KTM DUKE 790 MIGHT BE LAUNCHED IN APRIL – REPORT

FRESH REPORTS CONFIRM THAT KTM DUKE 790 IS SCHEDULED TO LAUNCH IN APRIL. IT WILL BE A CKD UNIT WITH SOME OF THE PARTS SOURCED FROM THE LOCAL MARKETS. 

KTM Duke 790 is set to enter the middle-weight naked motorcycle segment, mostly by next month. Fresh reports say that some 100 units have already arrived in the country for testing purposes. 

Apparently, KTM is setting up an all-new assembly line at Bajaj’s other plant. At the new plant, the setup of the Duke 790 will be supervised and managed. This is done so as to maintain the standard quality of KTM bikes. 

Earlier, it was speculated to be launched alongside Duke 125 in December 2018. A couple of weeks back it was spotted in full flesh at Bajaj’s plant in Pune. 

Also Read: KTM Duke 790 spotted in India; launch expected soon

KTM Duke 790 will enter the Indian market via the CKD route, and not as an imported unit. The headlamps, tail lights, indicators and wiring will be locally sourced. The chassis, suspension, engine and technology will be imported. 

Powering the Duke 790 is a 799cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin cylinder engine. The motor churns out 105 BHP at 9000 RPM and 86 Nm of peak torque at 8000 RPM. The engine comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox with Up and Down Quick Shifter. 

It also gets Ride-by-wire technology, which maintains the fuel economy as well as limits the air-supply and fuel supply to the engine. 

Also Read: KTM 500cc Twin-cylinder engine bike confirmed; to be manufactured by Bajaj

Features onboard include a TFT colour instrument panel, Slip and Assist Clutch, LED headlamps, Traction Control, Quick Shifter, Wheelie Control, WP Steering Damper and a couple of features more. 

For suspension purposes, it uses 43mm WP Split USD Forks at the front and gas-charged adjustable monoshock absorber at the back. Braking is handled by dual 300mm discs at the front and a 240mm disc at the back with Switchable ABS. 

Since there will be a certain amount of local sourcing, we expect the prices of KTM Duke 790 to stay under Rs 6.5 Lakhs (ex-showroom). 

KTM DUKE 125 IS BEST SELLING KTM BIKE AGAIN FOR FEBRUARY 2019

KTM DUKE 125 HAS RETURNED TO ITS POSITION OF THE BEST SELLING MOTORCYCLE FROM THE AUSTRIAN MANUFACTURER FOR FEB 2019. IT HAS RECORDED A SALES FIGURE OF 3053 UNITS FOR THIS MONTH. 

KTM launched the Duke 125 back in November 2018. The baby Duke was produced in India for a long time, but the company did not launch it earlier because of its high pricing. 

Since its launch, it has been recording healthy sales every month. For the month of February, KTM sold 3053 units of the Duke 125. For December, the sales figure stood at 2414 units and in January, it went down to 1402 units. 

Earlier, the best selling KTM motorcycle was the Duke 200. For the past two months, its sales figures are nearing 2000 units per month. For January, the 200cc model was the better selling of the two. 

Also Read: 

The baby Duke is priced at Rs 1.18 Lakhs (ex-showroom), making it the costliest 125cc motorcycle. However, the power and acceleration figures are better than several 150-160cc motorcycles. 

Duke 125 looks identical to the Duke 200 and actually uses the same chassis, design, decals, brakes and suspension. Our dealership sources suggest that inquiries for Duke 200 are still more than that of the 125cc Duke.