[apramey]

Hello all,

After searching through different threads on this forum and couldn't find one on the new 2024 Duke 250, I decided to start a new topic.

So basically I recently finished my studies, got a job and managed to finally save up to buy a new motorcycle. Since I am coming from a 2005 Honda Unicorn(Yes, the one with spoke wheels), I understand that naturally anything that I buy today will be a big upgrade. I will still try as much as possible to keep my ride impressions as unbiased as possible.

A little bit of background:

I am commuting right now with a Honda Unicorn that has done 71k km till now. Its registration is going to expire next year, for good. Hence I have decided to buy a new motorcycle. I had taken test rides of mainly 3 motorcycles. The 2024 Duke 390 and 250 and the interceptor 650.

Around Jan 2024:

'24 Duke 390:

I took a good 20km test ride from my home to workplace. It was very good, lot of usable power, don't have to keep it always at 9000rpm. The sound was good with a throaty tone, nothing spectacular. The fit and finish and the general workmanship all around the boke was very good. The quickshifter was flawless really after comparing it to the D250's quickshifter in my mind. No false neutrals, no jerks, even after trying to make it think I'm shifting. There were 2 things I didn't like about this bike. One was the heat I had to endure with, and second one was the vibrations at lower end and lower midrange(Will come to this later again). The bump and pothole handling was really good as well.

'24 Duke 250:

This was the second bike I took a test ride of, and this was not a long one, it was around 4-5km long. The differences I could immediately notice was how calm this thing was. It has got good amount of power, good handling in bumpy and potholey(I don't know if that's a valid adjective) roads. Another big difference was how refined and smooth the ride was. There were absolutely no vibrations whatsoever between 2200 and all the way upto 8000rpm. The finishing and the workmanship was also really good as expected from ktm.

A really sad thing to see in the Duke 250 was that the quickshifter was way too sensitive and would cut throttle even if my foot lifted the toe shifter by 2mm. I hope it was just an issue with the test ride vehicle.

I had test ridden other bikes as well. The jawa 42 bobber, roadster, both of which I didn't like because the finishing levels were not good at all and the exhausts were not the same distance from the center(you can call it OCD, I don't mind )


Fast forward 5 months:

I was still in a dilemma about what to do, and this time I had to take a decision. So I took my fiancé for the test ride with me to see how good the pillion comfort is for her.

Duke 390 - I went on a short ride, but sadly I had to listen to a lot of complaints about all the vibrations in the footpegs. I clearly understood that d390 is not for me as it needs to be kept in the 6k + rpm band for a relatively smoother ride.

Duke 250 - The second short ride was also very smooth, and those big piston forks could sink all the bumps like a champ. My pillion rider also felt the rear seat comfort to be drastically better owing to significantly less vibrations.

My fiancé had a misconception that pillion comfort will be terrible in naked streetfighters because "the pillion sits on the first floor". That got cleared out as well. She is 5'4" and she was very comfy with both the Dukes as far as seating posture is concerned.

Interceptor 650:
I was not able to get a test drive of interceptor for almost 2 months. On 4 separate visits the test drive was not available and I was told variety of reasons, starting from no fuel, bike is in service, long test drive is not allowed, and we can take for a maximum of 2km, etc.

I finally managed to get a test drive after making the showroom people understand that I'm serious about buying a bike. Here are my observations. First thing that was immediately noticeable was that the 2022 int 650 that I got for the test drive had some kind of bad head bearing issue and it was struggling to turn. Other than that my immediate observation was, the gearing was really tall, causing 1st and 2nd gear to be used mostly with half clutch. This would make the city commutes very uncomfortable. The exhaust tone was vastly superior to both the Dukes thanks to the twin cylinder engine. The problems i encountered with the interceptor was the narrow firm seat, a lot of heat, and a very soft suspension that used to bottom out on the smallest bumps.

The general workmanship levels too on the interceptor are not good. If you try to work on them, there are bolts with sharp edges left sharp in all the places. This felt like a not so premium thing when I'm spending 4+L on a 2 wheeler mainly for city commutes. I felt the interceptor would make a really awesome urban tourer if that is what someone is going for.

