This is the tuning scene in india

OT: I remember meeting you and shubz at probiking during the interview

Baby's home.

Got my beauty today. Scythed through traffic in it and it gave me a roast leg for dinner.. Man the engine gets seriously hot.

Can some one teach me how to use Multi-Quote out here .. seem to be at my wits end on that

My comments are in red and bold.. not sure if the posting is proper

Your comments are pretty visible!

For multiquote - just keep clicking on the plus sign (it will turn into a minus sign) and click on "Quote" at the last message after which you want to post yours.

Thanks Shubz... will try this next time...

Why don't you give due credit to the post my friend?

Sorry RG. I don't know who posted it.. I copy pasted and saved it locally. Did you put this together ? Eitherways, novices like me are thankful to souls out here who share their wealth of knowledge and experience ... Nowadays, nothing comes free of cost, so all their efforts are appreciated from deep down our hearts

I have been using a motul chain spray (road) on my current bike. What's the difference betw the road and offroad lube? And which one is recommended for duke?

congrats dude

Still waiting for the call from the PBK for delivery

Oh good to know that. BTW, How did You come to know about this? To my knowledge, the pbk guys will not tell any accurate info regarding the num of bikes booked or delivered, as its against their company policy.

Check out the cramster riding gear.

Thanks Rishi

When did you book the bike ?


They told me this, when I questioned about reliability and some other stuff just like that.. 115 was the number of bookings out of which 65 have been delivered it seems... They get about 10 - 15 bikes in a week or two, as per what I could conclude .. Yes, they do contradict themselves when it comes to numbers .. There has been a lot of interest in this bike..the half an hour I was there, there were close to 10 guys who test drove / were waiting to TD the bike..

Yep, read in the blogs that camster gears are pretty good.. have ordered for the Head Mask - Helmet Balaclava from them through eBay.

The Price list of the KTM Accessories available at the showroom: Hope the image is clear.

dude.... even my maa and dadi maa are saying to bring the bike home on 23rd - that's Gudhi Padva.

Happy to bring it home on a good day..... but sad coz i'll have to wait for 6 more days.

Regarding KTM DUKE & CBR 250r first Test ride impressions

Hello Everyone,

This is my first Post in Xbhp, but i have read each and every post about Duke in this forum as well as another popular one. I have read the complete Ownsership thread till page 95 in the XBHP !

The reasons for so much reading is -

(i) I always research, analyze a product, let it be a bike or electronics a lot before taking a plunge, specially when i am buying a Product in India. ( I am an Indian, a patriot but unfortunately i have found generally products made here to be of worse quality, even Bikes/ electronics being sold here by MNC's known for strict quality control are third grade compared to other developed Markets read Toyota, Honda, Morphy Richards etc).

(ii) Duke got me super exited, The bike as well everything around it.
I being a Mechanical engineer, having worked in Arai and Toyota was thrilled with Superb power to weight ratio, Liberal use of Exotic Materials ( IN indian perspective) like Aluminium, Molybdenum, Magnesium, Higher Grade Plastics, Excellent BHP to CC ratio , radical Looks

Little Bit of History

I started my search for Bike soon after Shifting back to India read May 2011.

Soon I got engaged and the search hit a bottom as soon as i divulged my plan of buying a bike to my parents.
Started search by looking and reading a lot about Ninja 650r, then got even more exited about Monster 795.
had to drop plans about either of them due to their cost more then a decent mid size saloon, there weight and upkeep in Lucknow, no availability of dealership etc etc.

Shifted focus to 250cc sub 2 L bracket. Somehow shelling the monies for ninja 250r did not make much sense to me, ican answer why it did not make sense to me if someone asks me, not now as its not relevent to the topic in hand.

Had only one bike in this range in oct 2011 - CBR 250r

I looked at pics and it did not appeal me as much. Having seen and ' felt ' Big Bro VFR i was not so gungho about the looks . I anyday preferred Ninja.
then heard reports of soft exhaust Note, and simply got uninterested as a good exhaust note is must, read deep powerful.

