All Duels – Duel Yamaha MT-125 Vs KTM Duke 125: at loggerheads … – Tailored for the city and the suburban

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Duel Yamaha MT-125 Vs KTM Duke 125: at loggerheads…

All Duels - Duel Yamaha MT-125 Vs KTM Duke 125: at loggerheads ... - Designed for the city and the suburban

Pretty, efficient and financially attractive, the KTM 125 Duke quickly rose to the top 5 for 125 cc registrations. Long without a real competitor, it must now count with a Yamaha MT-125 determined to do battle…. Duel !

Tailored for city and peri-urban areas

From the start, Duke and MT-125 show some differences. With a seat at 800 mm, the first facilitates access to pilots of small stature. The narrowness of the saddle at the level of the crotch allows you to put both feet on the ground when stationary, while the high handlebars and closer to the driver induce a relaxed riding position, bust straight, despite the footrests ups and downs that force the legs to bend.

On the Yamaha – whose seat has been reduced to 810 mm (820 on the YZF-R125) – the footrests are also moved back but the handlebars, however raised and closer, still induce a driving position by lightly pressing the fronts. -arms. Drivers approaching the meter eighty will appreciate being able to move back to the bottom of the saddle, more than on the KTM, but will also keep their legs well folded..

The first laps of the wheels highlight the differences in tire sizes: the Yamaha receives Michelin Pilot Street in 100 / 80×17 front and 130 / 70×17 rear, the KTM wider Continental brand tires, ContiAttack SM in 110 / 70×17 front and 150 / 60×17 rear. This is immediately felt in use, the MT-125 inscribing a little more strongly on the angle than the Duke which nevertheless claims the same frame angle of 25 °.

In town, however, the KTM fares a little better thanks to a shorter turning radius, which allows it to extricate itself more easily from congestion and quickly make a U-turn in a narrow street..

On the engine side, the MT-125 displays remarkable flexibility and accepts cruising at low speed in 6th gear from 2000 rpm. On the other hand, you have to wait 4000 rpm to start getting a more efficient response to the acceleration, the Yamaha engine really giving the best of itself between 6000 and 8000 rpm.

Perfectly stepped, the gearbox is a bit firm but the gears lock quickly and precisely, even accepting to be passed on the fly without disengaging. Even on the right reports, the rise in speed remains however linear and one should not hesitate to whip the eighth of Japanese liter to draw all the quintessence. On the other hand, we are frustrated by the systematic and a little too intrusive intervention of the breaker when pulling the reports….

Equipped with shorter gear ratios, the Duke 125 is noticeably more responsive to acceleration and pick-up in intermediate speeds, giving the impression of having more punch than its rival. With the KTM, we can continue to pull the gears despite the switching on of the shiftlight and the more discreet intervention of the rev limiter..

The rougher exhaust sound contributes to this impression of power, especially once past 4000 rpm when the Austrian engine really gives voice. Between 5000 and 7000 rev / min, the revivals are already quite energetic. Beyond that, the Duke displays a champion’s temperament and climbs rapidly in speed until reaching the top of the tachometer at its maximum speed of 10,500 rpm.

In terms of comfort, the MT-125 takes the ascendancy over the Duke thanks to its saddle slightly softer than that of the Austrian, however redesigned this year to improve the reception (read our). The differences are created especially at the level of damping: more flexible, the Yamaha suspensions filter imperfections a little better.

The slightly tilted position on the front means that we also feel less the rise of the shock absorber in the back during an impact, especially as this element is mounted on rods for more progressiveness.

However, it is the KTM that has the greatest suspension travel, as well as the best ground clearance (despite its low exhaust). Its suspension works well but still reacts too sharply to small shocks, making the whole a little too "jumping" on the cobblestones of Paris..

Fast lanes

On expressways, our two 125s are far from being ridiculous despite their small 15 well-packed horses. At the bottom of sixth, it is the MT-125 which takes (slightly) the advantage with a counter speed of 130 km / h (122 km / h in GPS), against 123 counter (120 in GPS) for the Duke 125 … lying on the tank. Not enough to whip a cat or really make a difference.

Especially since both distil at this pace of insidious vibrations at the level of the handles, the saddle and the footrests. At these "high speeds", both show excellent stability despite their large handlebars. Thanks to its small optional deflector, the KTM protects its rider a little better when lying down.

On the road, the Duke 125 takes advantage of its less intrusive rev limiter to gain the advantage in the series of turns where you have to play the selector to restart. The MT-125 closely follows it, benefiting for its part from a cycle part a little more agile thanks to its narrower tires. It reacts quickly to the actions of the pilot on the handlebars, as well as to the pressure on the footrests..

In addition, its Michelin Pilot Street tires seem to provide better grip than the Continental ContiAttack SM which we feel more "slipping" from the rear. On the other hand, it is penalized by its more flexible suspension under braking, especially on bumpy roads..

The Duke 125 also reacts sharply to the constraints on this type of road surface, despite slightly higher travel. The rear particularly absorbs shocks harder than the progressive shock absorber of the MT-125.

In terms of braking, the KTM benefits from both a more progressive front brake and adjustable to the lever, as well as a less pronounced fork plunge. The right pedal provides additional power, but the ABS is triggered quickly if you press too hard. At the front, Bosch ABS intervenes later and is less intrusive.

The Yamaha also has good stopping power, but the feeling when the 4-piston radial caliper squeezes the disc is less good, and the progressiveness inferior. The fork plunge is also quite pronounced, leading to a significant mass transfer in sporty driving.

In mixed use, the MT-125 is by far the most fuel efficient, with an average consumption of 2.5 l / 100 km which gives it a range of 460 km. Even by whipping it more than necessary, it is difficult to increase this value. Surprising! The Duke 125 is for its part a little more greedy, with a consumption of 3.3 l / 100 km which gives it 333 km of average autonomy. Which is not so bad for the category.

Verdict: KTM keeps the best fun / equipment / price ratio

When you take out the credit card, the choice between one or the other of these two motorcycles is not easy … In terms of quality / price ratio, the KTM will certainly give you value for your money, with beautifully crafted equipment (boxed swing arm, trellis frame, radial braking from the Indian subsidiary of Brembo ByBre) and a standard ABS that can be deactivated for 4,100 euros.

However, its aggressive look and flashy decor, its comfort in the saddle still as spartan and its more explosive engine may not be to everyone’s taste, especially if you want to remain relatively discreet….

Less ostentatious, more versatile with its superior reach at high speeds and better comfort, the Yamaha MT-125 represents an excellent alternative, especially since it receives large sizes a little better and demonstrates exemplary sobriety. Remains its frankly "salty" price with ABS: for example, only 1300 euros separate it from the MT-07 !

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