Coming soon: The Duke 250 and RC250

Partnering with Bajaj, KTM has made it big in India. The launch of the Duke 200 and 390 and the recent RC200 and RC390, KTM has made gains in leaps and bounds. The growth has been exponential and has become one of the favourite bike brands of India's younger set of riders. Now, to improve the appeal, KTM has decided to bring in the Duke 250 and the RC250.

Duke 250

KTM announced the launch of the 250cc variant of the ever-impressive Duke and will be made available in India by late 2015 or the start of 2016. With this launch, KTM hopes to bring an end to the confusion while choosing the 200 and 390 offerings. This product is aimed at creating a balance and also serves as a hint to the rivals in the 200-250cc segment.

Engine

The Duke 250 would use a 248.8cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine, mated to a 6-speed transmission. The engine produces 30.7bhp at 9000rpm and 24Nm Torque at 7250rpm. What's new in this variant though is the presence of a power assisted slipper clutch with anti-hopping technology. This helps the rider while engine braking and prevents the rear wheel from hopping. The engine weighs only 37kg and is claimed to be the strongest engines in its class. It also sports a contactless , controlled, fully electronic ignition system with digital timing adjustment.

Design/Styling

Following suit from the previous Duke versions, the Duke 250 also uses a naked bike design with the framework given a toxic orange paint job to help it stand out. Other design elements remain the same.

Brakes&Safety

With ABS on offer and front and rear disc brakes, the KTM Duke 250 would be one of the safest bikes in the offing. A 300mm disc with four-pot brake caliper in the front and a 230mm disc with one-pot brake caliper in the rear adds to the braking capabilities of the bike. Suspension remains the same with a 43mm WP upside down shocks and a WP monoshock in the rear. Wheel travel is at 150mm.

Riding Position

The riding position of the Duke remains unmatched by any other bikes in its class and the Duke 250 continues with the same. 170mm of ground clearance and 800mm of seat height is enough to give the rider a performance stance.

Price

Bringing in the 250cc variant is sure to set the competition on fire in this range and we expect KTM to price it competitively. As of now, the expected pricing stands at Rs1,70,000. The Black and Orange livery is the available color option.

KTM RC250

When KTM had announced the launch of the Duke 250, they also launched the RC250, taking the fight in the segment to an even higher altitude. The success of the RC200 and RC390 in India had impressed the small Austrian motorcycle manufacturer and has promised to deliver exciting models to its Indian customers.

Engine

The KTM RC250 would use the same power unit as on the Duke 250 and has the same power assisted slipper clutch and anti-hopping technology. The engine being incredibly light-weight, the performance gains should be monumental.

Design/Styling

The KTM RC250 comes as faired model, just like its older siblings although it shares the white underside of the KTM RC390. The other styling and design elements remain the same and it is proven that the RC series is an absolute head turner.

Brakes&Safety

The same 300mm disc in front with the 4-pot brake caliper and a 230mm disc in the rear with the one-pot brake caliper coupled with the ABS system, makes the RC250 safe and agile. The suspension remains the same as that of the Duke 250.

Riding Position

With the racing stance on the RC series, it gives the rider loads of confidence to tackle corners and maintain 3-digit speeds with ease. The background is destined to get blurry while riding on this one.

Price

An injection of the racing genes added to the RC250, the expected price of the KTM RC250 stands at around Rs1,95,000.

UPDATE!: KTM has recently announced that it will NOT be bringing the 250 range to India or Europe due to price positioning.