Think of it. If we consider an almost linear powerband(which is especially a decent assumption in case of the Duke), then lowering the rpms by 500 is equivalent to lowering the power output by 1.25 bhp in 5th and 6th gear, which means we now have a power output of the 200NS.

Even more malicious would be if they had this resetting planned before. you know, give thema beeeg number, then quietly 'flash' the ecu later when folks visit the svc without telling the details of the operation and the effects it would have on the bike performance.
I would hate KTM if the 2nd were true.

This is probably the only time i have seen a manufacturer not specifying the bikes power specs on their website!
Is ktm trying to 'hide' specs ? bad very bad.
And sadly we hear another case of busted fork seals !!

reading these recent posts makes me n ! and their website doesnt show the power specs !??

You are correct...visiting this thread regularly.

Now Should I get sad OR should i be Happy hearing the Above statement????

It is confirmed. The rev limiter has been reset at 10000 rpm in the 5th gear. It's still at 10500 rpm in 4th gear. I have not checked what is the case with 6th gear . I could only touch 115-117 in fifth when the limiter set in. This was tested in varying road conditions

Now few things which I can't wrap my head around.

1) What is the use of lowering the rev limit selectively if they have done it for reliability purposes? because the engine will still rev till 10500 rpms in 4 gears.
Did they think that most redlining is done in 5th and 6th by top end hunters?
Or may be it's the transmission reliability they are most worried about ?

2) The duke when launched had a claimed output of 25bhp at 10500 rpm. It was eye popping for a 200 cc bike at that time considering CBR205 R made the same figure, albeit at a lower rpm. Is it that KTM/Bajaj knowingly pushed the engines to its 'reliability limits'(I know it's exaggerating as the engine is still capable of making more) just to claim that figure of 25bhp keeping the CBR in mind. And now they realize their mistake and hence this castration exercise?
Even more malicious would be if they had this resetting planned before. you know, give thema beeeg number, then quietly 'flash' the ecu later when folks visit the svc without telling the details of the operation and the effects it would have on the bike performance.
I would hate KTM if the 2nd were true.
Think of it. If we consider an almost linear powerband(which is especially a decent assumption in case of the Duke), then lowering the rpms by 500 is equivalent to lowering the power output by 1.25 bhp in 5th and 6th gear, which means we now have a power output of the 200NS.
I am sure not many people would like to know that.

3) Why can't we get a choice of keeping the old map? I personally don't want it for the top end. I miss the action in the 1st gear while launching from zero at traffic signals.

I know I this post might be compared with a grumpy old man creating a fuss over things but seriously I am a peeved man!!


And did I mention that my horn is not working. Headlamps, starter are working fine. But the horn has just died. I rode in huge slush day before yesterday when it rained crazy in Mumbai. Any pointers?

Now Should I get sad OR should i be Happy hearing the Above statement????

At a guess, the RPM reduction in 5th and 6th is a reliability issue. Those two gears are the only two where someone is likely to *stay* at that RPM for any length of time. KTM has probably determined or decided that there is a risk of engine failure at the higher RPM if held there too long, and they want to minimize their outlay for replacements under warranty. This goes back to my statement about the Duke being a fun little bike, but that it would beat itself to death in a couple of hours on a real highway. Since the Duke is indeed sold in countries where the maximum legal highway speed is very close to the Duke's WFO top speed, KTM may already have had a number of redline-related engine failures and decided to take action.

I'll give you an analogy. My cousin races motorcycles; usually he rides an R6, and he usually races "endurance", where several riders take turns on the bike over a set time. Those "endurance" races are open to any bike that meets the displacement requirements, which means you will see Supermotards based on single-cylinder dual-sports out there on the track alongside the multicylinder bikes. Those supermotards will outbrake, outcorner, and in some cases outaccelerate the multicylinder bikes, but they rarely finish the race, because high-rpm running is just too stressful on single-cylinder engines. Ditto with the Duke.

Unfortunately, that means those of us here in India, where top speed is something rarely seen, and done only once in a while for fun, have to pay the price so the commuters in Europe won't have to replace their engines every other month. From the sound of things, KTM needs to split the difference on the ECU remap, and while dropping the limiter in 5 and 6, they need to punch up the bottom end again so the bike doesn't feel totally emasculated.

Engines are tested before they are declared roadworthy. I am sure KTM must have tested the engine at it's intended peak RPM for sustained periods. Why was the reliability problem not detected there? It's something very basic and important unlike say a trivial issues which may go unnoticed like paint chipping problem in a shock absorber

At a guess, the RPM reduction in 5th and 6th is a reliability issue. Those two gears are the only two where someone is likely to *stay* at that RPM for any length of time. KTM has probably determined or decided that there is a risk of engine failure at the higher RPM if held there too long, and they want to minimize their outlay for replacements under warranty. This goes back to my statement about the Duke being a fun little bike, but that it would beat itself to death in a couple of hours on a real highway. Since the Duke is indeed sold in countries where the maximum legal highway speed is very close to the Duke's WFO top speed, KTM may already have had a number of redline-related engine failures and decided to take action.

I'll give you an analogy. My cousin races motorcycles; usually he rides an R6, and he usually races "endurance", where several riders take turns on the bike over a set time. Those "endurance" races are open to any bike that meets the displacement requirements, which means you will see Supermotards based on single-cylinder dual-sports out there on the track alongside the multicylinder bikes. Those supermotards will outbrake, outcorner, and in some cases outaccelerate the multicylinder bikes, but they rarely finish the race, because high-rpm running is just too stressful on single-cylinder engines. Ditto with the Duke.

Unfortunately, that means those of us here in India, where top speed is something rarely seen, and done only once in a while for fun, have to pay the price so the commuters in Europe won't have to replace their engines every other month. From the sound of things, KTM needs to split the difference on the ECU remap, and while dropping the limiter in 5 and 6, they need to punch up the bottom end again so the bike doesn't feel totally emasculated.

Want to rethink about your post?
KTM 200 Duke - Technical Details
[ATTACH=CONFIG]82379[/ATTACH]

I dont know how you got to that link!!
This is from the ktm india site... see the first screenshot - i do not see any power figures. ( are you sure your browser cache n temp are cleared ?!)


And the hp... see the second screenshot. (the one you got says 18.xxhp, while the one i am showing says 19kw)


ktm is misleading/hiding stuff!!
Start navigating from this page >> KTM 200 Duke - Highlights , and check out you will understand what i am saying.

Want to rethink about your post?

. Take your pick!! On a serious note this statement was not made to offend pulsar 200 NS wallahs. Performance wise there is very little to differentiate between the two machines, at least on paper.Now most of my friends and 'aam junta' don't get what a trellis frame or a USD or Fi is. So I always resorted to the 1.5 odd bhp difference as an explanation for the 30k+ extra I paid for the bike.