KTM 125 Duke likely to launch in India in late November

19/11/2018 - 10:00 KTM 125 Duke, KTM Duke 200, KTM Ajinkya Lad

Dealers IAB spoke to expect the KTM 125 Duke to launch in India by the end of this month. The company has not made an announcement on the rollout.

2017 KTM Duke 125 rear three quarter — The international-spec KTM 125 Duke (pictured) is similar in design to the 390 Duke.

On 16 October, we reported about KTM dealerships accepting pre-bookings for the 125 Duke in India. Dealerships in Maharasthra reveal that the 125 Duke is expected to be priced around INR 20,000-30,000 lower than the 200 Duke.

The KTM 125 Duke was spied testing for the first time in Pune on 1 November. The international-spec 125 Duke is entirely similar to the KTM 390 Duke and comes with features like a TFT Colour Display for the instrument cluster, Bluetooth Smartphone integration, full LED headlight, and Metzeler tyres.

However, the India-spec KTM 125 Duke will be similar to the 200 Duke. The 125 Duke will become an entry-point for KTM in the premium motorcycle segment. The new safety guidelines, which kick-in 1 April 2019, will significantly increase prices of two-wheelers, as vehicles above 125 cc will need to have ABS as mandatory while those below 125 cc will come with the cheaper combined braking system (CBS).

Powering the KTM 125 Duke is a 124.7 cc, single-cylinder, four-valve, liquid-cooled motor that is mated to a six-speed transmission. The fuel-injected, DOHC engine is capable of churning out a maximum power of 15 hp (11 kW) at 9,500 rpm along with 11.8 Nm of peak torque at 8,000 rpm.

Braking duties on the India-spec model will be carried out by a 300 mm front rotor and a 230 mm rear disc, with a combi-braking system (CBS) as standard. The bike will come equipped with 43 mm upside-down fork up front and an adjustable mono-shock at the back, both sourced from WP.

KTM Duke 200 India launch orange — The India-spec 125 Duke will be similar in design to the current-gen KTM 200 Duke (pictured) sold in India.

Also Read: KTM 390 Adventure Indian launch on schedule; debut at EICMA 2019 - Report

The KTM 125 Duke is expected with a sticker price of INR 1.25 lakh (ex-showroom). It will rival the Yamaha R15 V3.0, TVS Apache RTR 160 4V, Bajaj Pulsar NS160, Suzuki Gixxer and the Yamaha FZ-S. The 125 Duke is manufactured at the Bajaj-KTM facility in Chakan, Pune and exported global markets since early 2011.