Firstly, What I responded to someone on FB was still in support of a 'community' called xBhp. I have responded to your PM as well

Secondly, the PR analogy wasnt coming just because of the praises of the review but also on the sheer spread on the content which has ended up making the review a blob.

and lastly, if those last few lines are a jab at what I wrote on another forum with just two pics, let me assure I wrote that with all honesty and 0 money , and I did not have the camera on me then.

Brilliant review. The pics are crisp as ever.
Also can you please confirm the functions of the console and edit your review?

yes please do add this guy to the team. I mean it!

A high res of this pic would be appreciated.

I just noticed, they missed the P220 which is in the same league as the KTM. Bajaj too shy to compare their own existing models?
Bajaj could hand over the figures/charts for the CBR/ The R15 but not their own p220 which is their own high end flagship model "largest selling sportsbike"

where is the superlike button????
Bang on point buddy...

As we all know the Pulsar series is due for a 'generation change' very soon. Maybe they will release the comparison when the press event for the new gen Pulsars is held.

I was just looking for some other reviews for the duke where i found
KTM Duke 200 reviewed - Car news - BBC TopGear Magazine India Official Website

firstly, I wasn't aware that TG india ever existed and from when has Tog gear started reviewing bikes..??????????????

the main controversy seems to be that it states that the mileage of the bike is 20Kmpl. it also states that when pushed hard it drops till 15Kmpl. i know the above figures are by the center console of the bike but that must be +-5 true, otherwise what is it for, scaring the crap of the owner, as if the mileage on the console is incorrect then figures like 'distance to empty' would also be misleading to the rider. i know that this was just a test bike, but did you guys see this too...??????????

My Previous post
Also,
*Why not compare it with N250 ?
*If company quotes Mileage of 30Kmph(AFAIK Track Mileage IS NOT EQUAL TO City/Highway/Off Road Mileage[I may be wrong]) that'll be a HUGE question mark if Tourers really want to buy this.
*Fanboys will buy, Haters will hate, Others will/should wait .

They did not compare Ninja 250R with KTM Duke 200. If they can compare 17bhp R15 with (Which is 8 Bhp less than Duke200), Why not compare it with Ninja250R (Which is 8 Bhp more than Duke200).

Going by your argument they shouldnt be comparing it with the Ninja 250 either, since its faster, on paper and actually. But they have. You know why? Because they are two different bikes and segments. Similarly, P220 and KT200 are two very different bikes with a huge cost diference - there is no risk of cannabalization anywhere.

Also, if you are worried about Bajaj's claim for it being 'the fastest Indian', it still holds true since KTM 200 is not an Indian (indigenous) bike at all!

You cannot compare all the bikes in the world.

Also, I really dont get it what is it with the review being a PR activity - of course it is, thats why magazines are called for review arent they? MCN et al, even in the west. Being paid for it? Definitely No!

You will get enough reviews and complaints on any bike you name on xBhp by members - CBR, P220, GS150 etc. This is truth forum and we have nothing to hide.

If someone doesnt like the review then why dont you read some other review o on the internet?

It is not like the people reading here are kids that realize 'of my god, this is a PR paid review' xBhp just sold me a shit bike!

Apply your heads and do the math - KTM + Bajaj + Bike specs = ?




The truth is people have simply got too much time at hand and too little patience to use their own minds. Do not participate in a herd mentality, apply your own judgement - no one is asking anyone to but this bike here.

Also, again, note this last line: Once the bike is released xBhp forums will be the place where its owners will be publishing both good and BAD reviews about the KTM200. I guess that isnt free speech than what is!

Neither nobody was surprised why they didn't bring p220 into the group. The Topgear review is short and crisp and straight to the point without being overwhelmed. And about the mileage, if Bajaj stats it to be 30 there is nothing like it cant vary or even fall anywhere near it, as they are good in exaggerating figures. The actual numbers will only come after the bike is launched and tested. Pricing always crucial, I expect a price not exceeding 1.3L.

I appreciate the efforts taken by Xbhp for this review.

I read the review twice by now and the only time they mention N250 is during the fuel analysis.
We dont see any pros-cons listed in the performance of the bike(not visual appeal cons)?? ultimately that should sum it up No?
What comes across the review is that it makes the bike look like it has 0 flaws. As a result it makes the review look a bit biased.
And wait. The bikes are compared on the price point?
If so why was the CBR250R Review put forward as a Ninja-CBR comparo? I mean the bikes arent even on the same price tag. 1 is almost two times the other. They belong to different segments aswell. One is a sports tourer the other is a full on sports bike.

