Made-in-India KTM Duke 125 launched in Nepal

KTM has introduced the India-made KTM Duke 125 in Nepal at NPR 4,49,900 (INR 2.80 lakhs). The bike is manufactured at KTM-Bajaj’s Chakan facility in Pune, Maharashtra. The entry-level naked sport was launched in India earlier this year in November 2019.

Originally, the KTM Duke 125 had a price tag of INR 1.18 lakhs and after a slew of hikes, the bike in India currently retails at INR 1.30 lakhs (both prices ex-showroom, Delhi). The price tag in Nepal is attributed to the fact that the KTM Duke 125 is imported via the Completely Built Unit (CBU) route.

Bajaj Auto owns a 48% share in the Austrian bike maker. KTM is the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Europe. In the first half of calendar year 2019, the company sold 1,15,318 units globally.

The KTM Duke 125 gets premium cycle parts including 43 mm upside-down fork and monoshock rear sourced from WP suspensions. Brakes include a 300 mm disc up front with a radially mounted calliper and a 230 mm unit in the rear. A single channel ABS is also on offer. In fact, KTM has made ABS as standard across the range in Nepal.

Besides that, KTM Duke 125 is offered with a fully digital instrumentation and an underbelly exhaust just as the Indian version. The European Duke 125 though gets an LED headlamp, TFT instrumentation and a side mounted canister as seen in the Duke 390.

Powering the KTM Duke 125 is a 124.5 cc liquid-cooled, DOHC engine. Coupled to a 6-speed gearbox, the engine produces 14.5 PS of power and 12 Nm of torque. This makes it the most premium and powerful 125 cc motorcycle in Nepal.

KTM in India is gearing up to launch the premium middleweight street naked KTM 790 Duke in India later this year. The 790 Duke will be launched in India with a premium price tag above INR 8 lakhs. KTM also retails the RC125, Duke 200, RC200, Duke 250, Duke 390 and RC390 in India.