Re: Yamaha R15 or KTM duke 200

Being the owner of a R15, I can give you the pros and cons.

* First up is the engine, very very smooth, robust and reliable.
* Handling - I have been riding for 9 years and nothing comes close to a R15 in terms of handling. You'll forget anything you have ever ridden.
* fit, finish and build quality - top notch, very few companies give the quality and finish equal to Yamaha.
* It it very very stable at high speeds, very planted even at 100+.
* very good and grippy semi slick tyres, which give superior grip on dry as well as wet roads.

you might get wrist pain and back pain in the starting days, but as you get used to the sporty riding posture and get your stance right, wrists does not pain.
It all depends on how quickly you adopt the sporty riding posture. I was very comfortable and relaxed after about 500-600kms.
So if you have don't have a history of back pain and you are in good shape then go for it, else opt for more upright seating bikes.
As for riding in city, once you get used to it, its no harder to zip through traffic than a splendor.

Now the cons: Yeah, you guessed it right , the pillion seat is bloody useless, if you travel with a pillion most of the time, never buy a R15. A pillion can be managed sometimes but not everyday. If you travel with a pillion, the moment you touch the brakes, the whole weight of the pillion comes to your shoulders, back and wrists. I took a pillion for about 110 kms in a trip and my shoulders and wrists were paining like hell. other than that, as you are a new rider, if you drop it or crash it, the spare parts are expensive, other than that the service is fairly cheap and good.

Now about Duke.
The engine is rev happy and the bike accelerates like crazy, but being naked you will face wind blasts above 90 kmph. Service is almost equal to the R15, maybe a bit cheaper,. Spares are cheap than R15. It also helps that there are not that many body panels and fairing to break than R15.
The pillion seat is nothing to say about, it is present there, but does not function, just like the R15. If you carry a backpack, the pillion seat will be covered with it completely.

Take test rides and then decide.
Happy bike hunting.

Re: Yamaha R15 or KTM duke 200

Easy spare parts ,FE IS A CONCERN, No high maintenance. .?
Buddy you're looking at the wrong side of biking segment.
Other than that ,it doesn't matter if you're first timer,in fact I learned biking on my new p200Ns ,but believe me ,in one year of ownership ,you WILL HAVE atleast 2 or more accidents .so take care .and its okay to start on these bikes .just try to understand bike's character till 2000kms.
Well being a student ,demanding low maintenance, fe, etc I will suggest to look at ns as well.cause I had same dilemma also.and trust me ,ns maintainence is almost Lower or similar to that of activa, unless you break something. And yes ,it returns more mileage than activa(mine gives same though )

Re: Yamaha R15 or KTM duke 200


The high seat of the ns makes me think that im mounting upon a horse 😐 but the performance is jaw dropping but I don't find it to be an eye catcher like the other 2( personal opinion )

Re: Yamaha R15 or KTM duke 200

8Being a D390 owner, I consider myself qualified to give my opinion on duke 200 as well. I am stating my experience and opinion only. And opinions do differ and I respect that.

FE- 35kmpl city if ridden sanely, 38-40kmpl on highways.

Service charges- 1600 for free services
2300 for paid services.

Service interval- 6k kms

Spare parts - available n cheaper when compared to yammy.

Build quality- satisfactory. Better than pulsars, tvs but a notch below inazumas and ninjas. I find r15 build to be better than duke.

Poser value - better than r15. It is the new kid on the block and most happening especially for college. U may just get lucky wid fairer sex R15 design is now done and dusted but nevertheless still attractive.

Pillion comfort- are u kidding me!! seat only adds to its aesthetic value and not the purpose. Okish for short city rides provided u are careful about your throttle inputs. R15- pillion sits in the stratosphere and u drive the bike, back here on the lithosphere. very taxing for the rider. Short city runs wid pillion-doable.

Fun to ride- a duke is one hell of a hooligan on the road. Yamaha generates peak power at higher rpms and hence will b slower off the blocks.

Engine- duke's engine is throaty, some may like and some may not. R15 is a gem in terms of refinement. Both are reliable but r15 scores a point above duke as it is tried, tested and abused. And coming from a dirt and motocross manufacturer u can expect even a ktm to b robust and reliable.

Handling - both are equal. In the streets its the duke, on highways- r15 aided by its aerodynamic design and better wind protection, on twisties - both are scorchers in their own way. Duke has a slightly stiffer suspension set up and inspires confidence while cornering and at high speeds, but can be quite a handful on bumpy roads.

Riding comfort- subjective. Both bikes are like chalk and cheese. Its up to u to decide. Duke- upright, r15- u lean like on a sports bike. Duke has got higher ride height.

Braking - duke wins hands down in this dept aided by its steel braided brake lines.

Top speed- duke.( both in stock )

Tank range- 330-380kms on duke. R15- no idea.

Resale value - both are equal I guess, R15 is a just a shade better.

To conclude, I would like to say, both these bikes are completely different from each other and appeals to a select section of the population. They are different in their character, purpose, design and everything else. Get your priorities right and then take a TD of both the bikes(as many times as possible) and then decide.
Now get out of your couch and get going, will ya!!

