Business – Motorcycle strategy: how KTM became a Duke of the road – KTM range test: very Duke trip!

Posted on by admin

Motorcycle strategy: how KTM became a Duke of the road

Business - Motorcycle strategy: how KTM became a Duke of the road - KTM range test: very Duke trip!

MNC participated in an event organized by KTM in Thailand around its Duke range. The opportunity to measure the road traveled from the 620 of 1994 to the bestial 1290R, via the 125, 200 and 390 manufactured by its Indian partner Bajaj.

KTM range test: very Duke trip !

125/200 Duke: small but sturdy

Launched in 2011, the KTM 125 Duke is the cornerstone of the edifice built hand in hand with the Indian Bajaj. Short, narrow and light (127 kg without gasoline), it receives equipment "worthy of a large": aluminum boxed swing arm, robust trellis frame, WP suspensions, radial brake caliper, deactivatable ABS and above all a very practical lighting symbols on the commodos. Even if it lacks warnings and an adjustable clutch lever, the little one is nicely braided !

Certain finishing details nevertheless tarnish this very attractive picture, such as the moderately aesthetic integration of the radiator used to cool the single-cylinder with double ACT (15 hp and 12 Nm of torque) or the electric network camouflaged in the va- quickly.

Some plastics also appear to be quite low-end, including those of the mud flap and the on-board console (fully digital and rather complete with time, fuel gauge, two trips and shift light). At this level, its designated competitor is more flirtatious and neat.

For 2015, KTM redesigned its saddle to try to improve the perfectible comfort of the first version, reduced the angle of rotation of the throttle grip (from 88 to 77 °) and installed new grips offering more grip, off-road motorcycle style.

If the progress announced at the level of the seat is not very noticeable – fortunately the regulated flexible suspensions and with large displacement (150 mm front / rear) erase the shocks -, the modification made to the throttle is appreciated from the first meters.

Going full throttle now no longer breaks the right wrist, which is pretty good because the 125 Duke requires constant whipping! The unflattering metallic-sounding engine at idle only relaunches effectively from 7,000 rpm, but then happily pushes up to 10,500 rpm of the switch.

The fairly smooth and precise selection makes it possible to "knit" smoothly to stay in this rev range, while the braking is powerful enough if not biting. ABS, rarely offered at this price (€ 4,100), reassures and ensures.

In the end, MNC especially regrets that the legislation does not allow 16-year-olds to start on its 200 cc clone (more imported into France since the arrival of the 390 in 2013), more pleasant and versatile thanks to its 11 hp and especially its 7.5 Nm of additional torque (26 hp and 19.5 Nm).

  • Read our

390 Duke: the bestseller

Built on the same basis as the 125 and 200, the 390 Duke is distinguished by firmer suspension settings, in line with its mass (139 kg) and superior performance (44 hp and 35 Nm). Aesthetically identical, it has all the presentation qualities of its little sisters … but also their faults, such as a passable integration of cables and electrical sheaths around the engine.

While it looks strictly similar at first glance, this 373.2cc single-cylinder is significantly different from the 124.7 and 199.5cc blocks. Hyper light (36 kg!), It receives some sophistication (cylinder treated with Nikasil, forged piston, more advanced injection) at the origin of its respectable output "displacement / power".

For 2015, KTM has granted it the same upgrades described above, to which is added a new even sportier tire assembly (instead of the already very good ones). Already incredibly agile, the 390 Duke gains a bit of extra liveliness, without its beautiful stability being called into question..

Obvious to grip thanks to its not very restrictive ergonomics (narrow tank, wide and raised handlebars, footrests not too far back) and its comfortable suspensions, it offers astonishing revivals between 4000 and 6000 turns. Thank you featherweight! Then the acceleration becomes more intense, arousing desires of arson that this funny motorcycle at 5190 € is crazy about..

Capable of reaching 170 km / h meter, the "mono" appears as playful as it is alive, proof that power is not everything! On the other hand, it vibrates at high speed and heats the thighs when stationary (especially in Thailand, with up to 38.5 ° C and 60% humidity in the air!).

Braking, however, appears less convincing, not in terms of power – satisfactory at the front as well as at the rear – but in terms of bite and feeling. The right lever offers a spongy feel, as well as an inconsistent point of attack according to the models tested by MNC. Fortunately, the ABS keeps the grain efficiently.

  • Read our

690 Duke and 690 Duke R: MNC favorite !

Symbol of all the KTM know-how on the single cylinder, the 690 Duke is a toy perfectly in line with the spirit of the house. With 149.5 kg without fuel and 68 hp (70 on the R thanks to the Akrapovic in titanium as standard), the tone is set! No change is to be noted in 2015, apart from new graphics and original equipment entrusted to the excellent .

Built in Mattighofen (Austria), the 690 enjoys a quality of realization superior to its "Austro-Indian" sisters, even if certain details are still crude foundry (electrical network and injection clutter behind the mono, austere analog instrumentation). Hard to swallow at € 7,850 for the standard version and € 10,200 for the "R", equipped among other things with a Brembo radial master cylinder and more sophisticated suspensions offering more travel (150 front / rear against 135 mm).

However, once in the saddle – very high: 835 mm on the standard and 865 mm on the R! -, these considerations are quickly removed. The 690 cc single cylinder shows such joie de vivre that the slightest acceleration sticks a banana that is difficult to get rid of !

