Motorcycle KTM Duke (KTM Duke) 125

In Europe, where a motorcycle is simply a means of transportation, the spectacular KTM 125 Duke was expectedly at home. But in Russia... In our octopuses, they cause cramps in the stomach and melancholy in the eyes. Yes, they buy them and even drive them. A striking example of this is the 125 cc Yamaha YBR125, the star of motorcycle schools. But for the majority, it is not even the first step into the world of motorcycles, but a rug for wiping their feet in front of the door. Which needs to be sold quickly and forgotten like a bad dream.

After all, you won’t feel like a real biker on an octagon: real boys ride real motorcycles, which means they have at least a half-liter engine. With such a mentality, the 125th KTM in Russia would seem to be doomed. The premiere of the motorcycle really went smoothly for us. And then the market suddenly exploded: everyone rushed to buy the “little Duke”...

And all because the KTM designers fired a salvo from the main gun, making an octagon in the dimensions of its older brothers. You can’t immediately recognize the youngest in the new product, except that the tail is shorter. And its tires are atypically wide for a 125 cc bike - measuring 110/70ZR17 at the front and 150/60ZR17 at the rear. But usually, on a mini-sportbike, it’s the narrow “donuts” that catch your eye first of all - and they give away its true capabilities and, most importantly, its price.

The rest matches the wheels: a rigid “birdcage” frame, an impressive rear suspension swingarm with massive stiffening ribs. And the monoshock absorber and front fork produced by the famous WP with a 43 mm diameter of stays and a 160 mm stroke cannot be found on many much more serious bikes! Finally, before the pilot’s eyes is an excellent instrument panel with a huge LCD display. In general, the Austrians did not spare cartridges.

I had no doubt that all these ribs and forks would work well. But will the motor cope? How will his 15 horses carry 124 kg of iron and plastic plus 80 kilos of my living flesh? Of course, I understood that KTM’s signature slogan is Ready To Race! – is applicable here only in the sense that the engine design is rooted in the 250SX-F combat unit. From him, “little Duke” inherited a passion for revving up to 10,000 rpm, but at the bottom the 125 cc engine pulls as expectedly sluggishly.

In the middle and at high speeds things are better, but still not enough to moan with pleasure and turn up the heat even more. At every traffic light I had to fight hard with car drivers, and they always beat me by reaching 70-80 km/h. It never occurred to them that my top speed is only 120 km/h, and in order to get a hundred, I squeeze all the juice out of the engine...

BRAKES

As in adults - with radial bracket fastening

Very quickly I realized that the KTM 125 Duke forces those sitting in the saddle to push their own racing ambitions to hell. The device is absolutely not for speed racers, and in the vastness of the Moscow Ring Road it is downright boring. And sometimes it’s just scary in the left lanes... But cork slalom is his strong point. This is where you can get a lot of fun from aerobatics!

It is narrow, which means it will fit into any crevice between the rows. It is tall, and you don’t need to climb onto the roof of a trolleybus to scout out the traffic situation. It is bright and modern, and therefore car enthusiasts miss it as an expensive foreign car. It is comfortable, which means you can drive as much as you like. And 15 hp, as it turned out, during aerobatics is quite enough even for some stunt riding stuff.

Model history

In 1934, a small workshop for repairing bicycles and mopeds was formed in Austria. In a couple of years, it grew and began to make its own equipment. In 1954, it received the familiar name “KTM” and became one of the powerful manufacturers of motorcycle equipment in Europe. Since 1965, the company began to gradually reduce its production of bicycles and mopeds, focusing only on sports motorcycles. Until the 1980s, KTM produced copies only for participation in various races (including the Dakar Rally). Since 1983, mass production of civilian versions of KTM sports motorcycles began.

The 125cc model was developed back in 1955. Since then, it has been modified more than once, and each version has invariably been recognized as the best in its class. In 1981, the air cooling system was replaced with a liquid one. Since 1986, KTM bikes have received both front and rear disc brakes. Since 1987, models with a single-cylinder four-stroke engine with an overhead camshaft began to be supplied.

In 2005, the Austrian motorcycle manufacturer entered the post-Soviet market. KTM Duke 125 motorcycles immediately became favorites of Russian and Ukrainian motorcycle enthusiasts. For 15 years now, the model has been considered the best-selling model in the category of naked bikes – sports motorcycles adapted for city roads. In its familiar form (with the current design and internal contents) DUK 125 has been produced since 2011.

Specifications

Engine

The 125 cc engine is quite powerful for its class. The thrust steadily increases up to 6000 rpm, and does it faster than most 150 and 200 cc analogues. The maximum limit is 10,500 rpm. After this, the engine, of course, begins to run out of steam, but this is not scary - such indicators are quite enough for driving around the city.

What’s nice is that in hot weather and when driving in traffic jams, the fan on the cooling radiator turns on regularly, completely protecting the motorcycle from overheating. In addition, the engine’s moderation in fuel consumption is pleasing - few sportbikes can boast of a modest appetite (eats no more than 2.5-3 liters per 100 km in the city).

