[NikhilB]

Congratulations ebono.

As a (soon to be) fellow Duke owner, would be keen to know about your experience with the hooligan. Keep sharing.

[ebonho]

Thanks everyone for your congratulations and good wishes guys! In our Indian culture, a new mechanical member is seriously given an almost human welcome, Puja shuja, evil eye/nazar charms, introductory rides, touchy feely and all!

Took some short rides last night as well - solo as well as with my son and youngest daughter (65+15 kilos) and Sagar (Throttleking here) 70+ kilos. I ding dong between 92 and 95 kilos, so the bike pulls really cleanly even with payloads of 160-170 kilos.

Clean and quick, the top end of 85-90 kmph at the 7500 cut off coming just fractionally later. Company recommends a payload of 150 kilos incidentally. So those worried about "pulling ability" of this baby cc'd hi revving motor can breathe easy I am happy to report.

Add to that the fact that on a unrestricted motor the power starts really kicking in only upwards of 6000 rpm. So in these restricted run-in machines, the limit kicks in just as the engine starts waking up.

It does get pretty hot though (even in the evening) and one can feel the heat on the legs. Company guys assure its normal.

The headlight is pretty adequate, not tightly focused beam wise like a Bullet's round headlight beam but spread out more. However it does pale against the lights on oncoming traffic though to be fair I would like to ride her much more on one and two lane highways before being more sure of its abilities.

The only think which I currently don't like is the khat khat sound coming from below on bad roads (Pune is peppered liberally with them). I feel the front USD is sprung/damped too soft and I can feel the road breakages transmitted to my hands. I don't know where this sound is coming from.

One possible culprit is the chain the top part of which seems to be resting/rolling on the swing-arm close to the pivot point. This is one area I am not happy with and will need to get checked up. Part of the KTM's attraction (for me at least), besides it looks and performance, was its beefy/hi quality component suspension. Hope its something minor.

The other thing for me at least (I am 6' and my leg length is 42") is that while I am sitting upright my knees are completely bent and lower leg is facing backwards so that the soles of my feet are not resting ON the foot-pegs but are actually somehow wedged by the slight heel of my riding boots from slipping off.

The downshifts require me to get my foot off the peg slightly as the lever does not come directly under the foot comfortably (wedging the foot under it for upshifts , and the brake needs me to shift the foot well in advance and "find" the tiny lever - so much so that the front brake is used most of the time - and it is really good!

All in all, the way this bike accelerates through each gear with a hard punch with every shift (all the way to the top), once fully opened up, this is going to be a really NICE puppy for some street duels!

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Congrats on your new bike Ebonho. Guess you will vouch to get a registration number of 222 as well. Your pointers provide a very good insight on the bike, Do keep up the thread with regular updates. Any plans of doing the Leh-Ladakh trip?
Always felt that the is cut for doing duty in that portion of the world

Thanks bro! No man - the number I got is a 4 digit number starting with 5. However, as pointed out by my Bullet/RD tuner, the number itself is MH12 HT ! he he

Lots of plans for this little bike. She should be cut out for any type of riding frankly once you get used to her dynamics and ergonomics. Just need slight workarounds for luggage and fuel where necessary and you are good to go. Leaving for a week-long ride this Monday (me on my 500 and a Med school friend of mine from Australia on the Duke). Should be able to learn a lot more by the time I return.

Originally Posted by black12rr

Wow after reading this , I am unable to work .Dont know when I will get mine . Relived that the gearbox is smooth .

Don't worry about rev limiter , since its ECU and FI , we will remap it .

BTW a big congrats .Lots of oranges falling .

The gearbox is very slick and soft. No issues there. Quick-fire 6-5-4-3 blip and downshift is a breeze, with a nice raspy growl with each blip. Ditto moving up through the gears quickly with the bike lurching you forward with each shift. Its nice. As my son says, its different to the Bull, not better or less, just different (I think he's going to be riding this one soon!)

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Congrats ebonho. I can understand your excitement and fervor. I had 45 sleepless when i booked my ninja and the last one was the most excruciating.

Wishing you many happy and safe miles on this bike. You already have your gear in place, so hop on and ride out.

Thanks Aditya! Nice points you've made too. This bike is begging to be ridden out. Planning to get her first service done on tour - probably Goa or somewhere down south.

Originally Posted by bigron

Congratulations. I would have liked the pictures to do more of the talking but i can understand your initial excitement. Also you can use regular fuel no problem. Just make sure the quality of fuel is good. Secondly , you can use kerosene to clean the chain. its probably an "O" ring or "X" ring type chain and kerosene will do just fine. Gear up always and Ride safe.

Thanks bigron. My rider buddy is also from Melbourne. Crazy biker himself - 3 Beemers (the GS1200, the 1300 track machine, and the 450 dirt bike) and now a Ducati GT1000 which he's working on. You guys should meet up (or probably already have)!

Originally Posted by aargee

Adi - just wanted to say that through the nation 91 Octane is the standard after BS3 has come to enforcement. None of the PSU or private oil companies manufacture anything less than 91 RON. Adulteration...hmm, lets keep off that for the moment.