Got To know aboout KTm rumours, naked monster style bikes with low and mid range punch and good flickability has always appealed me so has same kind of power delivery in fully faired bikes .

After spending countless hours reading blogs, rumour mills, Technical breakdowns, then ownership issues and solutions. I went to have a look...............


THe First Eye contact-
Went with parents, wife and sister as my sis and my wife both have had been genuine interest in biking & adventure and pillion review is imp for me. Parents for obvious reason

Probiking- Duke looked aggresibve as i thought, bigger then as i thought, built quality simply international as i did not expect.
I was over the moon . Couple that with Superb VFM i was dying to go for test ride unfortunately it was not possible being first Sunday after Holi most of staff was on leave.

Second Eye Contact-

I went again day before yesterday to test ride it, first kudos to Pro biking guys in Lucknow to take out the demo bike down the stairs just for my test ride. It took six people to manage it ! The bike looked even better in day light at around 2.10 PM, gleaming, superbly clean, and just 54 km on Odometer

Test Ride

1. As soon as i started the engine and gave a gentle twist to throttle, i did not like the exhaust note, found it stressed and noisy, not that good everything is alright inside kind of mechanical clatter which i love as a mech engineer/ designer but harsh not that uniform clatter.
2. Swinged a leg over and found ride hight bit high for my height but the light weight easily compensated that.
3. 1st gear was finewhile going for second i was unable to find neutral! During the course of some 35 mins with Duke solo, with pillion, then as pillion, neither me or the Probiking Guy was able tofind Neutral!! He finally found it when the bike was at standstill and he standing next to it trying for some 3-4 mins which felt like ages !
4. Gear Shift was also notchy, no where to be called smooth even compared to My Bajaj Pulsar 180 Dts i with all mech Console and all black colour
5. Couple it with fact that at 7500 rpm gear change light got lit constant red , and bike reaches that rpm alarmigly fast hence necessating ultra fast gear shift which is not smooth to perform and the gear and break leavers are smaller then expected ! It was not enjoyable at all
6. engine felt Stressed at anything above decent Rpms may be around 4000, dont know exactly which RPm as even in not so harsh sunlight , Console was not much visible and coupled with fact i was still not comfortable with gear shifting or even finding gear shifter!!
7. Engine note/ exhaust note made me feel that engine will not last long and will certainly heat a lot as its smooth or stress free or even vibe free compared to even my old 180 .!!
8. Handle was tight hence turn ins were not good, i think this is a problem with the particular bike cant comment till i take second test ride.
9. bike was light and pickup was good
10. certainly has fresh look in street ,a big eye magnet
11. loved led blinkers and led tail light
12. breaks have lot of bite in a good way, front itself was able to stop bike from the speed of around 80 in calm controlled way
13. did not use rear much so cant comment
14. did not check trip average so cant comment

Told the handling issue and obviously neutral/ gearing issue to the Probiking manager he promised he will get it corrected by SUnday morning, i.e. tomorrow so i can take it for spin this time for longer duration and in less trafficated environment to be absolutely sure .


In short, i left dissapointed and sad to be more accurate


Honda CBR 250R

1. Decided to have a look at CBR just to be sure . it took me hardly 2 to 3 mins to reach Honda Showroom, read B R Honda and 6 mins more to be astride a red 2011 CBR with C- ABS
2. Bike was in bad shape, unclean, lookes abused, pillion rider confirmed that it has been test driven on an average 5 times a day from many months!
3. Forgot to check how many km,s it had ridden simply was not fancyingthe bike, its dirty condition, obvious poor quality of plastics used, rusted steering bolts, poor bulb powered blinkers , tail light, sari guard were mile below the fit and finish of Ktm DUKe , kudos to Bajaj for that
4. I felt the weight while reversing the bike, honda guy had to help me pull it back as it was in a kind of sunken spot!!
5. when the bike started i was suprised with smooth but still deeper engine note then duke
6. when on the move bike felt surprising light almost as much as duke
7. neutral was extremely easy to find specially so after struggling to find one on duke
8. gear shift were precise, not even needed that fast unlike duke
9. riding posture was more front biased compared to duke, but i like it that way as i feel it gives more control over bike, my personnal opinion

TO BE continued in next post , cbr other TD impressions, my dilemma regarding buyinga bike and help needed from fellow experianced riders

Please read the rest of post below and i will reply to fellow xbhpians comments as well but after this post.

