[Shubz]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

Just spoke to Roy, manager of Blore PBK (now called KTM Store as he introduced it on the phone). Gopi who was the manager earlier has moved to the Kasturba road Khivraj motors branch.

Anyway, the bike will be around Rs. 1.25L or Rs. 1.3L on road in blore since taxes here are higher. No information on the exact prices since the ex-showroom price in Delhi was announced only a couple of hours back.

Also, bookings open on 1st feb and test ride bikes will be available by Feb 2nd week.

Booking amount is INR 30,000/- and delivery would take around 90 days. Roy did mention that the first 100 bikes would probably be delivered a lot sooner.

I was also told that there were many customers who rushed in with checks in hand to book the bike.

So folks out there who want a piece of this pie, camp out on the 1st of Feb to be amongst the First 100 to book a KTM and you might just get the bike a lot earlier than the rest of the folks.

I was one among them! was there before the store opened though I got to know from Rana (store manager) that they will not be taking bookings (at 11:30 pm last night). Jaya - their regional sales manager was also there and she recognized me :P The reason being - Delay in consignment and they didn't want to take bookings and make customers wait endlessly.

Display bike will be on on Friday (hopefully).

Delivery schedule - as you put it rightly - upto 90 days but the initial lot (not sure of the 100 number) will be delivered much quicker.

A market survey has indicated the Bangalore demand to be around 180 bikes (i don't know in what time frame though). Second in line being Mangalore. thats why they have a PBK outlet there but not in Belgaum though it is the 2nd biggest city in the state.

[Tommie]

Any performance comparison with R15 and CBR250.

I was terribly disappointed by the performance of CBR250 and cancelled my booking. I would want to first test drive and then book. The pricing is good for a 25bhp bike.

I owned a Bajaj KB and then had to be scrapped within 6 yrs and heard the same from many Pulsar owners that the engine life is pretty bad. Considering that the life of Bajaj manufactured bikes are pretty lowand had to be thrashed or End-of-Life before 10 years (unlike the Bajaj scooters), anyone has any idea on how is the engine life for KTM bikes?

Any idea whether test drives are available for everyone (CBR gave only to customers who booked it).

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by Shrek_924

A great VFM bike, introduced just before the Pulsar range is overhauled. (Pulsar new gen expected in Feb 1st/2nd week)
As for the missing fairing on the bike, expect P220 or P250 (if it is launched) to have full fairing to compete head on with R15. This way Bajaj will cover the premium bike portfolio fully.

They won't as I don't expect BAL to come up with liquid cooled engines for their Pulsar range yet.

Since the showrooms have been renamed as KTM showrooms, does it mean that the Bajaj will lose focus on Kawasaki's? This would be deal breaker for Ninja buyers!

True that, I too saw the green boards being removed & orange ones being put up.

Please do not compare the KTM 200 to the CBR 250 as they both cater to different needs.

KTM is your street rocket and CBR is a tourer/commuter. KTM is more sharp & will appeal to those who are young at heart and want to stand out.

If I was in the market today, I would go for this, but post a test-ride. BAL should provide test-rides.

In today's modern world, preventive maintenance is enough to ensure longevity, unless you are handed a lemon.

[black12rr]

Originally Posted by Tommie

Any performance comparison with R15 and CBR250.

I was terribly disappointed by the performance of CBR250 and cancelled my booking. I would want to first test drive and then book. The pricing is good for a 25bhp bike.

I owned a Bajaj KB and then had to be scrapped within 6 yrs and heard the same from many Pulsar owners that the engine life is pretty bad. Considering that the life of Bajaj manufactured bikes are pretty lowand had to be thrashed or End-of-Life before 10 years (unlike the Bajaj scooters), anyone has any idea on how is the engine life for KTM bikes?

Any idea whether test drives are available for everyone (CBR gave only to customers who booked it).

No wonder pulsar is best selling bike .
10 years ? ,who told that ? .Pulsar was released in 2002 , so its not even completed 10 years . what can you expect out of a bike that has run 10 years , stock bore ,stock cone set ,stock chain kit ,stock brake pads ,stock oil ,stock tires .... ? .Buy the bike ,crate it and it will be like the new at the end of 10 years ,common ..

[Shubz]

Originally Posted by Sheel

If I was in the market today, I would go for this, but post a test-ride. BAL should provide test-rides.

In today's modern world, preventive maintenance is enough to ensure longevity, unless you are handed a lemon.

Right said about preventive maintenance!

Test rides - I guess BAL have plans of allowing test rides. Got to see how many would book after the test ride and how many before that!

Bike will be on display (in Bangalore) by Friday and the store manager said there could be test rides following that.

[Shrek_924]

Before comparing this bike with the Bajaj range, please remember the underlying DNA of the bike is KTM and has been tuned to Indian conditions. Agreed Bajaj has stake in the company, but that does not change the genesis of the bike as it is derived from other KTM siblings.

So if you trust Kawasaki, you buy Ninjas. Bajaj A.S.S. is icing on the cake. Similar for KTM bikes IMHO.

