Yup, you are right. But that's not what he is saying. He meant that a 125cc stroker would give the Duke 200 a real run for its money.

Guys, I bought a Duke 200 and I am very happy...

So this it, people. I hope some of you will make an effort to read this!!

Yup, you are right. But that's not what he is saying. He meant that a 125cc stroker would give the Duke 200 a real run for its money.

Guys, I bought a Duke 200 and I am very happy with the bike. Its peppy, its fast, handles well and makes me happy! Unfortunately I gave riding bikes circa 2007 and I have just restarted again with the Duke 200. My last bike was a RD 350 which I still have but its in storage. The Duke is the first 4 stroke bike I have bought or ridden for any length of time. So I am getting used to normal stuff like engine braking and modern running gear. I will keep updating my experiences and observations here periodically.

I have bought the bike for two reasons. One I love motorcycling and was desperate to get back to riding. The other reason was for commuting to office and to do short rides around Mumbai area.

Currently I have an odd issue. The fuel gauge has developed a mind of its own. Sometimes it will go into reserve, where it will show 2 small bars near the letter E, when I start in the morning and after a while it will show two bars which it should have shown when I turned on the ignition. It will do the same again sometimes in the evening when I return home. It has done this a couple of times recently. Should I leave it alone?

Some quick observations.

1. The bike runs hot and the fan is noisy. It has not over heated yet.
2. The gearbox is brilliant. Clutch less upshifts are a breeze. Should I stop doing that?
3. The seats are rubbish.
4. The front brake has good bite but lacks feel. I have taken to wearing gloves for safety and I feel that I lose a lot of feel for the front brake when wearing gloves. Will changing gloves improve the situation or I will have to get used to it? The feedback is definitely better without gloves.
5. The rear brake is good too.
6. The chain is showing signs of slight rusting. Will lubricate this weekend. Covered some 440 kms so far. Bought 90 SAE oil for chain lubrication. Any suggestions?
7. The horn is rubbish.
8. The lights are ok.
9. I like the exhaust note.
10. The seating position is spot on.

I am an acceleration and a corner junkie. That's what bikes are for. Going fast around corners and getting from 0 to what ever you feel like as fast as possible. The duke is good at both. Straight line speed is boring. Travelling at 160 Km/Hr on a straight road is exciting but only for some time.

So this it, people. I hope some of you will make an effort to read this!!

Guys, I bought a Duke 200 and I am very happy with the bike. Its peppy, its fast, handles well and makes me happy! Unfortunately I gave riding bikes circa 2007 and I have just restarted again with the Duke 200. My last bike was a RD 350 which I still have but its in storage. The Duke is the first 4 stroke bike I have bought or ridden for any length of time. So I am getting used to normal stuff like engine braking and modern running gear. I will keep updating my experiences and observations here periodically.

The d200/390 is one of the closest you can get to that feeling of riding a 2stroker.

Currently I have an odd issue. The fuel gauge has developed a mind of its own. Sometimes it will go into reserve, where it will show 2 small bars near the letter E, when I start in the morning and after a while it will show two bars which it should have shown when I turned on the ignition. It will do the same again sometimes in the evening when I return home. It has done this a couple of times recently. Should I leave it alone?

That's normal behavior. If it randomly fluctuates and has a mind of its own, then get it checked.
The fuel gauge is not a 'precise' measuring instrument. Its rather linear and might take a minute or two to indicate the fuel level. Also parking on a slope,side stand will cause a fluctuation in reading, which should sort out once upright in a minute or two. Sometimes switching on the ignition (not starting the bike) and then turning it off using the engine kill switch, wait for 30 seconds and turning it back on will show the right fuel level.
I have noticed the following on my D200,
When the fuel level is around 2-3litres, and bike is parked.. it shows up a low fuel level (only bottom two segments light up) warning at start up.. once i ride it for a minute or so, the warning goes away and the third segment lights up.
A more 'annoying' observation -- on a full tank and riding on the highwayi am used to riding 200km non stop)
1. The first bar drops only after around 100-120km
2. Second, third, fourth fall shortly thereafter around 150-170km
3. Now the fuel gauge doesn't drop the next few bars if you are continuously riding (say you cross 230km non stop) -- i experienced this when i stopped for a break..On switching the ignition back on, i was greeted with a low fuel level warning.. and I was surprised..I rode for another 40km and filled up 8 litres IIRC.
This happened consistently over my 2400km road trip. Switching off the ignition, waiting for 30 seconds and switching it back on, always shows up the correct reading. So much for digital stuff -- So i always refuel full tank and reset one of the trip meters and calculate fuel level based on an assumed mileage of 33kmpl, especially on the highway.


Some quick observations.

