[hillram]

UnDuke to ReDuke..Thats my saga of another encounter with a reduced Orange Flame !!!
Taking back to February 2015 when i acquired a pre worshipped KTM Duke 390..
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...edit-sold.html

Come 1 year i thoroughly enjoyed Duke 390 but towards the year end, it started having issues like over heating,
stator kit failing and most importantly, my spondylitis was catching badly and the high speeds of D390 were killing my neck.
I decided it was time to downgrade myself and decided to test drive a friends 2015 Duke 200. It was like slicing a cake and its icing too with ease. I was thoroughly bowled over by this Duke 200. It has better engine heat management, much more agile engine and lastly a very moderate controllable engine that did not hamper my neck and shoulder.

Quickly i put my Duke 390 on sale and spread the word the KTM world. With in 2 days the deal was done and I also made a neat profit on the deal !!! Only i had to let go Metzelers which hardly did their distance !!!

Meanwhile simultaneously I started looking for a good 2015 Duke 200 and from the pre worshiped world because there was no point spending on a brand new Duke 200 which did not have a slipper clutch like Duke 390.My trusty friend soon spotted a 2015 Duke 200 and I struck an amazing deal with brand new Michelin Pilot tubeless tyres. It had done again close to 10000km. The seller badly needed money hence it was a sort of humanitarian help too !!

So the Duke 200 now reignited flame had come home with immense happiness in family that i downgraded to a less faster motorcycle, there by reducing life risk !!!

Brand Loyalty or Brand Consciousness:
Whether certain brand affinity or obsession, I decided to continue with KTM Brand for the below reasons:
- A powerful European Brand with certain quality standards and most importantly a growing brand in India.
- Affordable and Available spares made lot of difference compared to other brands.
- KTM Service centers are fully equipped and I found my SVC (Banjara Hills) to be very effective and customer centric.
- KTM Orange Rides,a fraternity meets organized for KTM Owners by the company are very well orchestrated, fun filled events that give us a chance to take our KTM motorbikes on the tracks under supervision of experts.
- City rides need more comfort and freedom, hence I choose Duke 200 to keep "my sang-froid" during bumper to bumper traffic.
- Eye catching KTM is always an attraction on the road. Loud Orange colors on Alloy Wheels or decals attract everyone's attention.
- I fell in love with Metzeler tyres, which are so good with their racing technology and fit like a glove on KTMs to give ultimate joyous and safe
ride.
- KTM has huge list of after market accessories that can literally be called jewelry for your bike. Most of them are CNC parts with good
quality finish, rust free and affordable and available on most of the popular online sites.

My son, who is always a companion to me as a pillion rider sees this Duke 200 being passed on to him in the next few years !!


Father and Son ready to race !!!!



A Comfortable Ride on clean city roads



Ownership experiance:
I would like to express at the beginning itself that this is not a Duke 390 bashing thread. I have thorough respect for Duke 390, just for its sheer acceleration packed in that 374cc engine and Bybre brakes never disappointed me.
Let me be frank,I could not handle that amount of speed as my aging neck and spine took lot of stress.In fact it made me decide that any future acquisitions on two wheelers must not cross 300cc.

A customary photo shoot at the same spot near my house, where my D390 posed an year back.
Left Hand Angle Pose

Right Hand Side Pose






KTM Racing Brand on the Rear Alloy with an Orange radium lip

KTM Racing Brand on the Front Alloy with an Orange radium lip

CNC Rear Brake Fluid Reservoir Cap

CNC Oil Filter Cover

CNC Front Brake Fluid Reservoir Cover

CNC Stand Shoe

Tank Pad and Fuel Lid Decal

KTM branded Monoshocks washable cover to protect against dirt, especially in monsoons

Speedo Console showing 10000 + Kms


As I ride the Duke 200, I'm immensely satisfied that I took the right decision in moving towards a lesser engine and an advanced KTM Duke 200. Frankly I never looked at the FE for my Duke 390 nor will do the same for Duke 200.

But there is a stark difference in my riding style and confidence on road handling with Duke 200. My liking towards Duke 200 is attributed to the following reasons:
- Lesser Engine heating leading to more of joy riding than looking at the temperature gauge and worry about the coolant levels.
- More controllable revs, better gear changes, easy braking, all this has added to the comfort of riding more miles, that Im even tempted to
bring Anda, bread (Eggs & Bread) with my Duke 200 but I will never do that.
- Overall black livery on my Duke 200 is less impressive than the Orange flame thrower aka Duke 390, but i have interspersed enough orange
decals so that i dont miss my Duke 390 entirely.
- Michelin rubber is definitely a harder compound tyre than Metzelers, and does not really support racing moves. Hence I am a bit careful at
and bends.

Now comes the highway ride on my Duke 200. As always fully strapped and padded for safety and of course my son,who never fails to accompany me.





Ownership Experience
Iam not new to KTM Brand or the Duke lineage, hence my ownership is necessarily a comparison between Duke 390 (which I owned for over an year) and a Duke 200 (which I own currently).

What I like in my Duke 200
- Very tamable engine, which responds very well to the rider in every aspect : Acceleration , Braking , Gear Shifts , Riding posture and last of all..low heating of engine.