Good luck :thumbup:



Sent from my GT-I9500 using xBhp Connect mobile app

Re: Yamaha R15 or KTM duke 200

Buy the duke. I own a 390. Just check the tire life as it will not last long. My bike needs new tires every 10k. i test rode the 200 when it was launched and the only negative about the bike is that it needs constant shifting. In case budget is a concern I would suggest bajaj ns 200.

Re: Yamaha R15 or KTM duke 200


duke 390 has metzler tyres with incredible grip during rains but doesn't last long 10k approx.but duke 200 has revz tyres right which aren't upto metzlers but lasts much more .

Re: Yamaha R15 or KTM duke 200

ok bro here my take on R15 v2 which i am riding since jan and completed 22000 kms on it,, mostly used for long distance touring,,not a single issue has been raised but had to change the rear disk pad twice,,,,,,,,,,, , the bike's engine is super smooth ,, amazing acceleration u cd ride it on 105 and tat is for hours and bang comes something in the middle and u cd swing her like a ballerina ,,,,, bro trust me she handles like a dream ,,,, i mean it cd save ur life ,,, tat type of dream i personally believe her handling is best in our country,,,,,,,,,,,,exceptional braking as well,,, ,,

spares costs are high,,, FE low,,,, maintenance fairly high,,, but the bike will hardly raise any issue in front of u,,, and hardly here means never,, trust me,,,,

yeah seat is not comfortable i use a towel ,,, it helps,,,,

now it is behind duke in terms of power,, of course duke is more powerful than R15 V2 ,,,

R15 left u craving for more power and Duke satisfies u there,,,,, but then their is a hindsight of duke's power as well,, since it is naked windblast cd make such high power usage for longer duration unbearable,,,, whereas R15's huge fairings and windscreen cd allow to ride in for hours at triple speed,,,,,,

Re: Yamaha R15 or KTM duke 200

Dude kid monk, me too in the same confusion.. Seeing duke 200 flying around the city and on other side I am a Yamaha fanboy.. so in a real confusion infactt..you're from kollam ,right? I am from kochi ... I think better go for a good suspension bike as kollam roads being a big mess..:banghead: I used to work in trivandrum till last year and to and fro journey was a big issue ... Especially when reaching kollam bus will become a roller coaster

Re: Yamaha R15 or KTM duke 200



Sreenath Im originally oru kochikaran bhai im here in Kollam for college . Most of the main roads are now fixed and super smooth I took my 2006 activa upto 70kmph but slowed down as I felt uneasy on it(scared to death due to it not being servicd for last 2-3 years ) im love the r15 but duke has more performance in city . Can anyone give me an figure of the average service expenses ?

Re: Yamaha R15 or KTM duke 200

Yamaha r15v2 .
Oil filter -170.
Oil - some 700ish.
Service Labour - from 600ish to even 800ish.
Rest svc loots you with .
Chain lubrication
150ish.
Additives etc - 200ish.
Ktm Is also on similar lines or a notch above .
Bottom line is .
Every service will absorb above 1000₹ ,and with oil change ,above 1500₹ .with part replacement, you need to ask Dad for contribution
Ahh ,since we're talking figures ,le me add 200ns too.
svc Labour -250ish.
Oil filter -74₹.
Oil (motul 5100) - 700 ish.
Rest svc loots you by chain lubrication, etc .
So total is never above 500₹ ,
When oil change, its not more then 1000₹ .
Spare parts are the cheapest.

Re: Yamaha R15 or KTM duke 200



I can bear upto 2000 a service (provided there's a 2-4 month gap for each&#128521 the 200ns is not my size as I cant put both my feet down at once. Dad is against motor vehicles for a college kid .mom lets me get a bike or scooter provided I stay with it for at least 6-8 years or till I can get a job and support my self . Im more inclined to the r15 as duke costs more and mom will be paying for it 😞 . How long would be the average waiting periods for both and is January a good time to make the purchase ??

Re: Yamaha R15 or KTM duke 200

OK.. So you're a kochikaran.. Nice to meet you ... Actually I have finished my studies earlier this year and parents promised me to get a new machine after that.. Currently I am using aviator , my hubby for almost 5 years overall itz a very nice product with FE a slight letdown.. So now planning to switch to something big.. So you're planning to buy next year only ?? In that case check pulsar 200ss also ... Bajaj reliability is really poor in fact ,but heard that its comparatively better now..

Re: Yamaha R15 or KTM duke 200


Exact cost of maintenance for R15

Oil filter -100.
Oil - 550(yamalube semi-synthetic).
Service Labour - nothing if free service, 300 for paid.
Chain lubrication -100.
Additives etc - 130 for fuel injection system cleaner, 70 for engine oil booster (both are optional).


the bike is serviced every 3000 kms or 2.5 months(70 days), which ever comes early.

There may be a niggle or two with the duke over time but R15 is niggle free, nothing ever goes wrong in it. unless you drop it or crash it, of course.

Re: Yamaha R15 or KTM duke 200

Dude ,who says oil filter costs 100₹ for r15v2 .you serious ..?
It costs 168₹ .

Re: Yamaha R15 or KTM duke 200

Yes, it costs close to 110rs.