Yes, I have had a couple of false neutrals too! very annoying!

Induction ride with Tornado

Sorry guys, a lot of it might be repeat telecast, but I can't help it

Got my Toranado (read Duke 200) yesterday at 6PM. 9AM today odo reads 200+ Km A mix of city,highway and some twisties. I and Tornado went for an induction ride today, just to get to know each other. Here are some of my first impressions.

Acceleration: Exciting. Nothing ground breaking yet as I have not hit the real power band of this little monster if I may use that word.

Roll on acceleration: In the 6th cog Tornado can pull effortlessly from 35Kmph and does so pretty quickly. No lag at all. That too in slightly upward slopes.

Console: Handy for sure. I am yet to discover all the functions, but things like gear indicator, stand indicator, running mileage and so on can certainly help.

Handling: This word has been used a zillion times already - flickable. I would like to say it's outstanding. Perfect for city riding when combined with that upright sitting posture.

Seats: Hard :P Well this could be of concern if you want to munch some serious miles, otherwise you can ignore this. That said, this won't stop anyone from riding long distances. I myself did 75Km non stop including 25Km of city dash. Absolutely fine for me.

Brakes: Phenomenal. They just bite, both front and rear. You need to practise using only front or just tapping the rear brake lever instead of standing on the lever to avoid skidding the rear away. As a matter of fact, front is so good that, it can pretty much manage to build all the braking force if the need be. But I will stick to 80:20.

Now Tornado's likes and dislikes.

Loops honey, loops

Yes, loops of tarmac. This bike loves twisties. Of course I didn't try to push the limits today (Let the those Revz tires break-in first!), but I could easily manage 60ish speeds almost throughout the Nandi hill climb. And mind you, I'm no master of twisties. It's Tornado who eats tarmac loops for breakfast.

Bad roads, real bad roads:

Nope! Tornado doesn't seem to like these. This is one area where I am a little disappointed with Tornado. He handles well on bad roads too, but suspension is a little too stiff is what I felt. Bumpy roads will break the riders back quickly. I like my RTR better in this department

So finally what is Duke 200?

A city/street bike?

Absolutely yes. That is how it is portrayed by KTM, and the bike stands true to the claims.

A tourer?

Yes and no. Hard seat and small brake/gear lever can have some negative effects. The levers need to be reached by twisting the ankle a little inwards, which causes minor discomfort in a long run. This might just be a matter of time before you get used to the bike. But the roll on acceleration and upright position should make Tornado a good tool for cruising at 100ish speeds.

All these points are biased first impressions only and can change in the future as miles start ticking. Don't take this review as a reference for your buying decisions :P

Yippie!!!!!!! Yuppieeeeee!!!

Hey guys...

Got a call from chennai ktm ...

The bikes would arrive in three day's time and they asked me to pay the balance amount... Going to showroom now with my cheque of 1.14 lakhs...

I'm on cloud9

Would get my hands on baby duke by this weekend

Also they said around 5-6 power parts/wear are available including jacket/ gloves/ rim sticker/ tank pad/ crash pad

Any suggestions on Wat parts are worthy enough for its high price??? Wat shall I opt for???

Best of luck
Regarding power parts, IMHO only crash pad is the real worthy addition. Rest of the things, you can always get elsewhere, probably at better price points. I did check out the KTM gloves that was available in Orion motors Bangalore, certainly didn't seem worthy to me. Jacket would be similar case is my guess.
Edit: If you don't want to take a risk with a local sticker guy, you might want to get those rim tape as well.

Security System

Hey guys.. i was just going through some good security systems..

Tell me what you think about them?

security systems are a waste of time. Get a disk lock, bike cover and pay the watchman Rs.100 and take the kids in the building for rides so they never mess with your bike.

This might void the warranty of electrical parts! Not sure though.

Looks good but why you wish to play with the electricals of a bike which is designed in perfect manner. Ninja electricals at some PBK store are not handled well, then what makes you think that a month old bike which is recently launched can be understood. Dont play with the electricals, lots of components and their functioning are dependent on these electricals. Altering them might cause problems even if the brand you mentioned is offering locking purposes for free.

And yes, it might void your bike's warranty.

Handled means understanding the circuit and not physical handling.

+100

Yup, it will.

Haha.... i wish that would have worked.

That's the only concern bro. Even KTM has not launched its alarm system.

Wait for some more time, it will launch soon!!!

That would be a factory fit and wouldnt void the bike ka warranty.

factory fit?

Besides i was going through KTM International and saw the alarm. but to install that alarm you need to have one more add on.....

The more you pamper it or think about it, more you'll think about it and be concerned about it. Just get a normal cover and be relaxed.

Btw, how old is your bike?

+1.

dude i'll get the delivery by Thursday or Friday.. So wanna play safe b4 bringing her home.

+100
LOL !!! most practical suggestion on the thread.if you don't manage kids . you are inviting trouble .also you can consider taking your duke up in the lift to your house.its featherweight anyway.

on second thought , duke looks so aggressive that I wish it could growl and fend for itself.
if RE can be called a bull then this is definitely the pit-bull !

enjoy the bike.
cheers!

Correct to the core. Keep a quality check on the watchman thingy (Just don't assume that since you are paying him 100 bucks he is taking care of the bike. Test him once, twice)

Don't play with electricals. Fi bikes are anyways difficult to steal.