Re: KTM 200 Duke

Wtf!!! Seriously?? Where you live dude?? Though you love it so much, I wouldn't recommend.. Its not a normal carburetor bike which can be repaired by local mechanic..its fuel injected, got whole lot of sensors, complicated forks and so on..... Ofcourse you can ride 600 km for service if you love to ride,but what if it breaksdown?? Hectic buddy.. Better go for different bike, if you love it so much you can go for it keeping in mind all the above points..

Sent from my MT11i using xBhp Connect mobile app

Re: KTM 200 Duke

I'd suggest to definitely go for it if you want to have it! Don't let the distance from service center stop you.

I live 200km from nearest service center and has never been a problem. Some Dukers here in this thread live even further and they've been OK as well. I actually never needed a service center except for regular services. I've never had less issues with any other bike I've owned in past.

"If it breaks down" - hey, that can happen to ANY bike, and it can happen when you're touring in a middle if nowhere, and then what? Even if you have ordinary Pulsar you'll have to organize some transport for your bike...

Good thing about Duke is that it's a very good quality bike and chances are very small you'll ever end up in a situation where it'll be a problem to go even 300km to service center.
Most problems in a Duke are fork oil leak (which, btw, never happened to me even though I've been riding in REALLY bad roads) or some "usual" small things that are never a big problem.

Anyway, unless you have a serious accident you'll be OK with service center being far away except for the inconvenience of several hours trip each way once in 3 months for regular service. Heck, for me it's even a great excuse to go for a longer ride, I enjoy it...

And even if the bike breaks down or something serious happens - from what I know from some past incidents in different states, KTM guys have a very good reputation if you're stuck with your bike away from any service center - they were always very helpful to either come to the actual place or to organize a bike transport to service center. I think they even have some policy (at least in some centers) where you pay xxx Rs and you get a free transport of your bike to nearest service center if the bike breaks down.
KTM / Bajaj Probiking treat Duke as a premium product and from my experience you're being treated much better than when owning some other bike brands.
And BTW, KTM are opening more and more centers across the country, which will even increase with launching of Duke 390 and other models in next year and two.

Re: KTM 200 Duke

thanks [MENTION=18379]splus[/MENTION] your words are truly inspiring..
i felt in love with duke when i saw the concept pics of the duke125 in 2009 in OVERDRIVE they mentioned it would be having a 200cc mill when it comes to india through bajaj which made me think because if bajaj gets it then it would be pulsars engine, but after its launch everyone praised the hooliganistic ktm engine and my love for the duke grew even more with every review i read.... altough i love to ride my dad(also a passionate biker) and my mom does not allow me to go such long distances....


[MENTION=38129]SIDH[/MENTION]harthsure
i live in bellary karnataka and the nearest ktm showroom is in bangalore, i have ridden the 200ns and did not like it much...
the cbr250 is fully faired a bit soft, owning a fazer i know what it is to live with a faired bike.
thanks for your reply..

Re: KTM 200 Duke

Well, if your parents don't allow you and you can't convince them to allow you to go to a 300km trip on a highway (which is easy 3 hours with Duke), then, I'm afraid, you don't have any choice... Have to listen to your parents.
Although, as KTM said, many more showrooms and service centers will be opening during this and next year, so your situation might change. You might want to send an email to KTM (I don't have it but it's been posted in this thread many times) and ask them if they have any plans to open a showroom not too far from your place.

BTW, everything about KTM screams of KTM. It is Bajaj who is using KTM's designs and engines in their Pulsar 200NS and upcoming Pulsar 375.
KTM Dukes 125, 200 and 390 are only built in Bajaj's factory under strict oversight from KTM (same way iPhone is built by Foxconn in China, yet it's of very good quality). Those bikes are being exported all around the world, they have to be of a really good quality because KTM can't risk its reputation of a premium brand that it is.
It is only in India that Duke 200 is crazy cheap (despite being "expensive" to us). For example, Duke 200 in Thailand costs around 4.5 lakhs, 3.7 lakhs in Malaysia and 3.5 lakhs in Europe. Believe me when I say that many, many people around the world are envying us to have such prices for Duke 200... For me Duke 200 is by FAAAR the best value for money bike in India.

Re: KTM 200 Duke

even my pattern is similar...bt sm people suggest that this bike needs to be pushed harder than this..

----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

thanks for the advice.
I have clocked 400 kms. Waiting for the running-in period to be over

----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

Yes, i have pushed it beyond 5k & i understand that it is a shift indicator & not a rev limiter.
Cause of my doubt was the two school of thoughts - One that say to ride it smoothly initially...
Others as you say advice to push it harder from the initial days itself to realize the full potential...
I know I am a tad too careful but wt can I do its my first bike out of my own pocket

----consecutive posts auto-merged-----

thanks guys for your advice....
Just 1 more thing...I have to oil the chain quite frequently...I know its monsoon but never had this issue on my old pulsar...is it normal on this bike ?

By the way...got an invite to KTM 390 unveiling on 26th June at 5 pm from the dealer yesterday

Re: KTM 200 Duke


yeah good point....
my dad says we go and get it once and to skip first 1000kms service and go on a 5000kms service..
is this a good idea??

Re: KTM 200 Duke

The worst idea, actually.

