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

On the Duke, acceleration is not an option, it is mandatory.
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.
And mental is what I am paying for.

it is told by the showroom guy that rev limit is adusted to reach only below 140 according to the rules of r.t.o...wat the frok???he said that the actual top speed of the bike is 160kmph...is this real..can any one clarify this??can we increase the rev limit after the bike is delivered???plsss clarify this

To All those cribbing about Mileage on duke: Recently a friend of mine(who rides a Fireblade) told that he got a mileage of 24.XX(as indicated by the console) while riding at constant speeds of 120-140 kmph.
So, duke's mileage would be better than 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.

it is told by the showroom guy that rev limit is adusted to reach only below 140 according to the rules of r.t.o...wat the frok???he said that the actual top speed of the bike is 160kmph...is this real..can any one clarify this??can we increase the rev limit after the bike is delivered???plsss clarify this

Rev limiter is @ 11500 rpm in 6th gear and 11250 rpm in 5th gear. Whether or not it is adjustable or not is unknown at the moment, but definitely you can't increase it anymore.

With these rev limits, theoritically its possible to touch some 160, on speedo atleast.

But remember, in top gear and under pressure, a vehicle may not touch a high-set rev limiter. Expect around 140 kmph realistic top end in the ideal conditions.

By the way, the RTO talk is all BullS***! Don't believe it... Rev limiters are there for different reasons than RTO's.

Guy's,

I have a query on the Duke 200. People who have taken the TD or sat on the vehicle can answer this.

I would like to understand how comfortable is the Duke 200's Pillion seat? How easy it is for the ladies to climb in/out? Especially since there is no step integrated in the saree guard like other bikes.

I am asking this since I have ZMR now and my wife always complains that the pillion seat is little high for her. She uses the Saree Guard foot rest to climb on the seat.
I am planning to buy the duke and i am just wondering if the pillion comfort is going to increase or decrease in Duke 200.

Guy's,

I have a query on the Duke 200. People who have taken the TD or sat on the vehicle can answer this.

I would like to understand how comfortable is the Duke 200's Pillion seat? How easy it is for the ladies to climb in/out? Especially since there is no step integrated in the saree guard like other bikes.

I am asking this since I have ZMR now and my wife always complains that the pillion seat is little high for her. She uses the Saree Guard foot rest to climb on the seat.
I am planning to buy the duke and i am just wondering if the pillion comfort is going to increase or decrease in Duke 200.

Rev limiter is @ 11500 rpm in 6th gear and 11250 rpm in 5th gear. Whether or not it is adjustable or not is unknown at the moment, but definitely you can't increase it anymore.

With these rev limits, theoritically its possible to touch some 160, on speedo atleast.

But remember, in top gear and under pressure, a vehicle may not touch a high-set rev limiter. Expect around 140 kmph realistic top end in the ideal conditions.

By the way, the RTO talk is all BullS***! Don't believe it... Rev limiters are there for different reasons than RTO's.