Congratulations ebonho

Thanks aargee. 99.9% of attendants all over the country have no clue about what octane rating of the fuel in their pumps is. So its a risk I'm reluctant to take for now with a new machine, and will not so happily pay the premium.

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

Congratulations, thats one good looking bike there. It looks good and meaty in that orange shade.

How much does this one cost on the road? The bikers on Team BHP are on a roll these days, wish i could buy one soon.

Thanks bro. It cost me 1,29,530 OTR in Pune.

Originally Posted by Turbokick

Congratulations for the baby duke !
It does looks super.

Two simple queries :
- Performance when compared against CBR250,Ninja250 and even Pulsar 220
- Handling capabilities when compared to R15.

While the bike is still brand new, I would like you to answer my queries in coming time.

Ride safe

Thanks buddy! Never ridden any of the above mentioned bikes. My frame of reference will be purely my Bullets - the Standard 500 and the LB 500.

Originally Posted by Technocrat

Congratulation Doc

This is a pleasant surprise, Is the Duke joining the Bulls? Never thought you would buy a high revving motor after the Bullets.

Would be interesting to know your experience with the Duke so keep us posted.

For those who don't know Doc maintains his bikes impeccably, his bikes shine as if its day 1 even after many years

Hey Kedar long time bro! Thanks man. You are too kind. Off late I've become a lot less anal about the spit and shine and much more about how the bike performs mechanically internally. Of course, the two are not mutually exclusive and a clean bike just feel and moves better. You will be surprised at how many old school (Bullet, RD, Yezdi) bikers are attracted to and going for this bike - there is something that tugs at the basic/raw heart strings of this demographic probably!

Originally Posted by The Great

Firstly congratulations Sir !

Surely a great bike to have along side your bullets. Kindly upload more pics if you can.

It would be really great to know how does the bike behave in practicality. The glam media always gives out all the icings on cake but only a real user can help in others decisions.

Cheers !

Thanks bro. Will keep you guys updated with honest real world riding views as this thread develops.

[sajo]

Thanks for the review ebonho.
I have been toying with the idea of replacing my Pulsar, or better still, adding a stablemate for it for quite some time now.
How do you think it will be for shorter riders (5'6 or so) like me ?

PS : I think I saw your nice white Bullet at the recent Pune meetup point. Sorry I couldnt bump into you and say hello..!

[shreeda]

Originally Posted by sajo

Thanks for the review ebonho.
I have been toying with the idea of replacing my Pulsar, or better still, adding a stablemate for it for quite some time now.
How do you think it will be for shorter riders (5'6 or so) like me ?

PS : I think I saw your nice white Bullet at the recent Pune meetup point. Sorry I couldnt bump into you and say hello..!

If I may barge in, this bike will surely suit your height. I'm tad shorter than you, yet I felt it is quite comfortable

[black12rr]

Originally Posted by ebonho

All in all, the way this bike accelerates through each gear with a hard punch with every shift (all the way to the top), once fully opened up, this is going to be a really NICE puppy for some street duels!

The gearbox is very slick and soft. No issues there.

As you mentioned there is something that this duke has, that old school ppl are pulled into . A push back from every gear and nice gearbox sounds really good .

Even though there was n250 ,cbr250 or even superlow or bandit , but some how they does not check all the right boxes .

The 25bhp,suspensions,twin disk brakes,Bajaj's reliability and service is what ticks for most of them .

The raw nature of the bike is what makes sense i guess .I think the wait will worth it .

BTW is the headlight DC ? ,60/55 watt ?

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Lots of plans for this little bike. She should be cut out for any type of riding frankly once you get used to her dynamics and ergonomics. Just need slight workarounds for luggage and fuel where necessary and you are good to go.

For sure i can sense the excitement in you post the Duke. Do post in some good photos of your ride in all her glory. Hope you have your riding kit in place.
Quick thought, do you think doing a 500 km ride so early will be ok for the bike?

[deetee]

Congratulations ebonho! Enjoy the bike, ride safe!

Originally Posted by ebonho

3) The riding position will take some getting used to before I gain confidence to start weaving through traffic
Once you get used, that wide hanlde bars will help you easily flick through gaps in traffic, it becomes second nature.

6) Lovely lovely lovely gearbox - can't understand what all I have been reading all over about difficult shifts, clunky, finding neutral, etc etc.
It will only become better as you use it more. Switch to synthetic oil , and you will be surprised to find an even better response.

7) No one believes its a Bajaj. Most ask if its an imported bike. Surprised to know it can be bought here and is made in our own town!

8) Not one question yet on mileage (most people are too embarrassed to ask is my feeling)
I wonder if anyone will ask about mileage even after seeing the beefy rear!

9) Except one guy suitably chastised, people have matured and do not start getting all touchy-feely with your bike wherever its parked. Don't know if my glowering presence has anything to contribute to it.
Yes, with multitude of premium bikes produced in recent years, people have become mature enough not to fiddle with others pride. With Impulse I too faced many questions but didn't face much of that 'touchy-feely' junta.

