KTM Duke 200 - 1st impressions to Ownership

[darxide]

I had been following up on the launch of the duke since last year, more so after selling off my '10 yamaha fazer 16. my last experience with my fazer was not an extremely happy one mainly because i was put off by its total lack of performance thanks to its anaemic engine though i did really appreciate its build quality and styling.

[darxide]

contd..

finally met the duke on the Day of its launch at the ktm show room here in pune. looking at the bike for the first time in the flesh brought mixed feelings.

i was expecting something bigger and muscular but was very impressed by the quirky styling and robust looking engine and general build quality but hated the horrid rear tire hugger-saree guard and nerdy front number plate. after having a good look and only being allowed by the sales guy to bounce on the seat of the display bike to check the "shock-up"s and in true indian style i blew the horn too! i walked away with my heart saying more "no" than "yes".



weeks passed by and i began to see the occasional ktm passing by every now and then, i became interested again so started reading up reviews by various auto journalists here on the internet. all the reviews raved about and raved some more about the duke so i decided to give this new kid on ythe block one more look. called the showroom on one lazy afternoon and asked about the booking amount and testrides, both questions came back with postive replies. walked in & plonked down 20 grand but was still denied a test drive but was assured delivery in 2 months . recieved a call about 8 days later saying that my bike was here and i could have it in few days

[darxide]

delivery....

the fastest delivery ever!!
1)walked in to delivery showroom
2)saw my bike standing at the gate
3)was handed over the bike - keys - manual etc.
4)bye bye mr. dev, don't go above 50km/h or 5000 RPMs & see you when you crack 1000kms.
all in 15 minutes flat!!

rode straight to the fuel pump was pleasantly surprised to find that my bike already had 5 liters of fuel in it!

i had vowed and fantasized about me ripping out and trashing that hideous tire hugger and front number plate the moment i got my hands on it so it was off to my favorite mechanics garage to do the needful. while inspecting-admiring-comparing/criticising the bike with my pals at the garage we were shocked to see several bolts and nuts that were loose and were on the verge of falling off.

loose fasteners at .... the gear lever bolt, the front axle (the ones at the lower end of the fork) 10mm bolt below the rear mudguard, clutch yoke needed immediate tightening since most of them were just "finger tight" maybe some techinians at bajaj have lost their tools and are fitting stuff on with bare hands!

a few tips that you might find useful

hard gear shifts..

i have read in a few threads here on tbhp and other forums that a few riders have issues with the gear shift viz. hard gear gear shifts, false neutrals and gears jumping into neutral. after riding for about 200 kms i realised that the cure is a fairly simple one-- just adjust the gear lever to move down slightly lower (DIY-it's in the owners manual)and reduce the "free play" in the clutch lever and im sure this solves gear shift problems.

about the "heating" problems and hot air blowing out from the engine area.

lets realise that this bike was launched in the beginning of summer and now the temperatures in most parts of our country are usually above 35*C. any vehicle is going to overheat while driving at crawl speeds in heavy traffic and crowded lanes. the hot blast of air is the radiator fan desperately trying to blow out hot air from the boiling coolant in your bikes radiator. i also feel that a new engine will overheat slightly more compared to a well run-in one due the friction & heat caused by all the parts in the engine trying to "mesh".??

i suggest that owners should try to avoid riding in crowded streets and unnecessarily revving their engines while waiting at traffic lights, especially in the first few thousand kms while running in the engine.

[contact.nitin7]

Darxide: Heartiest Congratulations, for getting the duke on the block.

Originally Posted by darxide

loose fasteners at .... the gear lever bolt, the front axle (the ones at the lower end of the fork) 10mm bolt below the rear mudguard, clutch yoke needed immediate tightening since most of them were just "finger tight" maybe some techinians at bajaj have lost their tools and are fitting stuff on with bare hands!

This comes like to me, Damm,.


The things you just wrote are pretty the same with everyone, However, In Delhi, about the running in I was advised no to take it up beyond 7,500RPM Range.

Second, The Running in "should not" be done on Free Highways, preferably in City Traffic, If With Pillion Nothing Like it.

Thirdly, If you can get the oil changed at 500kms. and chain lubed too, its advised as the first time, it gets loosened too quickly, and you can hear some , Tadd - Tadd sound from where.

I find people complaining about the tires a lot, I don't find any issues with it, Whatsoever.

Can someone please help me,If I have some pictures to be posted Of Riding with the KTM, can I post it Directly here?
using a link from a third party hosting site or Shall I follow the Attachment Procedure, Attaching One Pic Only for the Time Being, Before someone kills me for overflowing the Server



(Rest of the Pictures)

[grazd]

Thanks for the detailed review.

Originally Posted by darxide

about the "heating" problems and hot air blowing out from the engine area.

lets realise that this bike was launched in the beginning of summer and now the temperatures in most parts of our country are usually above 35*C. any vehicle is going to overheat while driving at crawl speeds in heavy traffic and crowded lanes. the hot blast of air is the radiator fan desperately trying to blow out hot air from the boiling coolant in your bikes radiator. i also feel that a new engine will overheat slightly more compared to a well run-in one due the friction & heat caused by all the parts in the engine trying to "mesh".??

i suggest that owners should try to avoid riding in crowded streets and unnecessarily revving their engines while waiting at traffic lights, especially in the first few thousand kms while running in the engine.

