KTM Duke 125 Maybe Coming But Do You Want It?

I am sure that you guys have heard by now that the 2019 Duke 125 is allegedly coming to India but the question of its Value proposition still remains. How many people in India would want to buy a 1.5 lakh Motorcycle having a 125 cc engine? Well, let’s try to answer that.

The Little Cracker-

Ktm Duke 125 is powered by a liquid cooled 4-Valve engine, which is similar in layout to the 200 cc version. The engine is fuel injected and produces 15 BHP @ 10500 RPM and 12 Nm of torque @8000 RPM. The weight of the bike is 150 kg and it can hold 13.4 liters of fuel. Now the die-hard KTM fans might say that it is not about the numbers but the power delivery instead. Therefore here is a dyno chart of a KTM RC 125 (which produces the same power and uses the same engine) with Aprilia RS 125. Red: KTM RC 125
Blue: Aprilia RS 125

The initial power delivery of the bike might be great but in that case, let me introduce you to the competition.

The 160 cc King-

I was going to compare the Duke 125 with a 200 cc bike as it falls within its price range but just for a perspective of what an even lower priced segment can offer, is way beyond the Duke 125 can even match. Probably the most popular bike on the street right now is the TVS Apache RTR 160 4v. It is light, nimble, agile and offers superb value for money. The bike comes with an oil cooled motor, Fuel injection and a price tag of around Rs 1.14 lakh (for the top model) on road.

The cost of the little Cracker- Besides the smaller engine, there is no major difference between the Duke 125 and the Duke 390. Both feature a Trellis frame underneath and a similar suspension setup. The Coloured TFT screen and the signature Duke styling is also common between both of them. So while buying a Duke 125 a person is essentially buying a Duke 390 with a smaller and less powerful engine. As a result, the price of Duke 125 might very well be Rs 1.5 lakh (ex-showroom), if it comes to India.

At the end of the day, Duke 125 with all of its high tech equipment is limited by its smaller engine. The 15 HP available on the bike isn't even close to utilizing the full potential of the Trellis Frame and the 43 mm front WP suspensions. Yes, it is cheaper to buy than a Duke 390 but I thought that the whole point of buying a Duke in the first place was to go as fast as possible not as moderately.

By: Yetnesh Dubey
See full details of KTM Duke 125 (2018) »

More reviews of KTM Duke 125 (2018)

Why KTM Duke 125 Will Sell And Why It Won’t In India

Oct 22, 2018
The bookings for the Duke 125 are now open and its ex-showroom price will be around Rs 1.25 lakh, which puts it in a highly competitive zone. Still, we believe that India is the most unique market in the world where chances of anomalies are very high. That’s why we have come up with a list of reasons explaining why the Duke 390 will be a success and why it won’t be.

Reviews of other KTM Bikes

KTM RC 125 Vs Yamaha YZF-R15 V 3.0- Comparo

Jun 14, 2019
Ktm India is going to launch RC 125 anytime from now, the full faired and lowest capacity "RC" brand from the stable of Austrian bikemaker will lock its horns with Yamaha YZF-R15 V 3.0. This battle is likely to happen because of the price bracket where both the bikes are going to be placed. Let's find out how the upcoming KTM RC 125 in spite of its smaller capacity motor fares against the Japanese YZF-R15 Version 3.0.

KTM RC390 Vs Kawasaki Ninja 300- Comparo

Jul 22, 2018
With a massive price cut of almost Rs 62,000, 2019 Kawasaki Ninja 300 has become the most affordable twin-cylinder motorcycle in the country. It still costs around Rs 2.98 lakh (Ex, showroom), as result bikes like KTM RC 390, Duke 390, Yamaha R3 and several others are its main competition. Today we are going to compare the Indian made Ninja 300 with the Indian made Austrian beast, the KTM RC 390. Let’s jump right in.

How To Ride A Sportsbike On A Long Tour

Jul 13, 2018
Somethings don’t mix very well, Sportsbike and riding comfort is one such pair. It is really not ideal to use a sports bike for long distance touring but it can be made manageable. As gunning down the straights of the highway and taking corners like a pro, have another feeling to them altogether. So here are five tips to help you tour on your sportbike.
View all reviews of KTM Bikes

Reviews of other Roadster Bikes

Why Yamaha FZ Version 3.0 Is A Great 150cc Choice

Mar 1, 2019
Before I begin, let me get obvious out of the way. Yamaha FZ 3.0 has low power and torque output figures than its competitors. With this and seemingly the only flaw about the bike, out of the way, let’s discuss why the Yamaha FZ 3.0 is a great 150cc motorcycle.

TVS Apache RTR 160 4V ABS– The best 160cc bike?

Feb 22, 2019
TVS always take their sweet time whenever they want to launch a new product. However, the new Apache RTR 160 4v was launched much earlier than expected. The Supreme court’s mandatory ABS rule is obviously to be given credit here.

Why TVS Apache RTR 160 is outselling every 160 cc bike

Oct 11, 2018
Recently TVS sold 1 Lakh Apache RTR 160 4v and all of this was achieved in just a span of 6 months. With such a huge accomplishment, one must wonder, what is exactly the reason behind it. If we look closely, then there are a lot of them.

How Different Is The Yamaha MT-03 From FZ-25

Oct 5, 2018
We all have heard about the MT-03 series from different places around the Internet. So far, most of us know two things about the bike. Number 1, it is a Naked motorcycle from Yamaha and Number 2, it is not available in India, with no plan to launch either. But exactly how different is the MT-03 from the FZ-25 which we get in India. Both bikes just have a 72 cc (249 for FZ-25 & 321 for MT-03) difference, are of the same type, and made by the same manufacturer. All of this must point to a huge number of similarities, right? well, no. Allow me to explain.

2019 Indian Scout FTR1200- All you need to know

Oct 3, 2018
World’s first Flat Track inspired motorcycle has been launched in America. The bike is one of a kind and looks like a cross between a Harley Sportster and a Scrambler. The bike will become available in the spring of 2019 and it will come in two different variants, “S” and “Base”. With the exception of very unoriginal variant names, the FTR 1200 is a purely modern machine.
View all reviews of Roadster Bikes