10. Whenever i twisted the throttle i felt the torque, i felt that bike is accelerating faster then duke, while feeling more planted on the road.
To put an example, how a diesel locomotive pulls or better still i can compare it to My Volkswagen Vento TDI while DUke pulled like Hyundai Verna Diesel, still good pickup but flightly, not that sure footed.

11. Speedo in Honda better to read by a wide margin, even digital speedo was more readable.

Now i am in Big Dilemma as i went with a mindset to buy Duke! I hope second test ride changes things for better.

I loved everything in Honda except weight and quality of fit & finish! Also the showroom staff had better mannerism in case of Probiking!

Are there chances of DUke 350 being launched this year or start of the next year?
The duke which i rode had just 54 km on odo so chances of it being thrashed are rare while the CBR was well thrashed and abused by many still smooth and quick.

All the Duke owners and lovers please take notice, i do not mean to offend you or your beloved possession on the contrary i am puzzled and sad after the test ride for obvious reasons. If most of issues which i reported above are related to the bike which i rode then i will be happy and will just go ahead and book Duke

Duke Nukem

Remember that DOS game 'Duke Nukem' very popular in the 90s, which later came out with 'Duke Nukem 3D' Yeah! ... Well the connection to I'd make to the KTM Duke 200 is , they are both Fun to play with. The KTM Duke even More

Bikers in India have been waiting for that one bike that has:
A good and powerful beating heart for an engine.
Suspension you can count on when riding on good as well as surprise pothole roads.
Brakes that are used to halt the bike as they are summoned
A bike that is light and sturdy.
A well poised bike that sits strong on the road and can get you out of a jam.
And that killer look that makes it a complete Motorcycle.

The KTM Duke 200 is here to make that a reality.



Yes India has seen its fair share of bikes and CKDs that do hit the spot.

But this bike comes with a 'Made in India' tag.

The KTM Duke experience is simply great.
On first Gear the Bike is very Torquey set it into a quick motion.
6 gears in the Box, one might think that its a lot, but the gears are made with close ratio, switching is fast and you can ride the bike comfortably at 40Km/h on 6th. However the Duke gives you the option to gun one gear all the way up to 10,00 rpm mark ( haven't tried that yet - the bike is in its run in ).
I'v hit a top speed of 85 Km/h with ease : ) ( eagerly waiting for that run in period to end )


The seating at first feels different ( since the previous bike was the Yamaha RX 135 ) . Once you're used to it, the position keeps you well of the ground just like a good off roader.

This post is to be continued....

There you go...

That would be your personal opinion... However, this ain't a Japanese smoothie to have all the smooth exhaust note... And I suppose it was not the engine sounding stressed but the grunt-y exhaust note that most of us like ... and of course it adds to the meaning of duke being a street fighter rather than a track machine.

And as you have already mentioned you liked the grunt, I feel like your comment on duke and the cbr are highly contradicting...

Well, even I felt the same when i actually "swung" my leg over the bike... the duke is incredibly light as one could wish for riding in the crowded chennai traffic... perfect handling ...

I am still not sure why yourself and few others mention ("Complain") that "while going for second i was unable to find neutral!", does'nt that mean that there is actually NO false neutral?... And yes, I agree to the fact that it may have been difficult to switch to neutral compared to few other bikes... but that is because it needs a gentle shift made and i highly doubt the 3-4 minutes struggle made by the probiking executive. Maybe he was just inexperienced... I could guarantee that anyone could get used to the gear shifting of duke in a couple of days of intensive riding ...

