KTM 125 Duke vs KTM 200 Duke: Sibling Rivalry

The KTM 125 Duke was recently launched in India. It may not have a direct rival here, however, it shares the market space with its bigger sibling, the 200 Duke that is priced similarly. So how do the bikes fare against each other? We find out.

Pricing

KTM has priced the 125 Duke ABS at Rs 1.18 lakhs while the 200 Duke ABS costs Rs 1.60 lakhs. The bike is also available without ABS for Rs 1.51 lakhs. With that out of the way, let’s get down to details. 

Design

The 125 Duke almost entirely looks like the 200 Duke as it borrows body parts from the latter’s tray. Everything from the headlamp, fuel tank, seat, rear section to the tyres has been taken from the 200 Duke. The only difference being the new graphics sans which the 125 Duke would surely be mistaken for its bigger sibling. 

Engine 

The KTM 200 Duke is powered by a 199cc, single-cylinder engine that is good for 24.6bhp of power and 19.2Nm of torque. Meanwhile, the 125 Duke’s 124cc, single-cylinder motor produces 14.3bhp and 12Nm of torque. Both motors are housed in a tubular trellis frame and mated to a six-speed gearbox and final chain drive.

Cycle Parts

Apart from the bodywork, both bikes also use identical cycle parts. They ride on 17-inch wheels on both ends suspended from 43mm inverted forks sourced from WP and a monoshock at the rear. Braking duties are taken care of by a 300mm front disc and a 230mm rear disc with ABS as standard on the 125 Duke and as an option on the 200 Duke. With a 10.2 litre fuel tank capacity, the bikes also have a similar kerb weight of 148kg. 

Purpose

The 200 Duke is the golden sheep for KTM in India as it rakes in majority of sales for the company. It is now for customers wanting a more powerful bike and wouldn’t mind paying a premium of Rs 30,000-Rs 40,000. On the other hand, the idea of the 125 Duke is to make the KTM brand more accessible and to widen its customer base. 

Now sharing most of its parts with the 200 Duke, the 125 Duke isn’t very distinctive, but it does help the manufacturer by lowering production costs. With the onset of the BS-VI norms in 2020, manufacturers are already gearing up for the change which will also increase prices. And at Rs 1.18 lakhs, with features like ABS and upside-down forks, the KTM 125 Duke is ahead of its time. As for the 200 Duke, we can expect a major overhaul later next year or by 2020.