Before this, it was the India-made Duke 390 which was the cheapest KTM in the US
While 2020 might not have been a perfect year for the automotive market or even generally for society, a plethora of new vehicles has been launched this year domestically as well as abroad. Austrian sports bike manufacturer KTM has officially added the 200 Duke to its American product portfolio.
The naked streetfighter will now be available in the US and Canadian markets from this year onwards. Many believe the current strategy by KTM is reflected upon the need for people to own personal mobility for transportation post Covid-19. Hence, adding an affordable model to their line-up makes sense.
While it is an all-new model at the American shores, it has been available in many other markets including India for a while now (precisely since 2012). In India, the Austrian bike maker has entered into an alliance with Indian two-wheeler manufacturer Bajaj Auto to develop liquid-cooled engines for the entry-level motorcycle segment in India. The 200 Duke is the product of this alliance.
KTM Duke is built upon an ultra light tubular trellis frame which is mounted on 43mm USD forks at the front and WP linkless shock absorber at the rear. Both the units offer a travel of 150mm. It stands on 17-inch cast alloy wheels which are wrapped 110mm section of tyres at the front and 150mm wide profile at the rear. Braking duties are carried out by Brembo made units of 300 mm disc on the front and 230mm disc at the rear.
Powertrain
When it comes to the engine, the 200 Duke is powered by a 199.5cc single cylinder motor which is married to a 6-speed gearbox. This unit produces a power output of 26 hp which KTM claims to be the highest in its category for a single cylinder unit. Torque figure stands at 19 Nm.
Coming to the equipment list, the bike is decently kitted with features such as dual-channel ABS from Bosche with Supermoto functionality. It is equipped with a fully digital LCD console that gives all the necessary information including an RPM alert to suggest the rider when to up-shift. Its design is accentuated by the aggressive headlamp accompanied by the muscular 13.4 litre fuel tank.
If we go by the Indian specs, at 330 pounds it also 20 pounds lighter than 390 Duke. The bike maker says that the 200 Duke will be available from this month. The bike is priced at an affordable $3,999 (Rs 2.99 lakh) making it a very competitive offering. This is also the cheapest KTM bike on sale in the US. Earlier, it was the Duke 390 which was the cheapest KTM in the US at $5,499 (Rs 4.12 lakhs). Both bikes are made in India, and exported to the US.