AFAIK, Myself and a majority of people out here felt that the gear shifting in duke was pretty slick with a clear and audible click ;-) ... Again, it may take time to get your beast tamed to your needs... (or is that the other way around )

yes the rpm is "high" for each gear hence you feel it to be alarmingly fast :\... and to make it clear, this short geared machine is of a different breed and yes ofcourse, it needs some getting used to ... (And by smooth - do u mean that you should not hear the 'click' sound :|:|)... And ultimately its your personal opinion ... Go for what your heart says ... but i highly doubt that the shifting of gears in the duke is felt bad by many.

I really don't understand what you mean here by "Stressed", but as i said earlier, it aint a japanese smoothie and it may not be the stress factor but the mighty grunty exhaust note ...

And I do agree with the uncomfortable digi console... however, i guess it serves its purpose well ... would have been better if it had the analog+digi combo ...

I do not know what you might think of the engine quality of a royal enfield then ... but IMHO and even other duker's experience, the engine is good ... till now no bad reviews... And yes the engine heats up a lot ... something that characterizes a "HOT" bike ;-) ;-) ;-)

Hmm may be... but the handle feels free and highly flickable compared to the pulsars , zmrs and cbrs... it could be quoted somewhere near the r15 / rtr ... but well, in its own way ...


Yep, it has the best in class acceleration and any new bike would be an eye magnet, but yes duke certainly has the masculine looks ...
"Brakes" are excellent, however my advice is to learn using both the brakes together ... going in 80 and using only the front may end up locking the wheel in sudden braking.
Trip average,if you mean mileage ... according to the owners, sounds pretty good for the power it delivers.

Hope you feel comfortable after the second ride... ;-) ;-) ;-)


Honda, of course is a smoothie...

Gear shifting is excellent in CBR, but however its equally good on the duke... thats my opinion having ridden both the bikes...

Again, its your personal opinion again ... go for what you like the most ... follow your heart ;-) :P


If it was between CBR and Duke, here are my opinions:

Looks:
Duke: Mean, agressive naked street fighter looks
CBR: Sporty, but would say expensive plastics that are not too good

Performance:
Duke:
*Acceleration/pick-up - @#$% Awesome, right from the start to the end... coupled with its light weight makes it the best in class.
*Top speed- Well, this is a street "nuker", traffic slicer and yet it makes a comfortable and decent top speed at a comfortable 120-125 kmph (however it is capable of making even more upto a speculated 140), but thats way more than required for Indian roads.
*Techs - Advanced, packed with all the latest tech for indian roads from the DOHC shafts, monoshocks, brembo brakes, upside down forks, Al swingarm, proven good trellis frame, centrally crafted lowswung 3 chamber exhaust... with the engine churning out a massive 25.48bhp @ 10000 rpm coupled with a 19 Nm @ 8000 rpm with 6 speed short geared nature makes it a true street fighter with hi-tech on Indian roads.

CBR:
I would say it nowhere lacks in anything compared to the duke... with a higher displacement, but a lower power to weight ratio does lack the "punch" in terms of acceleration and ofcourse this mean machine is able to smoothly cruise at higher speeds as compared to duke (but is that what is required for indian roads off tracks???, if you think so, then cbr outruns duke in the speed department)

Tech wise, the CBR has its own set of features with a higher displacement engine (with almost equal low-mid , even hi end power, thanks to the duke's lower weight), full fairing, "C-ABS" - first of its kind for a <500 cc in India.

Well, overall they both are different breeds and however depends on what you want.

Duke -> If u want a light weight agressive, athletic naked street bike, peppy, with raw power, best for in city commuting that could be aswell be a good tourer. Ofcourse with advanced technology at a pocket friendly 1.34 Lakhs on road.

CBR 250 -> Sporty, full faired smooth bike with an expensive price tag of 1.95 lakhs (C-ABS) / 1.65L (non ABS).

Finally, its your decision, follow what your heart says ;-) ... added to that, even i was in your position, a few months back but bought the mighty Duke... ;-) and m loving it

Dude how come 6 days ? monday , tuesday, wednesday and thursday :-) only 4 days come on 23rd afternoon 1 we will hav a meet too and two people can find/sort out the problem easily on the delivery bikes
u have been waiting so long only 4 days more
rest upto u :-]

Where are the pics..