Fun motorcycles never go down well with parents. Their usual apprehensions have to do with many possible negative outcomes, from finding you bruised and battered to finding you behind bars — and it doesn’t matter if you are a good rider, or if you think you are. And your chances of getting that fun bike are even lower if the parents are the ones writing the cheque. So, what’s the cheat code to this age-old dilemma? KTM seems to have readied an answer in the form of the 125 Duke.
KTM’s history in India started with the firebrand 200 Duke and the 390 Duke that followed, along with the faired, RC siblings of both models. The bikes simply struck every wannabe-performance motorcycle’s ambitions straight in the kneecaps. Over the course of seven years, however, KTM’s Indian motorcycles have steadily become pricier, thus pushing the brand out of the affordable class of motorcycles. To answer this conundrum, KTM has introduced the 125 Duke to provide a lower entry point into the mad, neon-orange world of these terrific Austrian pocket rockets.
First, the answer to the question everyone is asking — why is a 125cc motorcycle so expensive? Well, KTM’s answer is that the 125 Duke is exactly the same motorcycle as the 200 Duke, just less powerful. In other words, it has the exact same cycle parts, bodywork and features — all of which is pretty premium stuff — as the 200. Which means you get those snazzy alloys, a WP upside-down fork, very sharp disc brakes at either end, a proven trellis frame, fuel injection — the list, as you can tell, is a long one.
KTM also decided to stick with the ABS that was available on the international-spec 125, instead of investing in devising a combined-braking mechanism that is now the norm for sub-125cc bikes in India. To save costs, the bike maker has removed the ABS from the rear wheel, making it a single-channel system, as seen on the 200 Duke. To summarise: what you get with the 125 Duke is a motorcycle that’s more feature-rich than most 200cc bikes out there, thus justifying the price tag. Having said that, I feel KTM could have been competitive with the pricing, even if not dramatically so, because asking your parents to part with ₹1.18 lakh is still not going to be a conversation littered with laughter and jovial back-slapping.
When I found myself in the 125’s saddle one fine morning, I was keen to not be let down. A quick thumb of the starter brought to life a familiar, but softer exhaust note and the light throttle sent the revs shooting up in an instant, just like all good KTMs. The riding geometry remains commanding, but is still a bit cramped for tall or generously proportioned riders.
With the 124.7cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC unit producing 14.5hp and 12Nm of torque, it’s wasteful to expect a ticking bomb on two wheels. It isn’t one. At 148kg, it weighs exactly the same as the 200 Duke, so there’s no weight-deficit bonus tucked away, either. So what exactly happens when you’re let loose on a track?
Within the first 10 minutes astride it, I’d mentally written it off. “It feels like a 390 Duke on limp-home mode,” I told myself; but a couple of laps later — having recalibrated to relatively lower speeds than I’ve ever experienced on a track and on all other KTMs — I began to have fun. There’s still that characteristic rush of acceleration and crispness to the throttle response, but it felt like I was watching a YouTube video of my manic memories of the 200 Duke in slow motion. It accelerates up to nearly 90kph in an uninterrupted, energetic and linear manner, with the gearbox helping with quick shifts; going beyond that takes determination, though. Down the long straight, I made my way up to 105kph with a strong headwind; although on a shorter straight (now with a tailwind) I did catch a glimpse of 115kph on the speedo. A shift to sixth gear brings about a momentary dip in progress and revs, and I preferred to stay in fifth, with the throttle pinned open. This bike definitely needs more room and a lighter rider to extract its best, but its overall performance predominantly belongs to the city.
The chassis does tremendous favours to what could have been an entirely unexciting motorcycle — especially when you consider its lineage. As a result, you can lean the 125 Duke over to its side, even at top speed, and you can brake as late and as hard as you like, assured by the confidence all those premium components lend it.
By the end of my stint with the 125, I couldn’t resist asking the friendly KTM guys for just five more minutes of riding time; so that should tell you something about this bike’s character.
However, it’s only reasonable that many of you cannot substitute speed with anything else, and in that context, you can do a lot better with ₹1.18 lakh. The TVS Apache RTR 200 4V and the Bajaj Pulsar 200NS are cheaper, and a little more money can buy you a Yamaha R15. However, none of these motorcycles are as slow as the 125 Duke and, presumably, none of them will be as fuel-efficient either. And that means we finally have a fun motorcycle your parents won’t mind paying for — but just ensure they never read this review, alright?
Specifications
Price: Rs 1.18 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)
Engine: 124.7cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled
Power: 14.5hp at 9250rpm
Torque: 12Nm at 8000rpm
Suspension (F/R): USD fork / Monoshock
Brakes (F/R): 300mm disc / 230mm disc
Tyres (F/R): 110/70-17 / 150/60-17
Wheelbase: 1366mm
Seat Height: 818mm
Ground Clearance: 175mm
Fuel Tank capacity: 10.2 litres
Weight: 148kg
