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Here are some frequently asked questions and answers;
Are KTM Dukes good town / city bikes ? refer to the ROAD TESTS for full breakdown ° Do the KTM Dukes have electric start ? Except for the very 1st model (Duke I, mark 1) all the Dukes I + II have Electric Start and also kick starter. ° Is the KTM Duke as fast a 600cc 4 cylinder sports ? No - Not in outright top speed. But 0-60mph (100kmh) in 4.1 seconds ensures lots of fun and doing 90mph on a Duke feels like 150 on a Jap super sports. Think about that for a moment. The single cylinder power delivery is very strong, potent and gives instant torque and power output. Overall, the Duke is more fun than super sports due to its lightweight, fantastic handling and superb suspension and brakes. Do not compare the KTMs LC4 engine to similar spec (On paper) Jap single cylinder engines. Whereas they can be decribed as a breath of fresh air - the LC4 is a fire-breathing monster ! ° Is the Duke expensive to maintain Not really. In fact servicing and maintaining the KTM is relatively simple and cheap. ° What about petrol consumption The Duke II gives 45mpg (i.e. 16 kms per 1 liter ) under HARD very aggressive acceleration riding / use and gives 55-58mpg under medium power acceleration riding. I've never ridden it on slow power use for too long so have no idea if that gives even better efficiency ! ° How reliable or not are these KTMs Good to very good. Apart from some earlier minor problems, such as blown light bulbs, the Dukes are very reliable in stock form. The motors are strong enough to be totally race tuned and bored out if required. Component quality is top of the line, and overall build quality is higher than other manufacturers. ° Are they good motorway bikes ? No. Not at all. These bikes are made for fun and can also be used for short range tours BUT only if you travel on country roads etc - Long, straight roads will get very boring and tiring, and constant revs are a real vibration problem. If you do have to use motorways you will very quickly begin to hate the bike. ° Are they good fun bikes ? :o) Yes - totally ! ° Duke 1 or Duke 2 - which is better ? Duke 2 is more powerful, with even stronger (43mm) forks and has BBS non-spoked wheels, also has locking petrol cap and seat and very strong projector beam lights. Also - it uses a MIKUNI carb which gives a better power output AND is much smoother at lower revs than previous models. ° What Colors do they come in ? various - updated yearly by KTM. ° Are they comfortable ? Yes, surprisingly so. Sure, the seat is no armchair, but it is comfortable enough for 60 - 100 miles at a time and is long so you can move around on it for stretching etc.. ° How far can it go on 1 tank of petrol ? Duke IIs will do 100-110 miles (160-175 kms) before they need reserve. So about a total of 135 miles per tank. ° How good is the suspension Better than practically any other production motorcycle currently available. In other words, good, very very good. It can make rough bumpy roads "almost" feel like smooth tarmac ! Also, the suspension is fully adjustable front and back. ° Any suspension setup tips ? For a 80 kgs rider, try; Forks: compression: 10 clicks away from minimum / rebound: 14 clicks away from minimum rear shock: compression: on no.3 / rebound: 2 clicks away from minimum ° Do the Dukes vibrate a lot ? Yes and No. Although all large single cylinder engines will vibrate, the LC4 engine is suprisingly smooth and the vibration can only really be felt through the handlebars, and even then, its quite a lumpy buzz, so you don't get that high frequency 'tingle' that affects most 4 cylinder engines and makes your hands go numb. But it's jerky below 3,000rpm - as are most singles ! ° I've owned a lot of bikes and have always got bored with them after sometime - should I consider a KTM Duke ? Indeed you should ! I know of a few superb riders who own Dukes and they always say, that this is one bike that you cannot take for granted or get bored with. Why so ? Perhaps the fact that you will never really find the limits of the bike on the road and also the fact that every movement from your body is instantly obeyed - make this one totally involving motorcycle. A lot of KTM Duke owners also seen to own Ducati 916s. The Ducatis are used on the race tracks and the KTMs are used on the roads |