A new bike has a lot of metallic debris which gets removed at the 1st service along with the burnt out oil. Some people prefer to get their bike's oil changed at 100km once before getting it done at 1000 again just to have those tiny metallic chippings removed quicker. Skipping 1000km to 5, is in other words murdering your bike's engine.

Its highly recommended you either wait for Ktm opening up in your town or go for another bike (Pulsar 200ns is a great substitude). Moreso for the run-in procedure than the servicing issue as I'm sure reining the Duke on highways for over 300kms is a task even the Seniors here will reconsider. Your call!

Re: KTM 200 Duke

Same here Bro. But 6th gear only after 80+.

Re: KTM 200 Duke

Actually, changing the oil isn't problem at all, you can do it yourself. I was in a same situation. Just buy 2-3 spare oil filters from KTM service and change the oil and oil filter in any street shop. Ideally get Motul 5100 fully mineral oil or if that's not available Bajaj semi synthetic oil is OK as well. Have in mind that Duke needs 1.2 - 1.4 liters of oil, so the best is to buy 3 liters of Motul 5100 for 2 changes.
My recommendation is to change oil even after 200-300 km, or latest after 500 km. I changed it after 150 km and after 500 km in street shops along the way, and then again at the first service with KTM at 1000 km. But it is enough to change it only once around 300-400 km and then again at 1000 km.
Since it is a new engine there'll be a lot of metal particles which will start clogging the engine and oil filter as you ride it. If you wait till 1000 km to change the oil the engine will get quite filled up with those metal particles by the time, and you will clearly feel the engine becoming heavy and with noticeably less power. So it is better to change the oil earlier than later to take care of your bike's engine.

If it's too much for you to go to both 1st and 2nd services then it's probably best to go to an earlier 2nd service around 2000-3000 km, and then again later for 3rd service in its regular time. Just talk to KTM first and have them agree with that.
So it's not a problem at all.

The only "issue" is the initial ride of 300km from Bangalore to your place, as ABikerAtHeart mentioned. Not a problem, you just have to plan the trip little better and take it easy.
You'd have to (ideally) vary the RPM and change gears during the trip, and make breaks let's say every one hour and let the bike to cool down for 15-20 min. This is because it is better for run in to vary the gears and RPM, and not ride it in constant RPMs. Also, it's not good to keep the engine hot for too long, hence make stops (which you yourself will anyway need).
You'd better talk to KTM and have them make the bike ready the day before and then take delivery in the morning so you have plenty of time.
It would probably be good idea to try the bike for half an hour and ride it around close to the KTM service to get familiar with it and to check that there are no issues with the bike, and only then go for the trip.

I did the same, had some almost 250 km to go. I bought the oil a shop and oil filters from KTM service, and changed the first oil during the trip back home. I was riding the bike in higher speeds as well, it's not a problem. My run in was finished by the time I arrived back home.
Such a trip is not a problem, no worries, you just have to be little more careful as you would be with any new bike, and go little slower than you'd go with your current bike because you have to change gears and vary the RPM. But also don't go too slow, it's not good for the bike! Instead of 3-4 hours it'll take you probably 6-8 hours with a stops. I'd just recommend not to ride during the dark with a new bike, rather stay overnight in some hotel along the way. It's safer.

Re: KTM 200 Duke

Arjun, as others have already pointed out, do not skip the first service. Every new combustion engine needs a proper breaking-in so that it can run at it's rated figures of performance and efficiency. Breaking-in simply means that all your engine components that slide against each other are matched to each other's surface within specified tolerance limits.

The key components here are cylinder bore, piston, the piston rings and the valves. The breaking-in period involves a more careful riding and not pushing the bike too hard or redlining it or riding at a constant speed for prolonged periods, as the surface tolerances are best matched under these circumstances. Because it is metal parts that we are talking about, the clearances are also temperature dependent and that is the reason, why constant speed runs during initial breaking-in period is not advised.

the first service is critical as it is the first time your bike gets a clean up of sorts with fresh engine oil and it's also verified if the components are properly broken-in. Yes you can easily change the engine oil yourself but letting the SVC people do it also avoids any penalty that you may incur by not following the maintenance schedule performed by a professional.

Good thing is with that distance to the service centre, you will probably run-in your tyres faster than most people. Run-in is important to rough up your tyres for better grip as the new tyres are very smooth and a bit slippery at first.

Re: KTM 200 Duke

Orange Day in Bangalore this Saturday ... Who's joining me?

Re: KTM 200 Duke

Damn.. Only Goa doesnt have any Orange Days or Rides

Re: KTM 200 Duke

To the Bangalore dukes:

Guys, could you please share some reviews/feedback on which out the two following showroom is a better bet to book my duke?

* KTM Indiranagar, or
* KTM BTM layout?

In terms of better service, better/knowledgeable people, and overall buying and service experience??

Thanks in advance!

Re: KTM 200 Duke

Hey Bro,
I got my Duke from Langford KTM which is kind of OK for in terms of knowledge and stuff, but for your options, I would prefer to go by Indiranagar, as I heard some good reviews and also there are some dedicated engineers to answer your queries. ATB.

Re: KTM 200 Duke

Getting mine this week..!!!
super excited...wasting time watching pictures