Originally Posted by black12rr

No wonder pulsar is best selling bike .
10 years ? ,who told that ? .Pulsar was released in 2002 , so its not even completed 10 years . what can you expect out of a bike that has run 10 years , stock bore ,stock cone set ,stock chain kit ,stock brake pads ,stock oil ,stock tires .... ? .Buy the bike ,crate it and it will be like the new at the end of 10 years ,common ..

Pulsar was launched in October 2001 and hence has completed 10 years!

There was a article from Zigwheels in yesterdays Pune Times. Attached for the interested people.

[MurtazaGhiya]

I visited the KTM showroom on Bund Garden Road, Pune today morning to find a brand new and shiny Duke 200 inside! I found the build quality of the bike to be top notch and it looks beautiful from every angle possible. Sorry, I did not take pics of the bike since a lot of them have already been published on the net. The bikes fat rubber gives it that big bike feel. Plus the rear monoshock makes the bike feel higher and could possibly be used for offroading. The pillion seat is just for the sake of it. Its just too small. This bike is NOT a replacement for a city bike for a person looking to carry a pillion most of the time. This is for the serious enthusiast who knows what he is buying and would possibly ride alone. I loved the KTM branding all over the bike, be it on the headlight assembly, the silencer pipe running over the engine, the rear mudguard(or whatever its called) placed over the rear tyre, etc. I am not sure if one could get a motocross mudguard replaced for the front mudguard. That would make it a complete off roader The exhaust is pretty similarly placed like the Ninja 650R. All the control on the handlebar and the fuel tank cap seems to have been picked up from the current gen Pulsar.

Overall, I am impressed with the bike. But, I will wait for a few months before I take the plunge. ARE YOU READY TO RACE? No, I am not

[ebonho]

Murtaza, did you happen to look below the bike and check out if the bike has a proper engine sump guard or is that only a plastic mini fairing down below?

[bigron]

That's a Great start. The price seems right in the ball park.I can see another XUV 500 scene happening at the Bajaj Showroom.

[Tommie]

Originally Posted by black12rr

No wonder pulsar is best selling bike .
10 years ? ,who told that ? .Pulsar was released in 2002 , so its not even completed 10 years . what can you expect out of a bike that has run 10 years , stock bore ,stock cone set ,stock chain kit ,stock brake pads ,stock oil ,stock tires .... ? .Buy the bike ,crate it and it will be like the new at the end of 10 years ,common ..

I can show you many RX100's, many CD100's which have completed 25 years and running as good as a new bike which has crossed nearly 1lakh kms. All the Bajaj bikes (KB 100, KB125, 4S, Pulsars or Discover or avenger's) after running for nearly 30-40K Km's.

[MurtazaGhiya]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Murtaza, did you happen to look below the bike and check out if the bike has a proper engine sump guard or is that only a plastic mini fairing down below?

Its only a plastic mini fairing.

Originally Posted by Tommie

I can show you many RX100's, many CD100's which have completed 25 years and running as good as a new bike which has crossed nearly 1lakh kms. All the Bajaj bikes (KB 100, KB125, 4S, Pulsars or Discover or avenger's) after running for nearly 30-40K Km's.

I know of an auto journalist who owns a Pulsar 200 which has already crossed 1lakh on the ODO and still going strong. That guy has taken the bike to CSS (California Superbike School) held at Chennai and done cornering on a Pulsar 200. So, all the people who have doubts on a Pulsar's capabilities need to rethink.

[n_aditya]

Originally Posted by Tommie

Any performance comparison with R15 and CBR250.

The Duke200 is in a totally different segment compared to the R15 and the CBR250.

The duke is a street hooligan if i may say so while the R15 is a track junkie and the CBR is a tourer. All very different in their own way but one thing common between all these bikes is the FUN factor. Apply them in the area they excel and they WILL paste a stupid grin on your face, or some adrenalin pumping scary moments too.

Originally Posted by Tommie

anyone has any idea on how is the engine life for KTM bikes?

KTM's are very reliable. They excel in the Dakar rally which is one of THE MOST gruelling rallies in the world. The 200 is not a rally bike but nevertheless, its not a bike that is built to fail. There is a lot riding on this bike (from a brand perspective - hopes, dreams, market share in our country, etc.) and i believe they will carve a pretty neat fan following.

That said, small niggles might exist which might only be evident once people buy the bike and post their experiences. Nothing to be concerned about but if you are one of those (like me) who expects perfection and absolutely zero niggles then wait a bit and then decide to buy.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by n_aditya

KTM's are very reliable.

Aditya, on most foreign biking forums, the common impression/perception of the KTMs is that of expensive bikes whose engines grenade and need rebuilding pretty often when compared to other equivalent brands.

The Dakar machines are factory built and maintained for a purpose. As are competitors of other brands. Infinite back-up, infinite resources, infinite tech, and infinite frequency of rebuild/replace/maintain. You cannot extrapolate to regular day-to-day street use of a privateer.

No one of course denies their racing cred, the fun factor, and the edgy styling.

[nitro.1000bhp]

Are there other colour options??... am nearing thirty and cant be seen riding an orange bike...anybody ?

Note from the Team-BHP Support : Please avoid typing with excessive dots.........like................this. Thanks

[hillram]

Somehow KTMs never impressed me.I walk on the Avenue de Champs Elysee in Paris frequently and literally every motorcycle manufacturer has a show room on this famous avenue, except KTM !!!