13) The brake lever is too small and does not come to foot automatically for my size 45 riding boots.
As Aaditya already mentioned, front brake is all what you will need to stop the bike under normal conditions.

15) The front of the pillion seat keeps hitting the small of my back on rough roads.
Pardon my ignorance, but I think it is removable, incase one wants to go touring.
16) The mirrors are nice and vibe free.
It is the balancer shaft at work which delivers smooth engine performance.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by sajo

Thanks for the review ebonho.
I have been toying with the idea of replacing my Pulsar, or better still, adding a stablemate for it for quite some time now.
How do you think it will be for shorter riders (5'6 or so) like me ?

PS : I think I saw your nice white Bullet at the recent Pune meetup point. Sorry I couldnt bump into you and say hello..!

I think your height is fine man. The seat is tall (probably the tallest) but the taper should allow you to be ok.

Lets meet up soon at Grand then .... or Rajmachi if you're coming!

Originally Posted by black12rr

As you mentioned there is something that this duke has, that old school ppl are pulled into . A push back from every gear and nice gearbox sounds really good .

Even though there was n250 ,cbr250 or even superlow or bandit , but some how they does not check all the right boxes .

The 25bhp,suspensions,twin disk brakes,Bajaj's reliability and service is what ticks for most of them .

The raw nature of the bike is what makes sense i guess .I think the wait will worth it .

BTW is the headlight DC ? ,60/55 watt ?

Its a European single for one. Its naked for another. Its raw and has attitude and is not ashamed to proclaim it, be it with sound or color. Those are important check boxes for me in addition to all its other attributes.

The light only comes on with the bike running. Its 60/55 I think.

Originally Posted by ku69rd

For sure i can sense the excitement in you post the Duke. Do post in some good photos of your ride in all her glory. Hope you have your riding kit in place.
Quick thought, do you think doing a 500 km ride so early will be ok for the bike?

I hope so. Its not an option either ways as this bike was booked and expedited for especially this ride. Sab Bhagwan aur Bajaj bharose!

P.S. Another thing I forgot to add to the previous feedback is the movement range of the handle left lock to right lock - which dictates the tightness of your low speed turns or swiveling tightly in dirt - is pretty limited (compared to my Bullet). Noticed this while trying to get her into my garage as well as taking a tight U in my compound driveway.

[zaks]

Congrats on the Orange beast. Can you tell me more about the riding position, where does your arms drop to while riding. Is it at the level of your belly? And how does it perform on turns?

The front tyre looks almost bald, will this have good grip when it rains?

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by zaks

Congrats on the Orange beast. Can you tell me more about the riding position, where does your arms drop to while riding. Is it at the level of your belly? And how does it perform on turns?

The front tyre looks almost bald, will this have good grip when it rains?

Thanks bro. The riding position (for me) I've already described above. The pegs are the moving type (spring loaded). The arms I always keep slightly high and cocked - though on this bike there is a slight tilt forward (not enough though to put stress on the wrists). Its a different riding position - will take some time getting used to it from that of the Bullet.

On the front tyre you guess is as good as mine bro. Let the monsoons come and we will see. They hold pretty well on hard braking on clean dry tarmac though.

[rajoy123]

Congrats on the new bike! you must be feeling really really happy now!

Apart from the Fuel-holding capacity and the poor-horn, the bike seems to be simply stunning!

Hoping to see more pics soon! Happy riding!

-rajoy.

[insideman]

been riding bikes for like six years not and ive been riding KTMs for like four years now. A two stroke 250, A four stroke 250, A four stroke 350 and the RC8 and I will tell you they are raw bikes, they have a lot of power, they have the best brakes, they are super light, they handle a lot better than the jap bikes, compared to the CR250 and YZ250, both four strokes and 2 strokes. The RC8 was so small and so agile also.
KTMS require close attention and you need to service them regularly to get the best out of them. Im guessing once in three to four months in your case. Thats if you want your bike to last you a lifetime.
The four strokes need way more attention than a two stroke.
Take care of your bike and she will always be there for you, it goes both ways.
Live to ride, Ride to live...
KTMs breathe like that.

[Sheel]

Congratulations

Originally Posted by ebonho

Will keep you guys updated with honest real world riding views as this thread develops.

In dearth of Official Review by the Team, try to make this review the One to read

I would be hooked onto this thread & glad to see you here :P

[kailashnj]

Congrats on your Duke buddy. Great to see you are enjoying your new ride.

Kindly post some pictures and how many days did it take for you to get the bike from Booking to Delivery. Is there any waiting period on the bike ??

[suhaas307]

Hearty congratulations on your latest acquisition!

The Duke in many ways, is the perfect bike for India. It fits the bill perfectly, as a daily commuter and an enthusiast's bike. Few bikes have managed to achieve that. And might I add that it looks absolutely stunning!

And from what I've heard, I'm glad that the bike is in the right and safe hands!