After long and hard working month of March in office it was time for to pack the bags and set off to one of the best vacation spots in India......Goa ! Although only a 4 day vacation trip it was worth the stay if you get a chance to keep the KTM Duke 200 with you all four days and explore the beaches of this tiny state.
4 days, 16 hours of riding, 326 kms done let me share with you the impressive along with little dissapointing ride on the Duke 200.
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Duke in White livery looks
better than the Black one |
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Big Radiator in the front to cool the engine.
Note this bike requires coolant !! |
Engine : Now this one is a real gem of an engine that KTM has offered to the Indian public. The eninge is power full throughout its revv bands. Although at higher revvs it does tend to run of out power. At 25bhp it is more than enough to zoom past your compeititors on the road due to its superior low and mid end torque and quick acceleration.
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Coolant inlet and Fuel tank lid.
Notice the lid is same as the one in Pulsar |
Exhaust Note : Now this is a debateble topic and subjective. Many people specially the orthodox middle-age group and Women! will criticize the bikes auto-rickshaw like exhaust note. I found very few people who actually have no problem with the sound that this bike's exhaust system produces. Mind you its own of kind exhaust now, its unique! and signature of one best bike company in the world, you can brag about this to the younger and more open minded group of people to really apprciate its exhaust note!As for my opinion, I too have mixed feelings on this one. Its new, unique ans quite funky! which is the thing i like about it. But only long journeys where you are cruising peacefully into the near empty roads, this same exhaust note becomes annoying to the point that you wish it wasn't there! So for short city rides, and just for sheer joy of riding a bike to impress someone ;) i would prefer the Duke. For a long comfortable ride more than 50kms in a day or a weekend getaway to some far off place, the noise will annoy you and others as well.
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Mono-shock suspension serves
the purpose real good |
Handling : 8/10 on handling for this bike. The handle is light weight and easy to manouver. The bike has an impressive turning radius due to its design, make a U-turn on this bike it the most easiest thing you can do. The bike feels stable and glued to the road all the time under 90kmph. Going above 90kmph the bike felt a bit unstable mainly because of it light wieght. It weighs only 125 kgs!! And I must also mention that the bike probably had a real good accident and some of the damage must have been beyond repair or not repaired properly which utimately had affected the high speed stability of this bike. I must emphasize that the bike actually felt unstable at speeds over 100kmph. Well acutally getting the bike to 100kmph speed was a challenge in itself. Even on the empty and much better roads in Goa (better than Mumbai's) I had to sweat it out to actually push this bike to 100kmph. Which is actually the most disppointing part on this bike even after having an extra 6th gear!
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| Rear Disc is big and offers powerful braking |
Braking : 10/10 for braking. The brakes on this brakes are powerful and absolute functional. With 300 mm front Disc brake with four-pot brake caliper and 230 mm Disc brake with one-pot brake caliper, floating brake discs, braking this bike from top speed to nought is a cake walk. Thanks to its design and superb suspension, brakes are applied smoothly on both front and rear and you can stop the bike quickly and in full control. Also you are not thrown forward when you brake heavily and is other bikes.
Comfort : 3/10. Now this is an area where the Duke needs improvement and I must say a "lot of improvement". Be warned, if you butts are made of iron, then this bike's seat would be a couch made of feather, too soft. But if you are a normal person, you are in for a hard time on your butts! The seat is not only hard but also its design makes it even more uncomfortable. The wide riders seat means that your inner-thighs are rubbed against the seat and on the long ride they become extremely sore, you can't walk properly!!!Those 326kms were absolute painful for the inner thighs albeit the joy of riding the bike was soothing.
Verdict : That is for you to decide. I've given you all the points to talk about this bike. Now you decide what you want from your bike and see if the Duke meets your requirement. Duke is definitely for the youth and for the college hunk its a good companion!!!
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| Useful Luggage Handle bar :P |
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| Adds glam to your garage ;) |
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| How a 6ft tall guy would look on the Duke 200 |
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Wide rear tyre give lot of
stability and ride comfort |
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Headlight is powerful and
serves the purpose in dark |
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| Post Card from Goa! |
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| Post Card from Goa! |
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| Post Card from Goa! |
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You need to eat to ride that much :P
Jackfruits, Mangoes and Cashew-nut fruit |
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