KTM ups the ante

Europe’s second largest motorcycle manufacturer will debut in India shortly, with an offering that will ‘gear-up’ the enthusiast with left-foot-itch aplenty.

Its specifications alone should be more than enough to warrant some rowdy queues for orders, let alone test rides. Rather impressive case in point, the KTM Duke 200, just around the local corner.

Bajaj has a rather large 38 per cent stake in KTM, which means plenty of component sharing gestures with the Pulsar. Don’t groan too loud though, because it translates into one thing: value.

The Duke 200 is expected to be priced below Rs1.5 lakh, pretty reasonable considering the performance it promises to deliver.

A fuel-injected, liquid-cooled 200 cc engine with 25 bhp on tap is mated to a claw-shift six-speeder that should pip practically every segment rival.

The real secret to this ability is the Duke’s low-calorie construction that keeps power-to-weight analysts grinning, with a total mass of only 137 kg. Since the Duke will handle great too (owing in part to specially-developed MRF rubber), clipping those apexes will be truly rewarding.

This new KTM is brutally handsome, especially with regard to its powder-coated exposed frame and a gorgeous cross-detail rear swingarm. You can buy the Duke with your eyes closed, no worries. Just ensure the eyelids aren’t touching when you pass that green-faced CBR 250 owner.