KTM 160 Duke teased for India, launch likely in August

KTM has dropped a teaser for a new motorcycle on its social media handles, and this is likely the highly anticipated 160 Duke, set to go on sale soon. Rumour mills have been rife about KTM developing the 160 Duke and RC 160 specifically for the Indian market, ever since the KTM 125 Duke and RC 125 were taken off the shelves earlier this year.

KTM 160 Duke Teased

The teaser image posted on social reveals little about the powertrain, but we do get to see the familiar styling and wheels from the Duke range. The upcoming KTM 160 Duke is expected to be based on the 200 Duke, albeit with a smaller 160 cc single-cylinder engine to take on the offerings in the 160-200 cc segment. The new 160 Duke will compete against some highly popular offerings, including the Yamaha MT-15 V2.0, TVS Apache RTR 200 4V, and Bajaj NS200.

The KTM 125 Duke was pulled off the shelves in India earlier this year

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The KTM 125 Duke was pulled off the shelves in India earlier this year

Though popular in Europe, the KTM 125 Duke was a low seller in the Indian market. Despite sharing its underpinnings with the larger Duke models, the bike didn’t offer the fantastic power-to-price ratio that the 200, 250, and 390 Duke models have to offer. The bike also lacked sufficient power to sustain long-term usage, especially after buyers had exhausted the initial fun quotient that the bike offered.

KTM 160 Duke: Expected Specs

The upcoming KTM 160 Duke should offer a more consistent power usage, good enough for city use and the occasional high-speed run. There’s no word on the powertrain yet, but the engine is expected to be a downsized version of the 200 cc mill seen on the 200 Duke. The motor is likely to come with liquid cooling and will produce around 19 bhp and 15 Nm of peak torque, paired with a 6-speed gearbox.

The underpinnings will be carried over from the KTM 200 Duke, including the trellis frame, USD front forks and a rear monoshock, disc brakes, and dual-channel ABS. Other features likely include all-LED lighting, a TFT digital console with Bluetooth connectivity, and more.

Watch: 2024 KTM 390 Duke review: The pocket rocket is back

The KTM 160 Duke is expected to be followed up with the RC 160, which should arrive later in the year. The upcoming KTM RC 160 will get the full fairing and will serve as a rival to the Yamaha R15 V4, which remains the undisputed leader in this space.

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