[ebonho]

It seems that the first 100 bikes in the country will be put under intense scrutiny and feedback from a host of specially trained Bajaj engineers deputed for the same. Look at them as an angel on your shoulder as you take baby steps with the baby and put her through its early paces.

Mine is Mr. Brijesh Pandey of Bajaj (who has been following up regularly and reporting back to their internal Technical Cell), and a host of other very friendly and knowledgeable tech guys at Sai Service - Mr. Sandeep (whose feedback points on the bike are uncannily similar to mine!) and Mr. Sachin (who was brave enough to sit behind me for a test ride - but only once! LOL).

The chain was loose and was adjusted yesterday. Now the next feedback will probably be when I am back from tour and the first 1000 km run and service.

A few mini rear tyre lock ups on shiny glazed (dry) concrete yesterday as confidence in the bikes abilities is rising and am going into corners harder (sometimes sideways - hence the feedback LOL).

Could be the tyre is not yet bedded in (just around 100 kms) or could be that the brakes are better than the rubber or could simple be that I am still braking for the Bullet - on the KTM

Other than that, all is well. The computer tells me that I am getting a mileage of 34 kmpl. Sai guys say pretty assuredly 30-35 kmpl will be the norm. 25+ kmpl at 120+ kmph highway riding most probably.

The bike does 85-89 kmph at 7-7500 rpm in 6th. Sai guys say it should do 90. Must be my weight :( Early days yet.

P.S. One more thing - the tank definitely needs a tank pad - the jacket lands up scuffing the raised part next to the seat, and there is no way you can sit further back.

[nanduchitnis]

Congrats. Keep this tread updated regularly please.

Is this bike an off roader or a sports bike?

Ride safe>

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by insideman

Im guessing once in three to four months in your case.

Every 5000 kms. But she will be sharing riding duty along with my 500, so don't now how the time thing will work out.

Originally Posted by Sheel

Congratulations

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

Thanks bro! I'm hooked onto this thread too.

Originally Posted by 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!

Thanks buddy! She officially got her number stickered yesterday. So no dirty looks from the cops anymore (unaccustomed to that part of biking having been riding Bullets for 10 years now).

Originally Posted by nanduchitnis

Congrats. Keep this tread updated regularly please.

Is this bike an off roader or a sports bike?

Ride safe> Helmet, riding jackets, knee and elbow guards.

Are you a member of RSA Pune?

Its close to being a naked moto (on/off road) in configuration though I have yet to try her out in dirt properly.

No Nandu, do not ride under any club banner but our own - the Merlins. Though I do know some of the RSA guys.

[arrpiem]

I'm hooked on to this thread! Booked the baby duke & awaiting a call from the showroom

About using only the front brake, wouldn't both simultaneously work better?

I did feel the back wag a bit on hard breaking during the test ride, but then again I too was breaking as i would have on my Thunderbird i assume.

I think i will be playing the gears to regulate higher speeds

[nanduchitnis]

Hey Doc,

A friend, Mr Deepak Kulkarni called me up early morning to recommend a new bike to replace his old Pulsar 180. He is into riding bikes for recreation and off roading for photography.

He was looking to book a Honda CBR 250.

I read out your review of the KTM to him on the phone and asked him to check out the new Pulsar 200/Kawasaki and more specially the KTM Duke at the Bajaj Probiking showroom.

He went there this morning and sent me an SMS that the test ride was scheduled later for the evening.

Now I get an SMS that he has booked the DUKE !!

He lives close to my home, so I will get to borrow his Duke 200 when ever I need to ride to Lavasa !!

The only user review of the DUKE that I have read is this one!!

Thanks Doc !!

Rgds

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by ebonho

The bike does 85-89 kmph at 7-7500 rpm in 6th. Sai guys say it should do 90. Must be my weight :( Early days yet.

No way doc.... 7500 rpm is way too high for 90 kmph. In your case its even lower. Keeping the same ratio in mind, the bike would do 126 kmph @ 10,500 rpm. Are you sure about the rpm?

[ebonho]

Went for a short 150 km dash to Lonavala and back with a friend last night. Got a chance to stretch her legs for the first time. She moves well. Lots of roll-on torque even in 6th, which is essentially the highway gear/overdrive. The red blinking warning rpm shift light does not come on in 6th. Also the rpm gets stuck somwhere in the middle of the band though the engineer assures me it should go all the way up to 9500 (even in break in) before it "fades out" till 10500 at which point bike will start mis-firing. Yes you are right extreme torque - she does go a lot higher than I initially thought in the city

The chain khat khat sound is still there and at lower speeds gets on the nerves. They have some new roller/adaptor which they will put on to the bike for this issue. Even the front fork has that typical feeling as if something is loose within and is hitting on the top stroke of the rebound + there is a fiber/plastic type sound from the front too when the front hits rough patches/goes into a hole.

