Back to Basics! KTM Duke 160 Review

KTM India conducted a short first ride of their latest offering, the Duke 160, for the media this week.

- SYED SHIRAZ SHAH

KTM India conducted a short first ride of their latest offering, the Duke 160, for the media this week. It was raining almost throughout the day, and the ride itself was split into two batches, which meant that we didn't get as much time with the bike as we would have liked, and that was an unfortunate departure from the usually excellent first rides conducted by Bajaj where we get to ride for the full day. This was done primarily to engage more journalists and influencers, but I honestly don't approve of the idea because this format doesn't do justice to the motorcycle and the work that has gone into it. Nevertheless, while almost everyone else's mileage at the end of the first ride was below 50 km (a few just rode for as little as 25 km), I rode the motorcycle for 114 km. Therefore, you may trust this first ride review to give you the most detailed, accurate, and useful information to help you in making an informed decision if you're contemplating a buy in this segment.

DESIGN & COLOURS

The Duke 160 is primarily based on the Duke 200, and not the latest (Gen 3) Duke 250 or Duke 390; therefore, its design is naturally closer to the Duke 200's and Gen 2 Duke 250's even though it gets a few parts from the latest Dukes as well. I will get into the nuances in the comprehensive road test review which I shall do once I get the bike for a longer duration. For now, looks wise, it would suffice to say that it's still unmistakably a Duke; however, I would have loved to see an all-black shade as well. Right now, there are three colour options for the Duke 160: Blue, Silver, and the essential Orange, of course.

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