[Shumi_21]

So KTM is also jumping on the twin cylinder bandwagon after RE according to this article on Motoroids.

In an excerpt from his interview with SpeedWeek, Mr Pierer reiterated that the bike maker’s focus will continue to remain on a single and twin cylinder motorcycles. Talking about their focus on mid-capacity motorcycles, he said, “The theme is a 790 adventure. We want to sell 15,000 of them next year; the middle class is becoming more important. In this segment, we will come to other models, an SMT and so on. In the 500 cc class, we will bring a two-cylinder machine, which is manufactured by our partner Bajaj in India and with which we compete against the Japanese. Growth is happening in the emerging markets today, and in these emerging markets ‘premium’ is the mid-range of 500 to 800 cc.”

With RE ending the prevalent perception that a twin cylinder must be exorbitantly priced, KTM is now coming to fully demolish that notion. And they have the Ninja 300/400 & the Yamaha R3 in their sights.

While it's probably a given that the performance will be class leading if not class obliterating, it will be interesting to see if KTM can get their twin cylinder platform to run cooler and more refined than their singles. I am very excited to see what they have in store for us

[gururajrv]

If this happens, then it will be a missile for sure. 390 only shoots like a torpedo. Imagine what their twin cylinder maniacs would do to enthusiasts

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

And they have the Ninja 300/400 & the Yamaha R3 in their sights.

Isn't the 390 already taking care of these machines?

A KTM 500, with its lightweight nature (as is the case with all KTMs) - would be a rival to the 650s instead. If they can price it right between the RE 650 twins and the Kawasaki Z650, nothing like it - this would open up yet another level of performance biking in the country.

[AtheK]

This is pretty good news, a duke/RC 500 cc two from KTM at under 5 lacs, well limitless possibilities.

[marcussantiago]

"KTM is all set to strengthen its presence in the medium displacement segment with a new twin-cylinder sub 500 cc motorcycle. While the existence of this project is not a new update, in a recent interview, Stefan Pierer, CEO of KTM, confirmed that the motorcycle in question would be made by Bajaj in India. This means, that it will be aggressively priced, and could start from as low as Rs 3.5 lakhs."

https://www.rushlane.com/ktm-duke-50...-12290783.html

[timuseravan]

Fantastic news! KTM and RE seem to be the only 2 manufacturers who are really looking at the middleweight Indian market!


Hopefully the bike(s?) come out in next couple of years and it does not turn out to be another 390ADV.

[Ironhide]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Isn't the 390 already taking care of these machines?

A KTM 500, with its lightweight nature (as is the case with all KTMs) - would be a rival to the 650s instead. If they can price it right between the RE 650 twins and the Kawasaki Z650, nothing like it - this would open up yet another level of performance biking in the country.

Originally Posted by timuseravan

Fantastic news! KTM and RE seem to be the only 2 manufacturers who are really looking at the middleweight Indian market!


Hopefully the bike(s?) come out in next couple of years and it does not turn out to be another 390ADV.

Though it might have been in the making for a while, it must have been the launch and the subsequent stellar reception of 650 twins that may have prompted this news from KTM. All the same, it is good news for the customer. Though KTM alone is not the only manufacturer who is looking at the middle weight space. The Bajaj-Triumph combine is reportedly working on it with their own retro ~650cc offering. And Mahindra too has a chance to have a crack at this segment, should they want to revive the BSA brand.

With the launch and fantastic pricing of RE Twins, it sure is time for affordable middleweights in India. The stress hereon would be on the Price to cc ratio. Harley Davidson India must be getting nervous.

Cheers !

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Ironhide

Though it might have been in the making for a while, it must have been the launch and the subsequent stellar reception of 650 twins that may have prompted this news from KTM.

The demand and market response for the 650 twins has proved that the Indian market is ready to pay a good amount of money for a motorcycle, if it offers value in return.

The companies used to judge the market with the response to twin cylinder products like N300, R3 etc earlier - which were all CKD and never VFM for an Indian buyer. Duke 390 (old one especially, before prices slowly increased over time) was the upper limit till now where value ended and imports started.