How bad is the problem in your experience. this being India it is very hard to avoid very crowded roads. How does the bike respond to typical bumper to bumper traffic (say if stuck for about half an hour) on a hot 40c+ summer day ?

[darxide]

here's a pic of my scrappy children





mods so far..
ripped off ugly tire hugger & fr. number plate
progrip tank pad
yamaha fz16 mirrors (now instead of my arms i can see my shoulders!! yaayy! )

[darxide]

Originally Posted by grazd

Thanks for the detailed review.



How bad is the problem in your experience. this being India it is very hard to avoid very crowded roads. How does the bike respond to typical bumper to bumper traffic (say if stuck for about half an hour) on a hot 40c+ summer day ?

@ grazd, the over heating "problem" is the same even with my other bike which is a 1200 cc / 4 cylinder, high strung monster as shown in the pics posted here. riding around in heavy traffic takes the engine temp. gauge all the way to the third or second last bar on both the ktm & kawasaki. and the hot waves make me nervous that something in the engine is gonna get fried and breakdown .

but i've owned a few bikes over the years, all with liquid cooled engines and they all behaved the same way but nothing ever broke or blew up or showed obvious signs of heat stress damage. i recommend that initially you should try to avoid packed streets, switch off the engine at long traffic stops(but wait if the radiator fan is running until it stops by itself) and run-in your bike at varying speeds in the evenings.

[black12rr]

Ho congrats for the bike . Good to hear praises for the bike ,coming from a monster bike owner . . Ride safe ,don't have to tell anything you already know everything .

The 12r is true ICON . Please post some pics and info on that bike .

[contact.nitin7]

Originally Posted by darxide

@ grazd, the over heating "problem" is the same even with my other bike which is a 1200 cc / 4 cylinder, high strung monster as shown in the pics posted here. riding around in heavy traffic takes the engine temp. gauge all the way to the third or second last bar on both the ktm & kawasaki. and the hot waves make me nervous that something in the engine is gonna get fried and breakdown .

but i've owned a few bikes over the years, all with liquid cooled engines and they all behaved the same way but nothing ever broke or blew up or showed obvious signs of heat stress damage. i recommend that initially you should try to avoid packed streets, switch off the engine at long traffic stops(but wait if the radiator fan is running until it stops by itself) and run-in your bike at varying speeds in the evenings.

Rightly Said there, It feels like its getting hot when you are riding and the fan starts blowing warm air under your thighs, but be rest assured, that it ain't a problem, The Radiator gets Switched on at 96'C and it cools down the engine to 89'C withn in 01:30 Minutes, in standard road/traffic conditions.

There was some issue with my lambda sensor and the Side stand sensor, they got replaced in warranty.
I wrote a mail to KTM, as the issue was consistent and the Engine Malfunction Light kept coming on, even if the bike is running.
The guy came down from Pune to delhi to see it With a Diagonostic and Flashing device, with a list of diff error codes, and did a Thousand test, and then finally said after replacement, now everything seems to be in place.

[ebonho]

Congrats on your Duke bro!

I like the tank grip you have in orange. Since you are in Pune, would love to know where you got it from and how much?

[darxide]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Congrats on your Duke bro!

I like the tank grip you have in orange. Since you are in Pune, would love to know where you got it from and how much?

thanks ebonho, the tank pad was a gift from one of my gear-hed friends, i think i heard him say it was around 700rs. i'll ask him if he can get me another if you want one too. where in pune are you?, it would be nice too meet up sometime. also please try & post pics of your duke here.-cheers, nick

[contact.nitin7]

Is there anyone who's facing a Cold Start problem?

After I keep the bike overnight, I find some issues long self start and multiple self's to start it up.

[anachronix]

Getting my Duke tomorrow! Anything specific that I need to check before I take delivery of the Duke!

Back to my riding days after a long 5 years break

[shreeda]

Originally Posted by contact.nitin7

Is there anyone who's facing a Cold Start problem?

After I keep the bike overnight, I find some issues long self start and multiple self's to start it up.

Same here Nitin. So, I usually rev up the throttle just a little for the first start. It sounds a little ugly when it starts at say 2.5-3k, but I quickly reduce the throttle input and the RPM settles to around 1.5k.
Later, the self starts are very easy throughout the day.

[contact.nitin7]

Originally Posted by shreeda

Same here Nitin. So, I usually rev up the throttle just a little for the first start. It sounds a little ugly when it starts at say 2.5-3k, but I quickly reduce the throttle input and the RPM settles to around 1.5k.
Later, the self starts are very easy throughout the day.

Thanks For your Inputs buddy , I got a call from KTM R&D stating they have nt witnessed anything like this and 99.8% bikes start at most two Cranks.
Will get it serviced on Saturday Now.
May the Sensor's need some cleanings, I took my KTM to unmotorable roads