Admittedly, the block vibrates copiously and pounded under 3000 rpm, or even 3500 on upper gears, while the selection is rough and not devoid of false dead points – unlike the soft and precise clutch, moreover seconded by a precious anti-dribble. But the "mono" offers in return a spectacular performance from 4000 to 9000 rev / min, marked by explosive revivals from 5500 rev / min.

The ride-by-wire accelerator is just perfect and the impressive traction allows you to dose the horse close to the exploitation of power. Fortunately, because in the absence of anti-slip, mechanical vigor requires a certain dexterity, especially in the wet or on … poorly placed elephant poop (true!).

The chassis is above all suspicion, especially in the R version. The braking provided by the Brembo radial caliper combines power, endurance and precision, while the suspensions enjoy a cohesion impossible to fault. Thanks to their greater travel, those of the R also offer a perfectly calibrated progressiveness..

The enjoyable lightness of the bike encourages daring hyper-tense trajectories, unconstrained corrections, even unacademic figures of the kind coming out of a curve by wheeling or drifting for lovers of ribs! Only downside: the instability of the front axle during rapid changes of angle on the bumpy, result of the combination "wide handlebars + featherweight + motor-ki-sends" !

  • Read our

1290 Super Duke R: who’s the boss ?

Launched at the end of 2013, the "Beast" – as KTM nicknamed it during its marketing campaign – commands respect with its 75 ° V-twin of 180 hp and 144 Nm of torque. Packed with electronics (ride-by-wire, three driving modes, traction control, anti-wheelie and adjustable and deactivatable ABS), the is designed to explode everything: arms, eyes, tires, license and wallet (€ 15,995)…

Our big winner, this extreme roadster won us over with its well-known ergonomics, halfway between trail and roadster. Surprisingly comfortable thanks to its quality "house" (WP) suspensions, the "ultra-Duke" is also quite docile … if one remains reasonable on the accelerator !

Far from being the feared indomitable monster, the twin derived from the RC8 accepts to wind wisely, on condition of staying above 3000 rpm to avoid its knocking. Ultra-filled but not explosive, it crosses the word "inertia" from your vocabulary when the right grip is wrung out: in 2nd as in 3rd, the bike frankly relieves, or even rears up while relieving the large handlebars !

Whatever the speed, the 1290R leaps forward and accelerates without any downtime, like a Rafale catapulted by Charles-de-Gaule! All of his well-calibrated electronic aids are then valuable allies in channeling his enthusiasm, especially when he lets go of the circuit..

The front axle is neutral and precise, while the steel frame reinforced with chrome molybdenum (a refinement also applied to that of the 690) withstands all the constraints without flinching, a guarantee of good stability. Which is not a small feat in view of the said constraints! The injection and the brakes compete for their efficiency and pleasure. A must !

  • Read our and our Comparison

1290 Super Duke R "Race kit": the beast is released…

Diego Arioli, product manager at KTM, assures us: if some consider the 1290 Super Duke R less bestial than expected, they will change their minds after testing its race version "Race Kit". "You will discover all his true bestialityhe says with a defiant smile on his face. Brr…

Highlight of this "Just Duke it" presentation in Thailand, this exceptional test took place on the Bonanza International Speedway, circuit located about 180 km northeast of Bangkok. A short route, not very technical and quite fast, but poorly paved: many bumps and patches of bitumen here, a thin film of dried mud there, not to mention a 180 ° bend so bumpy that we were advised to do so. bypass at reduced speed from the outside. Atmosphere…

In short, not really the ideal playground to discover a beast of 192 hp and 149 Nm (yes, yes!), Especially when the temperature oscillates between 35 and 39 ° C! Because this 1290 Super Duke R "Race Kit" is distinguished above all by its increased power and torque, 12 hp and 5 Nm. An increase essentially due to the complete Akrapovic line (not approved) and to a new configuration of the ‘injection.

Less "filtered" with this special racing mapping, the power flows more instantly when the throttle is opened. The difference with the standard version is clear: the Beast dislocates your shoulders at the slightest rotation of the accelerator, continues to unload the front axle until 4th (!) And deposits the original 1290R in the stretches. . What a slap !

The power of its acceleration literally takes your breath away. However, it is better to know how to pilot in apnea because the tidal wave never stops thanks to the amazing extension! Like force-fed Red Bull (historical sponsor of KTM in competition), the Austrian canassons demand to be extremely mobile on the motorcycle to control their kicks.

Fortunately, in addition to the mechanical modifications, the Race Kit taken entirely from the Power Parts catalog includes parts precisely designed to promote racing ergonomics: rear shell with grainy pad as a saddle, adjustable rear controls (magnificent), adjustable "race" levers . Not to mention the pretty, light carbon parts here and there. Lovely !

Add to that Dunlop slick tires, hardened suspensions and a tilted trim on the front, and you have a real "racing beast", more demanding but also more precise than the standard version. Thanks to the extra grip offered by slicks, it is thus possible to accelerate earlier and brake later, and to keep the brakes longer on the angle.

On the other hand, the irregularities of the Thai track are less well absorbed, because of a setting of suspensions rather hard – too much, for a track like this one. The higher stresses permanently exerted on the cycle part by the V-twin under anabolic drugs are also responsible for this more "restless" behavior..

Much more intense, almost ferocious on the Race Kit, the acceleration on the bumps generates very lively reactions, especially at the front, echoed all along the rigid trellis chassis. Cold blood, experience and blind confidence in the effectiveness of electronic aids required! MNC still trembles…

Related articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *