^^...thumbs Upp...

But when u v a fuel tank of 10ltr capacity, and mileage of 18-20kmpl, u need to ride in full tank most of the times to avoid freq fuel stops....& riding with a full tank..doesn feel good..

Why one shouldnt be concerned about mileage? Its afterall a mere 200cc bike, 20kmpl is too low for a 200cc bike. Ninja 250 returns a nice 30kmpl with a more powerful 250cc motor. Monster 795 returns a nice 15kmpl bro.

Exactly Riot, even I don't understand why we shouldn't be concerned about mileage. I mean no one is expecting an unrealistic figure for sure, right? And it's not a "being an Indian" thing, people do care about mileage everywhere. Even in international reviews, mileage factor is highlighted as part of a motorcycle's overall performance.

Is it the "in thing" nowadays to be a performance freak without giving a damn about the mileage? And 20 kmpl, if true, is really low by any standard for a 200cc street motorcycle. But yes, let's wait and see what owners report here.

Guys ... I don't think its going to be 20 kmpl .... No one will buy in india ... I mean other than people who has booked like me .... At least a mileage of 28-32 is reasonable
say, if you rip --- if it gives 20 its ok ... But normal day it should give at least 28-32

Tastes

For a commuter who likes to treat his bike like a transport vehicle, mileage will matter a lot....

But for a biker who likes to ride for the sake of riding, it shouldnt...

Anyways...indivisual tastes differ

I took a test ride yesterday, the things which I noticed

pros

-light weight
-saddle height (good for a six feeter)
-looks
-loud pipes
-ergonomics

cons

-feeble horn

couldn't go past 30 km in 2nd gear so could tell anything about the power and acceleration. I felt that the bike lacked power (may be its just the test ride bike). From the 1 st gear when I started rolling, I had to immediately shift in to 2 nd as the engine sounded overworked.

Dude, at last, I got the r15 booking canceled. Now, waiting for the pulsar booking get open I hope 200ns returns 35+.

Think about it if the NS claims to give 58Kmpl the the duke with the lesser weight of the 2 and the similar engine should return about 30-35 and that's only because its short T's

to be frank ktm and bajaj will not be dumb enough to get a bike which gives 20kmpl on road( and im surprised where this figure came form). the practical and realistic figure would be 30-35 kmpl and ill be pretty satisfied with that.

Took a test ride on Friday from the Kanjurmarg showroom in Mumbai. The staff knows me by name and face now, and I was greeted well, and informed unofficially that my status in the booking queue was #155. At first they insisted that somebody will sit pillion while I TD the bike, I protested, but relented.
On LBS marg on a weekday afternoon, the traffic is sparse, though still nowhere near empty. It was on these sparsely occupied roads that I TD'ed the Duke. It took me a while to understand the free revving nature of the bike , and once I figured that out, shifting at the right revs was a joy. I was enjoying myself, shifting at >8k rpm and was blown away by the pillion's words. He said, "Sir, aur kheecho, thoda aur kheecho!". It may be that he was enjoying himself as well, and when I asked him to get off, and let me take her for a spin solo, he obliged without a fuss. Without a pillion, the bike seemed to take off much quicker, as was expected. The acceleration gave me such a rush, that I had to force myself to test out its other aspects. So I gave it the usual routine, hard braking, engine braking, combination of front/rear braking. Tried to lug the engine by shifting earlier, braked sharply on turns etc.

From the braking point of view, I am very satisfied with the Duke, always confident, always ready to stop irrespective of the speed, and without any issues. At one point I was doing 40kph in sixth, just to hear the engine knock a bit, but I couldn't hear it. Accelerating from 40 to 75~ in 6th (call it a negative test) was slower than if I went through gears 2-3-4-5, but it was still ready to go. Engine braking was a little scary, as the noise was enough to make me panic, but I guess it is to be expected. The engine note seemed to be much louder than a week back, but I wasn't complaining. The Duke is spectacular for cutting through slow moving traffic. This coming from a guy who rides an rx-135 4speed. The Rx is light and flickable and ready to fly given the stinker, and the duke proved equally eager!

My one take from the test ride was this. When I ride the Duke, I am not pottering along at a steady 60kph, I will not be lost in thoughts, or wondering at the scenic beauty I'm passing. The Duke is not built for such pursuits, unlike an enfield. On the Duke, acceleration is not an option, it is mandatory. Reaching the rev limit on each gear is not to be frowned upon, but to strive for. The engine note is not to be stifled, but to be joined in with gusto! I was screaming almost as loud as the Duke, when I realized, this is it. This is the bike that even my rx-135 will not resent standing alongside. The bike that my std 350 will allow in its presence, the bike that my karizma won't regret being sold for. The bike that my dad will frown upon, but secretly will wish to steal the keys to. TD it yourself, and let some madness back into your life.

PS: all the posts comparing the R15, I'm very happy to report that the Duke is by nature, very different from the R15, quicker and more powerful. It does not sound refined and does nothing to make itself more aerodynamically advantaged. The R15 has several factors that make it an incredible machine. But it will never be as mental as the Duke. And mental is what I am paying for.

Thanks for the review shrek.
In bangalore we yet to get the TD vehicle. So, I took a TD of the ninja 250 instead and it blew my mind! The sound as audible the driver is awesome. the twin cylinder inline is on a level of smoothness the single cylinders can never achieve. even at 12k rpm there is not a faintest of vibe. Loved the bike but its not good for my back (my main reason for switching from R15 to duke) so sticking with the duke

The Ninja is definitely awesome. Even I, when I went to book the Duke, first spent time ogling at the display Ninja...such is it's appeal. Apparently, there is no waiting period for a Ninja 250, bikes are ready for delivery within the week! I have experienced the Ninja's performance first hand, and no other bike in that category can match it. If only twins were more common and less expensive to own and run... In a few years though, I would expect to see every manufacturer selling a fair number of twin cylinder 250+ cc bikes in India. It is inevitable, and long overdue. Getting back to the Duke TD, bribe/borrow/steal but get yourself a TD soon. Life-altering.

brilliantly said, beautiful comparison.. I am awwwed :P
This is what this thread deserves, not some pity FE comparisons! Thanks mate

Oranged

Nuff said.

For those concerned about the TopGear Review of the Duke returning <20 kmpl .... Just remember the face of Top Gear going, "POWER!!!"

I second that. I decided to think about what factors are in favor or against the mileage.

The major favorable factors:

1. Lightweight,
2. Fuel injection,
3. 4 valves,
4. On board instrumentation to tell mileage, (could be unneeded/ useless factor though)

The major "Against" factors:

1. High revving, outright power oriented,
2. Low gearing, (not necessarily a big factor)
3. Aerodynamics, (not a big factor)

And within city crowds, low geared bikes do good enough due to less shifting required and hence, less times "off power". Shine & the twin RTR's being some good examples.

I perceive the 30 kmpl figure to be "realistic figure" that you and me can achieve easily. Even Bajaj know this bike's focus is the city/ streets. So, maybe they tested this engine within the city to come upon a mileage figure?
Remember those twins testing this engine (The orange logo on the engine?).