
While purists were unhappy to read the price tag of the recently launched 125 Duke, it actually proved to be quite a success in the Indian market. The Indian two-wheeler space, after all, seems to have quite evolved from the performance-to-price perspective.
Riding high on the success, KTM launched the fully-faired version of the 125 Duke in the market a couple of months back. While the KTM 125 Duke remained to be the most expensive 125cc offering in the time being, the 200 Duke – the one you see in the photos here – is now guilty as charged.
There’s nothing that sets the KTM 200 Duke apart from its siblings. It looks the same as the RC200, with the dual-pod projector setup, steeply raked windscreen, fully-faired body, and the clip-on handlebars. The only difference, however, lies in the graphics, which now makes do with the 125cc badging. Speaking of that, it borrows the powertrain from the 125 Duke. So, there’s nothing new or ground-breaking with the RC 125. But there’s more to it than meets the eye. Read on.
Engine
As said above, the KTM RC 125 borrows its 124.7cc single-cylinder engine from the 125 Duke. The power and torque figures also remain identical at 14.3bhp and 12Nm. Yet again, the engine is liquid-cooled and mated to a six-speed gearbox. The rideability, of course, remains identical. The engine comes to its senses past the low-end where it accelerates exceedingly fast. The top-end is delightful, although there are some vibrations which can be felt there.
Specifications
If not for the new decals and the 125 badging, it would be hard to differentiate the RC 125 from its bigger sibling. As far as specifications go, the bike is 1,978mm in length, 688mm in width, and 1,098mm in height. It has a kerb weight of 147kg. The wheelbase is 1,340mm and the ground clearance is 157mm.
Fuel tank capacity
Expect the fuel efficiency figures to be the same as the 125 Duke. For the uninitiated, the 125 Duke is capable of an ARAI-claimed 35km/l. The fuel tank capacity, on the other hand, is just 9.5-litre.
Mechanical parts
Another area where the RC125 seems closely matched to the 125 Duke is the mechanical hardware. The bike is built around a trellis frame. The handling is better, thanks to the committed riding posture. The upside-down forks and rear monoshock, however, are carried over. The braking duties are held by a 300mm disc at the front and a 230mm disc at the back. The KTM RC 125 comes equipped with a 110/70 R17 tyre at the front and a 150/60 R17 at the rear.
Features
For safety, the bike comes with a single-channel ABS unit as standard. As for the other features, it gets a fully-digital instrument cluster that displays essential information such as the speedometer, tachometer, odometer, fuel gauge, and trip data. In terms of lighting, the taillamp is an LED and the main projector lenses are powered by halogens. There are LED DRLs embedded within the beak on the front-end.
Colours
The KTM RC 125, as of 2020, is available in twodual-tone shades, namely, Orange & Black and White & Black. Of both, the RC 125 looks the best in the Orange & Black dual-tone shade and remains to be our pick of the lot.
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