- Looks are very suggestive and those black mag wheels compared to the orange in Duke 390 give it a mean look. I felt the Orange dominated more in Duke 390s while in Duke 200, its subtly coming out. To enhance a little more, I added whole lot of Accessories (shown in my earlier photos above) such as Brake Oil Covers (Front and Rear), Oil Filter Cap, Fuel Lid Sticker, Monoshocks Cover and Stand Shoe, which all feature in Orange color to give it a nice contrast against black.

- Performance : Duke 200 is easy to maintain as it has less heating problems, Better Battery charging ability that Duke 390 whose Stator kits keeps failing (twice in my case) and healthy mileage (thought i don't have exact kmpl, Fuel Gauge level proves)

- Acceleration : I found the revs and acceleration to be excellent in Duke 200 than you can advance to 6th gear very easily even in city rides, which was impossible in Duke 390. On highway it was like Blowtorch through Butter and Duke 200 can nicely cruise at a steady speed. This is the part i liked the most in Duke 200 and with a 1/2 pillion rider (my 10 year old son !!!),the riding comfort is amazing.

- Braking : ByBre ( Stands for By Brembo) makes braking systems for Motorcycles up to 600cc in BRIC countries. The braking power is phenomenal and it with confidence, it executes high precision braking by bringing the Motorcycle to a halt with minimum jerks. Of course a key support here is the tyres which play a crucial role in braking. Though I miss ABS very badly in duke 200.

- Suspension : This is another sweet part of KTM. WP (White Power), which is a sister concern of KTM , makes supern suspension for Duke 200 that you get a silky ride.

- What I don' t like in my Duke 200
- All Black colored wheel rims are a let down, against orange rims of Duke 390.
- Lack of ABS is a sore point of Duke 390
- Absence of Slipper Clutch.
- I was told by KTM SVC that Metzelers wont fit on Duke 200 and hence I decided to go for Michelin. I'm not entirely happy with Michelin
rubber.
- Handlebar guards are absent in Duke 200, which give a better stance. If I wanted Handlebar guards, i need to buy Duke 390 handle and
install on Duke my 200 and fit the handlebars. I decided to leave the originality as is !!
- Lack of Slipper Clutch is a very disappointing, even in a 2015 edition of Duke 200.
- Some how, Duke 200 is positioned for younger generation (College going crowd) and Duke 390 is for middle aged me. Well I am strictly not
bothered by this and I enjoy a safe ride on my Duke 200.

Final Verdict : Am I happy to have downgraded to 200cc from a 374cc Duke..Yes I'am. There is no regret on this..
Ownership Rating : 4/5
Brand Loyalty : 4/5

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorcycle Section. Thanks for sharing!

[VW2010]

Good decision. The Duke 200 is actually even more crazier than the 390 but the best bet when you dont need major top end. The short gearing and sheer acceleration will still make the 200 not chase the 390 but stay closer in those early gears.

And good to see you getting your son with protection as well. Teach them young they say

And you wont regret anytime simply because the 200 was already a fantastic machine and it will only give you more happy miles. Good luck and ride safe .

[ksameer1234]

Congrats on your purchase! Even I feel that the whole concept of smaller Dukes was made with 200 in mind and 390 was more of an extension. In that sense, 200 feels more original attempt compared to 390!

Originally Posted by hillram

KTM branded Monoshocks washable cover to protect against dirt, especially in monsoons

Is this cover really required? New Dukes have a flap which protects monoshock from splashes. I had read about the heat of exhaust which fouls with this cover. Anything similar you experienced?

[VW2010]

Is this cover really required?

If you are cleaning the bike almost after every ride you can skip this. Other than that if the cover is made of cheap plastic it can definitely get damaged by heat. Usually these covers take up the heat really well.

I am used to cleaning the bike every other day before i take it out and have this crazy habit to clean it after a ride if its wet. This includes even car where i feel its easier to clean when its wet.

[vishy76]

Excellent choice!

Bike to bike, the Duke 200 is more frantic and lives up to the "KTM" image created by it when it was first launched all thanks to it's shorter gear ratios and the fact that you have to work the 200cc to extract power, which can be fun.

The current gen Duke 250 is a bit tame in comparison. Nonetheless, Bajaj has to be credited for bringing something new to the table every time. The Pulsar, the Duke, the Dominar...

BTW, what according to you is the ideal cruising speed for the Duke 200? Have had this question pop up many times but couldn't get an answer. Also, do provide further updates on the bike.


Regards,
Vishy

[hillram]

Originally Posted by vishy76

Excellent choice!

Bike to bike, the Duke 200 is more frantic and lives up to the "KTM" image created by it when it was first launched all thanks to it's shorter gear ratios and the fact that you have to work the 200cc to extract power, which can be fun.

The current gen Duke 250 is a bit tame in comparison. Nonetheless, Bajaj has to be credited for bringing something new to the table every time. The Pulsar, the Duke, the Dominar...

BTW, what according to you is the ideal cruising speed for the Duke 200? Have had this question pop up many times but couldn't get an answer. Also, do provide further updates on the bike.


Regards,
Vishy

Thanks..One can go up to 120 easily on a Duke 200, but I never crossed 100.
My bike has been used by a friend for last few months.