After much discussions with my fiancé I have gone ahead and booked the new Duke 250 in blue colour.

I had also considered Aprilia rs457 and ultraviolet te f77 mach 2. But sadly their dealerships are not there in my city. This meant at least a 4-5 hour (8-9h both ways) travel for sales and service which was a letdown for me.

I didn't consider the triumph speed 400 because although I liked the looks of the bike, I read way too many instances of the triumph service centers providing the absolutely mediocre and disgusting quality of service, which I just cannot tolerate. I just didn't like the looks of the rtr310 and the hero maverick. I liked the looks of the Honda cb300r, but the sound was a heartbreaker for me.

My line of thinking was never to get a do it all bike. I wanted a good city commuter that I can maneuvre in all kinds of traffic and bad roads. I was not planning to go out of more than 30-40km outside the city if I am going on a weekend ride, for which I have my virtus GT. So I didn't consider any cruisers.

I would also like to ask for help here about how to not get scammed while buying a bike. Any links for other posts on this forum or anywhere on the internet will be very appreciated. I will keep you all updated.

[7000plusrpm]

I would suggest you to take another test ride of the CB300R, back to back after the Duke 250.

The short gearing in the CB, coupled with a light clutch is a delight to use in the city. You can ride it around in 50kph in the 5th gear and it will happily return a healthy 35kpl mileage. When you want a little fun, just drop a couple of gears and the engine will comply. The service is cheap, the 5th paid service costed me rs. 3100.

The CB300R is probably the best city bike in this price range.

Originally Posted by apramey

I would also like to ask for help here about how to not get scammed while buying a bike.

Usually the showrooms will include handling charges along with RTO charges. Try to get a detailed breakdown of all charges in the quotation. Once you get the bike, you can compare the invoice amounts and what you paid to get an idea about any extra charges that the showroom is charging.
Note down the chassis number and use a decoder to check if the bike is from a latest batch, recently manufactured. I would also suggest not to leave it in the showroom once you have paid the full amount.

[apramey]

I have some queries

1. Is the d390 TFT display compatible with the d250? Saw some guy fit it on youtube, but the ABS was not working afterwards, and there was an exclamation mark in the TFT dash. Can someone

2. Im planning to get a PPF and a Metallic blue wrap. Any particular brand recommendations you guys have got?

[V0rtex]

I suggest you take another test ride of both the Interceptor and the CB 300R. The Interceptor you tested appears to be faulty. Try renting a bike in good condition and take it for a long spin. Make sure to rent a newer bike rather than an older one.

[bharadhaaa]

Honda CB300R - Weighs around the same (146kg wet) as your Unicorn 150 and makes a little over twice the power & torque!

You also are getting a 12k discount if you are under 25 years of age, on-road comes to just under 3 lakhs. Based on the proven CBR250 motor, same bore but longer stroke + slip&assist clutch, even though the architecture is old, it's still fairly advanced but lower compression than competition so no overheating issues when crawling through peak traffic. Has a two-axis IMU for it's ABS. Best part about the CB is that It's almost 20kgs lighter than anything in it's class, including the Dukes. Lightweight material/components are usually of higher quality and cost more money, that's why this bike seems overpriced for many. This bike is nothing but absolute fun to ride, this is coming from someone who rides a souped up 1997 Yamaha RXG and who is looking forward to buy it to replace my aging RX because I get the same 2 stroke fun factor and feel along with the Honda refinement & reliability

[RD410]

For some reason, among the new LC4c engine range, the 390 is DOHC as usual but the 250 & 125 (yet to launched in India) are SOHC. Not saying SOHC is bad, but it's odd for KTM to ditch DOHC for Duke's. Bajaj has also ditched DTSi and reverted back to single spark on Dominar and most Pulsar's. So it may be part of some broader restructuring plan, who knows.

Originally Posted by bharadhaaa

Honda CB300R - Weighs around the same (146kg wet) as your Unicorn 150 and makes a little over twice the power & torque!

