
5. Rear tyre was bald. Front had a bit of life left. Got a new set of MRF Revz C1. Cost – Rs. 7500(approx)
6. Clutch plates – Replaced
7. Front footpegs – The rubber grips had worn off. Got new ones
8. Misc – One indicator was broken (as can be seen in the 1st image), replaced it. Changed all fluids, throttle and clutch cables, spark plug, brake pads, etc.
PS – I don’t remember how much I paid for all the repairs. I’ve mentioned the cost of items that I do remember.
My Duke after a thorough service. I replaced the taller windscreen with the stock one as I like the naked streetfighter look
Looks – Coming to the design and styling, it was a radical design at the time it was launched (i guess it still is). Combined with the bright orange colour scheme and the exposed trellis frame (though not as eye catching as the orange frame of the 390), it grabs a lot of attention on the road! Initially I wasn’t a fan of its looks, but it kinda grew on me.
Performance – KTMs are known for their insane performance and the Duke 200 is no different. It makes about 25bhp and 20Nm torque. With a kerb weight of 143 kilos, it is literally a pocket rocket and pulls like crazy! No wonder it was called the “accident bike”. Being so light also makes it very flickable. Changing direction is something that the Duke does with ease.
Mileage – The tank can hold about 11 litres of fuel, with 2.5 litres in reserve. City riding gets me around 25-28kmpl and on the highways I get 33-35kmpl.
Here are some pictures of my Duke 200
Took the tank stickers off
Cut off that big tail. Looks much better now
It has been more than a year now, living with the pocket rocket. I was using it to commute to office till March 2023, after which I shifted back to my hometown Madikeri since I’d completed my internship. Now the duke mainly attacks twisties on weekends, with an occasional long ride to Bangalore/ Mysore.
Things that I like about the Duke:
• Revv happy engine – Comes to life one you cross 7000rpm
• Agility – The bike is nimble and very easy to change directions quickly
• Classic bs3 KTM exhaust note!
• Riding posture – Neither too committed like sportbikes nor too relaxed like cruisers
• Suspension – Quite stiff and made for sporty riding.
Things that I don’t like:
• Heat – The bike can run hot in traffic. You’ll feel it on your legs
• Brakes – Feels spongy and the initial bite is not that great
• Seat – Very hard seat. Touring not recommended on stock seats. Pillion seat is basically a joke!
• Usability in the city – The bike feels choked under 3k rpm. Combined with the heat, it’s really a pain to ride it in city traffic
It also vibrates a lot. Being a high compression single cylinder you can’t really expect refinement. But I’m okay with it. I feel the vibration adds character to the machine
For someone upgrading from a 100-150cc commuter motorcycle, you cannot treat the KTMs like you used to treat your commuters. It demands you to pamper it and when you don’t it throws tantrums. Parts wear out sooner and service will get expensive if you’re ignorant about the bike. Many people say that the engine will only last 30-40k kms until is has to be rebuilt but that’s not true. I’ve heard that some people have clocked as much as 2.5L kms without a rebuild (my bike has done about 58000kms till date on stock engine).
All the negatives aside, the Duke makes my heart race every time I open throttle and there’s a huge grin inside the helmet. For that feeling, it’s all worth it!
Some more pics
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