Except for these two issues (which should NOT be there on the heavily touted suspension of the KTM) the bike is moving really nicely. 250 kms done now. The light is not as good as my Bullet's beam and a couple of times on a curve the oncoming lights made me momentarily loose the road and back off. The spread is really good, but there is no focused central bright spot. But its significantly better than a brand new Pulsar I was riding with.

Getting used to the peg placement and the riding position now. Even the tiny levers are coming better to foot though I still need to shift foot and search for the brake. In the curves still need to get used to the really light weight of the bike - which is slightly unnerving in terms of feedback from the road as you lean more and more. The brakes are amazing one finger stoppie stuff! The seat is hard and does get a little demanding after some time, but thats break-in for the bum and not the bike!

Off to Goa tomorrow, and maybe further south if the mood is there. Goa and Kolhapur KTM guys have been informed and are on call ready to help (love this atention - thanks Bajaj!). Will touch base now after a week with feedback. Cheers!

[black12rr]

Its 12:07 am , how about some real time updates .Why week man, that's a lot of time .

Chain making sound ,looks like loose chain .Looking for first touring update . Let us know the mileage and the cruising ability .
Some pics of saddlebags or with touring gear .

[rk_sans]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Off to Goa tomorrow, and maybe further south if the mood is there. Goa and Kolhapur KTM guys have been informed and are on call ready to help (love this atention - thanks Bajaj!). Will touch base now after a week with feedback. Cheers!

Good to know you are taking it out for touring already. Do update about the touring capabilities about it specially the cruising stuff. Will help my cousin to decide on it.

[aargee]

Originally Posted by ebonho

21) The petrol is 91 octane only. The Bajaj engineer has recommended to err on the side of safety on the highway and fill only premium fuels (Speed, Extra Premium, etc)

Here's something to end the confusion on the fuels available across the country - http://www.iocl.com/Products/GasolineSpecifications.pdf

If you can take a pic of the maintenance & service (a table that states what component to be changed at what interval), it would be of great help. TIA.

[ajnagpur]

Hey Doc,

Congratulations for the new Ride

I have seen so many Avatars/modification on your Bullet all these years & this is like altogether a different addition to your garage. So your life has become even more fun now.

See you soon with the bike in flesh.

Abhijeet

[ebonho]

Yo guys! Writing in from Goa Bike performed splendidly - both on the super-slab of NH4 as well as the lovely twisties of Amboli as well as spme serious lunar landscapes over a shortcut to NH17 via Banda bypassing Sawantwadi. Bottom line - this bike can off road without issues and at decent speed.

Though the suspension definitely needs looking at. There is a "clunk" from the front, and the back (now its on position 5 - changed just before the ride; new guide for chain not put in as we did not want to tinker with the factory fitted drive chain just before her first proper test outing). The chain was adjusted again and with the suspension stiffening, the sound is better.

The engine is really free and revving strong now. The induction roar in 2and 3 is heady stuff! She holds her line at speed beautifully, though the front is a little twitchy at times and could benefit from a steering damper per my friend who was riding her.

Mileage figures being indicated by the computer over the 150 km Lonavala dash as well as this 500 km ride are between 39 nad 41 kmpl (2.1 L/100 km). The tank range is short though. From full tank to the brim the low fuel indicator comes on at around 200-220 kms.

[_raVan_]

Congratulations on your Duke! HE is quite a looker Wish you many happy miles with it.

Good that you have started touring now itself. 41kmpl is splendid for a machine which churns this much power!

[shreeda]

Thanks for the update. That answers quite some concerns. One question though, how good/bad is it for carrying luggage? Any workaround invented by you yet?

[baluundertaker]

The bike does 85-89 kmph at 7-7500 rpm in 6th. Sai guys say it should do 90. Must be my weight :( Early days yet.

Am certain that weight/size has absolutely no relation on the speed a bike can do at a given rpm. On road speed is a function of engine rpm and gear ratio. So this must be same for everyone.

Of course weight might affect how fast you reach a given rpm(and hence speed).