The Duke 800, KTM's street bike that's still in development phase, has been spotted testing, featuring a 800cc parallel twin engine. The bike maker is likely to reveal the motorcycle by the end of this year. The 800cc motor powering it had been hinted at by Stefan Pierer, KTM's CEO, two years ago, along with the possibility of KTM incorporating the 500cc parallel twin engine as well. In addition to the Duke 800, the next-gen Duke 125 was also spotted testing, which is discussed later in this article.
First things first, the spied Duke 800 test mule was an all-black bike, certainly to hide the design details. However, it still brought some essential bits of the design to light, such as long aggressive tank shrouds, a sleek tail (which is characteristic of a KTM), and radically crafted fuel tank. Other highlights include the headlamp unit from the current Duke 200 line-up, probably a makeshift unit for the test, a large radiator unit, split seats, upside-down front forks, and a rear mono shock suspension. One could also notice a dual disc brake unit up front and a long slingshot exhaust.
If launched in India, the Duke 800 will compete against the Kawasaki Z800, Triumph Street Triple, Ducati Monster 821. And since KTM has a habit of astonishing enthusiasts with its splendid performance and competitive pricing, we sure are tempted. The price could even lie in a bracket of 6 to 7 lakh, undercutting its rivals by a huge margin. Moreover, there are reports that the same 800cc parallel-twin motor could be used to power an adventure tourer that KTM intends to bring in the near future.
Speaking of the Duke 125 test bike, it carries a more angular and sharper design approach compared to the current bike. The headlamp unit has a noticeably stretched chin, the fuel tank is sleeker, and so is the sharp tail. Other than these, the bike is expected to use the same set of equipment in terms of chassis, front and rear suspensions, and the engine.
Now, the question is, will the bike make it to India? Quite unlikely. The reason being, at the launch of the RC range in India, Anand Bajaj had expressed his concern over Indian consumers not accepting a high-priced 125cc bike, despite the performance it offered. Nonetheless, the spied motorcycle still gives a good idea of how the next-gen Duke 200 and 390 could look like, since the current generation of these bikes have identical styling to the Duke 125.
Source: visordown.com
Source: Zigwheels.com