"If you are a good rider then you will rarely need ABS"

Like George Carlin once said "When you step on the brakes your life is in your foot's hands"
I thought xbhp was promoting "Safety first" yes?
You do realize that ABS is more of a safety feature instead of a "Newbie helper" yes?
It doesnt matter how much of a good experienced rider you are, when you panick you panick. When a truck comes out of nowhere when ur doing highspeeds(exactly what happened yesterday to me) you panick and panick braking is what causes accidents. Rear wheel lockup is the first thing that happens. You dont ever see ABS bikes locking up.
At a time when Honda and TVS are promoting ABS, i think Bajaj-KTM should have used it as optional on a bike that is as powerful as this and costs as much as this and weighs as less as this. You cant underestimate the ABS.

Because we trust xbhp to bring out a No-Nonsense review all the time - and they have so far.
The other reviews on the internet arent as interactive with the "Aam Aadmi" as xbhp.
That is why we were tippy toed and excited and freaking out on the day this review was supposed to be posted.
Xbhp comes out with reviews from the "Mango Man's" point of view as well as an "Enthusiast"'s point of view.
Such reviews are hard to find on the internet. You only get one of those, not both.

Note/P.S: This is just a criticism of the review. Not a personal hatred or anything

I got no love for this baby duke but after looking at the review i have changed my opinion on this baby. Whether Xbhp is paid for the review or not i dont bother about that unless you get what you are looking for in an review.

I do agree there are shortcomings in the review .Especially an one line statement about other blogs that should have been avoided i felt no matter how they are.And a summary of pros and cons about the bike would have been added more value to the review.

We are all humans not machines and mistakes do happen. I do hope Sunny and his team will rectify their shortcomings and bring out an excellent review which is liked by everyone.
Common brothers Xbhp is like a family bikers,why should we all have unwanted feud !

Ride safe !

Someone pls... ??

To all the critics, what really bothers you, is it the tone while talking about the competition. Most of us are already aware of what competition is capable of, with that in mind, this review clearly states what to expect from Duke 200. Isn't that's what you expect from this review, why are you cribbing on something that's not main point of this review. Let the launch happen and then various road tests will invariably pit it against competition. It's evident that bike wasn't even given in it's final config (with rev limiter kicking in at 10k rpm) and later on clarification was issued that it could be higher. This is just first impression, view it as such.

Honestly I had to look up who is George Carlin, was hoping he was a pro moto or someone. Nevertheless, this is what I believe:

No matter how many technologies you have, it inevitably depends on the skills of the rider and the very fact that you have to 'stay safe' first. And this is what xBhp promotes.

ABS is good to have, but last I checked, mankind has been riding well without such aids and I see no reason why there should be a drastic need all of a sudden and pivotal so as to decide a fate of such a good product. If I wanted to hide this 'shortcoming', I would have never bought it up myself in the review, would I? I dont think any other review so far has highlighted this. There goes my commission from Bajaj out of the window. On a serious note, I am NOT discounting the advantages of ABS, while requesting you not to discount the VFM of the bike - even without it. FYI - an ABS version is already under development for all we know.


Also, I appreciate when you say there are a lot of things expected out of an xBhp review, but I might add - it is absolutely impossible for anyone to please everyone.


Also note - I love when sane people criticize others sanely, and the reverse also applies. And Nithesh, you surely fall in the former category from which people can learn a thing or two. Give respect, get respect is my ultimate and unflinching motto.

Before going further I would like to comment on 'teaching other blogs on how to do it' part. There have been innumerable blogs plagiarising xBhp content and news along with some spice off the internet - I am sure no hard working institution and individual would appreciate this. The blogs being hinted at know who they are. Beyond this I share a good rapport with good amount of respectable bloggers whose sole aim is not to just be in the race of creating online content.

I would agree on one shortcoming of the review, a lucid summary, so here it is, I have also appended it in the review:

KTM 200 : Summarized

200 CC . 25 Bhp . 19Nm . 136 KG (Wet)

Pros

• Naked styling matching the bigger KTM dukes
• Stupendous Power to Weight Ratio
• Lovely Console
• Made in India

Cons

• No ABS
• Rear end does not look meaty enough from some angles
• The sound of the bike is on the timid side
• The bike that we tested seemed to cut off too soon
• No orange trellis frame
• Top end might not meet the expectations of many people because it is easy to forget it is 'just' 200 CC after all
• The tank capacity might be a tad small at 10.5 Litres
• The rear seat might prove to be a tad small for a pillion on long rides, but we havent tested that

In the end a lot will depend on the cost which will be announced in January.

One thing that I have seen missing in almost all the reviews/tests that I have, in last decade or so. Talking about head lamp illumination. Often the numbers of headlamp power stated don't say much about how well it will work in night.

Yes, I know that this review was done in daytime and hence not possible. I remember seeing a slightly dark (as per daytime standard) section in parking lot at the end of entrance road as you enter the factory. (If it was possible, else may be in future?)

Now, its difficult to put in words about the headlamp functionality but a picture of it working, alongside say one of the best that we got (P220 with projector), on a dark section would be helpful.