I get the same 2 stroke fun factor and feel along with the Honda refinement & reliability

True. Proper power to weight ratio fun is what CB300R is all about, along with Honda's reliability and durability. Honda's are so trouble free sometimes, that you may get bored by their reliability : ) Their after sales and spares support can become a headache though.

[apramey]

I didnt take a test ride of cb300r, but the sound was god awful at least for me. That is why I didn't consider that option.

[hikozaru]

Originally Posted by apramey

I didnt take a test ride of cb300r, but the sound was god awful at least for me. That is why I didn't consider that option.

I suggest riding it even if it is only for some lols. It has a very unique off throttle sound that you simply cannot hear on flybys

[t3rm1n80r]

Originally Posted by 7000plusrpm

The CB300R is probably the best city bike in this price range.

+1

I'm in love with my 300R. The weight is non-intimidating compared to my H'Ness on sand/gravel/slush. Recently upgraded the front brakepads to EBC ones and now the braking is confidence inspiring than ever before, both in wet and dry conditions.

[100Kmphormore]

I would have recommended the CB300R, but then with Hondas quality of service declining these days, would ask you to proceed with the D250, if you really do not want the D390.

In my opinion, you might outgrow the D250 in 6 months and will long for a more powerful, smile inducing bike. Engine heat and vibration is something that you will get accustomed to as well, I found it very less compared to my BS4 390. I too was a newcomer to KTMs like you and rode the 2023 200, 250 and 390 before I finalized my preowned 390 when I wanted the rawness of it rather than the smooth BS6. With adjustable suspension and an extremely smooth bidirectional quickshifter solving shortcomings of a stiff suspension and frequent gear shifts, the 390 I would suggest to go for. Just make sure you ride with jeans and boots always.

[iceguy101]

How is no one recommending the CB300F? My brother, this is the bike that fits your requirement PERFECTLY. A city bike with comfortable seating, a fuel economy of 30+ kmpl (combined) while still maintaining the big bike feel. And the best part? It has low end torque FOR DAYS. One twist of the throttle and you're ahead. I've had mine for over 1.5 years, and I love the bike. My usage is 80% city, 20% highway. I've driven it at 20kmph in the city in 4th gear, and it did not stall. I've also driven it at 130+ kmph (private road *cough cough*) and it's got that pull.

It even has a deep grunt that's a little more pleasing to my ears than the Duke (personal opinion).

However, my FAVOURITE part about the bike is that it is a low compression motor with no liquid cooling, which means that heating is never a problem.

I'm really happy with mind. I'd suggest you take a test drive. For 2.10L onroad, it's a bargain.

[yatesh.92]

I was in somewhat similar boat as yours few months ago so hopefully my post should definitely help. After owning a Unicorn Dazzler Red for close to 8 years, I bid farewell to it in 2019. Fast forward to October - November 2023 and the itch to comeback to riding started to hit. Constant nudging from a close friend who owns 2 REs (classic 350 and Interceptor 650) and 1st gen CBZ was also to blame .

First took the test drive of CB300r. Absolutely nimble bike perfectly suited for city commutes. Gear shifts were smooth like butter and refinement was spot on even for a 10k kms ridden test ride unit. Only issue was it felt too compact for my 5'11 lean built frame. Bad reviews of the Big Wing workshop here in Pune was the final nail in the coffin. Hence Honda rejected. Then contacted an old friend who owns 3 KTM dealerships across Pune, for the Duke 390. One short test ride was enough to seal the deal. Made full payment and took the delivery on 31st December (booking done on Christmas day).

Although power delivery is linear up until 5-6k RPM, the bike begs you to rev it hard and shows it's true colours after 6k RPM. Best suited for open roads. Heat management is pretty good but during Summers in the afternoon it can get a bit uncomfortable especially if you aren't wearing jeans and shoes. Haven't got a chance to do a proper long ride as yet but take for a short ~20-25 kms ride after office whenever possible. Since I work in UK shift, traffic is relatively less when I logout around 10:30 pm hence I get a good opportunity to open the throttle. If your usage is limited to city commutes, I'd suggest you get the 250 eyes closed. It's basically the same bike as the 390 just with less power and features but still good enough for city use.