[TusharK]

According to a media report, Bajaj Auto and KTM are developing a new 500cc, 2-cylinder motorcycle to compete with mid-capacity Japanese bikes.



KTM CEO Stefan Pierer has said that the new motorcycle will be manufactured by Bajaj in India. The new bike is expected to be positioned between the 390 Duke, RC 390 and the 690 Duke.

The 390 Duke and RC 390 are powered by a 373.2cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that puts out 43 BHP. The same engine powers the Bajaj Dominar 400, but comes in a slightly lower state of tune. The 690 Duke is powered by a 690cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that develops 72 BHP and is mated to a 6-speed gearbox.

While details about the engine of the 500cc bike are scarce, it is likely to be offered on multiple platforms such as naked, adventure and supersport.

Source: Speedweek

Link to Team-BHP News

[tarik.arora]

While the idea of a twin cylinder KTM sounds good, especially after RE offering the 650 twins at a mouth watering price, i have my own doubts on the quality offered. No offence to any current KTM owner, but i find their quality to be pretty bad. I owned the first generation Duke 390 and used it for 4 years before upgrading to a Ninja 650. Before the Duke, i owned a Pulsar 220 and i have no hesitation in saying that Pulsar and Duke offer similar quality levels. The usual Pulsar traits like leaking head gasket, chain slapping noise and rusting are very much there in the duke as well. I agree that it offers a mental performance but at the cost of quality. I realised this even more after moving to the Ninja. KTM might give us a twin cylinder 500cc 50-60 BHP machine at say 4 lacs but i will still prefer a 650 from a Japanese brand. If i am tight on budget, i will go the used bike way!

[Neo18]

Niggles on a premium bike can be a real pain .One of my buddies owns the current gen Duke 390 and the bike related owes are unending. Agreed, most of the niggles are electrical gremlins, but it certainly robs the owner of the premium experience. Add to that dealer apathy and lack of basic spares, one is not very far from regretting the ownership of the bike.

Unless Bajaj gets the formula right for selling premium bikes with a different focus altogether, the Dukes will end up as glorified pulsars.(Duke 125,200,250,390!!!) Note:- I was a owner of a 2nd Gen Pulsar 180 and have against Pulsars/Dukes. They are excellent VFM propositions. It is the feel good premium factor that is lacking in the ownership period of these bikes.

[Shumi_21]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Isn't the 390 already taking care of these machines?.

I meant that in the single vs twin cylinder engine context. Although the Ninja 400 does marginally outperform the KTM 390’s.

Originally Posted by timuseravan

Hopefully the bike(s?) come out in next couple of years and it does not turn out to be another 390ADV.

Originally Posted by marcussantiago

While the existence of this project is not a new update

True. I found this article on Overdrive from September 2014 confirming the development of a 500cc twin cylinder platform. So does this mean that it is closer to completion than we expected?!

I cannot disagree with the fact that KTM’s quality control is a little hit and miss. A close friend who owns a previous generation Duke 390 compares owning one to dating a supermodel as such: ‘She is high maintenance and finicky. But when she is happy, she will literally blow you away with her performance!’

But then again, we now have a precedent in the form of Royal Enfield. If they can come up with something well-built and refined like the 650 twins after decades (centuries?) of experience of making the exact opposite, surely, Bajaj/KTM can better that, right? At least I expect no less.

[MaheshY1]

This one is definitely a made-for-India product. I hope it retains the typical KTM hooligan soul.

Rs. 3.5 lakh ex-, under 160kg wet, and ~60-65hp should be expected. Bajaj knows a thing or two about making an incredibly-affordable product that punches above its weight. This could also be the KTM that trumps the Kawi 650 on power-to-weight.

No, the 390 is not a competitor for R3, Ninja. Some buyers prefer the refinement and rev-happy nature of a 180-degree parallel twin. The 490 Duke will probably ditch the 180-degree firing order to induce some character (aka vibes) and mid-range punch.