Jun 09, 2013 12:36 PM
76247 Views
KTM DUKE 200 test drive was very satisfying I must say. When you feel the bike DUKE 200 for the first time, the impression would that of a lower wheel based , heavy weight rear tyre motorbike ready to jump.
When I pulled it out of KTM show room parking lot after signing a paper for test drive, I felt that it was not a light one, as I had expected. The sales guy sat as a pillion and I put it in the first gear. It zoomed ahead with a clear metallic sound. The wide hand bars, completely upright seating position is what you should get used to for a familiarity but I felt it was very comfortable. I am six feet tall with 75 kg body weight.
I took a test drive in heavy evening traffic. The bike was extremely unsteady. I have been riding my Pulsar 220 and from my experience , I found Duke 200 , is very , very easy to turn. In fact it turns more than that what you might expect. Seating position is high, definitely high and handle bars are wide. You can hug the plastic fibre covered tank with your thighs and drive in the city very comfortably because of its power.
The dash is very good. I liked the gear indicator , it is one of the best things to see. I do not know how it behaves on the high-way. And also I am doubtful about the wind blast that you may face at such a high seating position. The speed of pick up , the ease of turning is what you would like and you may even fall in love with the vehicle.
The cost of DUKE 200 in Hyderbad is Rs. 1, 48, 000/= on road, all including. The maintanance must be easy because most of the parts are fibreglass parts. But if you have a wife to sit as a pillion you must forget this bike.The pillion salesman , in my case, often fell on me while hard braked this bike during test driving.
You can not comfortably ride the bike with a pillion . The front brakes are extremely effective.
All types of riders can not like this bike. So you must be clear about your preferences.