1. The bike runs hot and the fan is noisy. It has not over heated yet.
Thats normal
2. The gearbox is brilliant. Clutch less upshifts are a breeze. Should I stop doing that?
Once in a while is ok. But please, use the clutch.. you dont want damaged gears
3. The seats are rubbish.
That's a personal opinion.. I found them sufficient, a little more cushioning doesnt hurt thought !
4. The front brake has good bite but lacks feel. I have taken to wearing gloves for safety and I feel that I lose a lot of feel for the front brake when wearing gloves. Will changing gloves improve the situation or I will have to get used to it? The feedback is definitely better without gloves.
The brakes are very good, yeh gloves would reduce the feedback. I use light street type gloves (something similar to this http://www.snapdeal.com/product/stud...g-3/1890531441) and get adequate feedback. Get used to it, or try another glove.
5. The rear brake is good too.
Yes it is - though i hardly use it
6. The chain is showing signs of slight rusting. Will lubricate this weekend. Covered some 440 kms so far. Bought 90 SAE oil for chain lubrication. Any suggestions?
SAE 90 gear oil is more than enough. after lubing it , let it rest on the side stand for a few minutes.. excess would drip and clean the side stand or your pants could get oiled too
7. The horn is rubbish.
Agree.. planning to fit the pulsar 220 horn set - direct fit as per my ASC will not void warranty.
8. The lights are ok.
Good lighting.. this is a bike with one of the best stock lighting system for conventional bulbs.
9. I like the exhaust note.
Either one likes it or hates it
10. The seating position is spot on.
Perfectly ergonomic for the rider is what i felt, city or highway .. Pillion?<what does that mean!?

I am an acceleration and a corner junkie. That's what bikes are for. Going fast around corners and getting from 0 to what ever you feel like as fast as possible. The duke is good at both. Straight line speed is boring. Travelling at 160 Km/Hr on a straight road is exciting but only for some time.

Yep, its all about getting from 0 to something quickly. Riding at high speeds constantly is not my piece of cake either. It's all about acceleration.

So this it, people. I hope some of you will make an effort to read this!!

I did make an effort to read and reply comments in bold above.
btw, i did own a rd350 briefly..and still own a rx100.

Yeah.. we did look into painting the entire frame but that would involve huge overheads. We spoke to the SVC guys and they were not too confident about dropping the motor and all the other stuff. We ourselves didn't want to take it up as we didn't have the service manual to put the bike back together.
Hence we just removed the body panels and used a lot of masking tape. Only the Trellis area is painted as of now. The entire frame will be done once we get the manual in hand.

EDIT: Even the tank would have to be removed to repaint the entire frame. Few more pics are attached.

I felt that painting would be clean and even hence went for that. Vinyl was not considered at that time. I dint even look to see if the colors were available.
But you are right, the looks have become quite common now. Even the performance is so so, especially after riding the 390 twins. Now, I'm looking to buy the PowerTronic ECU upgrade. Would like to ask the other members for their feedback if they have used it.

P.S - Its been a long long time since I've been around these parts

Well I did manage to find vinyl with matching color as that of the 390, but would have to apply it by myself. BTW could you please post some photos of your Duke just to see in what condition/ shade the paint is right now?

The rear view mirrors are'nt good enough. Need to replace with something that will show more of the road behind. I read a post about someone using TVS rear view mirrors in this thread. Will give them a try.

I saw a photo of a 390 with the same backrest at Team-Bhp. Will try to post that photo here.

The rear view mirrors on the Duke's provide very good visibility. You need to adjust them correctly.
Loosen the nut at the stem and move it a wee bit backwards and tighten it. Next, pull back the rubber cover and at the joint where the mirror joins the stem, you will find three tiny screws.. loosen a bit and again adjust and tighten em back.
Might take a couple of try's till you get it to your comfort.

No comments on the back rest

Hello EveryOne,

Does anyone has info regarding the updates on the Duke 200. Are the updated bikes available in India yet? What should I check to know if the bike I am taking is updated one? Please help me!

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Guys, Is anyone here from Hyderabad. If so, please suggest me from which Dealer/ store should I take the Duke 200 in Hyderabad. What are the things that I should keep in mind while taking delivery. Also, which is the best KTM service center in Hyderabad. Please reply me with the info. Thank you!

A lot has been discussed about the new models.. go back and read the last 50 pages of this thread.
The easy way to identify the new model, is to look at the handle bar grips (should be same as the ones on the RC200) and extra plastic protectors over the front fork.
You will also notice a sticker (with some warnings)on the petrol tank - which is absent on older dukes.

I personally prefer the KTM banjara hills outlet (their main branch is the KTM Kondapur). You can hang around the banjara hills outlet while you get the bike serviced and they don't create any fuss.. plus the mechanic Srikanth at ktm banjara is an experienced chap. The only downside being, they never seem to have most of the spare parts in stock