Brake system

The standard braking system is good and comfortable - the motorcycle is equipped with Bybre “economy class” with radial mounting of the caliper (manufactured by the Indian company Brembo, which is a subsidiary of KTM). What will be important for many beginners is that there is a modification with ABS (a system that protects against half of the falls associated with errors when stopping the bike by an inexperienced pilot).

Frame

The steel frame is made of the “birdcage” type, which is typical for all sportbikes. It is not based on a beam, but on arcs of steel pipes welded together into a triangle. This design allows for increased rigidity. Aluminum sidewalls are connected to the base, thanks to which the overall weight of the KTM Duke 125 has been reduced.

Suspension

Manufacturers did not skimp on the suspension: the KTM Duke 125 uses the same design as on more powerful sports motorcycles intended for racing and off-road. This naked bike model handles all slight unevenness silently and gently. Of course, you shouldn’t drive it through forests and fields (that’s not what this motorcycle was made for), but speed bumps and other city “surprises” fly smoothly even at maximum speed (110 km/h).

Transmission

The KTM 125 DUK uses an electro-hydraulic system that changes gears in a 6-speed gearbox with cam clutches. The design also includes two multi-disc clutches. The transmission has an AT (automatic) mode, but switching can also be done manually using two buttons on the left steering wheel control panel.

Transmission parts are supplied from the Polish plant Zestaw Napędowy. What is important is that the shafts are firmly seated and the gears are precisely ground. This slightly increases the cost of the design, but increases the service life even with intensive use of the equipment.

Chassis

When it comes to handling, the KTM Duke 125 is the perfect pet. He is very receptive to the orders of his owner, obediently making the necessary turns even at the slightest tilt of the body. Stability is ensured by wide wheels (110s in the front and 150s in the rear).

Modifications

In addition to the standard version of the KTM 125 Duke, there are modifications of the bike on sale:

• DUKE KTM RC 125 – produced since 2014. As a result of tuning, the wheelbase was reduced, and the frame became stiffer and changed its configuration for a more sporty stance. The front fork travel was changed from 150 to 125 mm, which ensured a more sensitive response of the bike to the rider’s leanings.
• KTM Duke 125 ABS 2021. The difference is the presence of an Antilock brake system, which reduces the braking distance and reduces complete wheel locking. This helps reduce the likelihood of falling if you make a mistake while braking.
• KTM Duke 125 2021 – light restyling has been done, the model has received a more youthful and sporty color (gray-black-orange), the lines have been slightly changed (they have become more rounded). All technical specifications remain the same.

MY MOTORCYCLE

The KTM 125 Duke motorcycle is a youth small-capacity streetfighter (city bike) created by KTM as a competitor to the Yamaha YBR125 and Honda CBR125R. And the Austrian team chose the right direction. The car turned out wonderful with an interesting modern design just for beginner riders, although I would choose it for everyday driving to work, on business, or for rides!

The junior KTM 125 Duke project, which started in 2008, is the result of six months of collecting opinions. The developers interviewed 90 boys and girls from different European countries aged from 14 to 20 years old, receiving answers from them to such questions as the design of the future motorcycle, the correct position of the rider, technical characteristics. The right decision, because when the real opinion of the people is taken into account and the project is built according to preferences, you get a really good product - that’s what happened with this streetfighter. But enough of the lyrics, let's talk about the technical data of the motorcycle.

Modern 4-stroke engine, specially designed for the KTM Duke 125, with a complex DOHC design, 2 camshafts in the cylinder head and liquid cooling, four-valve cylinder head, electronically controlled fuel injection system, mmmax. power: 11 kW/15 hp. And all this happiness is not from some liter monster!!! On the move, the 125 Duke also feels like a bike with a larger engine. To unlock the full potential of the 125 cc engine, it needs to be revved well, up to 8,000-10,000 rpm. But already from 6000 rpm the engine demonstrates its lively character. The new Austrian-Indian power unit is comparable to the best representatives of the 125 cc class.

The chassis of the 125 is ideologically the same as that of the older K models, in which they left more space, a spatial light-alloy pendulum - thanks to this, the guys left themselves the opportunity to expand the line of motorcycles in the small-capacity segment by installing more powerful engines in this chassis!

A 43 mm WP inverted fork is installed at the front (by the way, the diameter of the rods is similar to the front suspension of the Yamaha R1). The brakes here, unlike other KTMs, are not Brembo, but with the ByBre logo on the calipers: 4-piston radial at the front and 1-piston at the rear. Tires measuring 110/70 R17 at the front and 150/60 R17 at the rear are mounted on alloy wheels. In terms of size and equipment, the KTM 125 Duke is almost in no way inferior to large motorcycles.

as they wrote in the review of the KTM 125 Duke motorcycle, it is a thunderstorm in the urban jungle, in which it feels very comfortable, including thanks to the excellent performance of the gearbox and the soft, informative clutch. But even on winding country roads the motorcycle performs well. It grips the asphalt tenaciously, does not float in turns, allowing you to ride on aggressive slopes, almost like on a sportbike, which young people really like.

The KTM 125 Duke handles like a big adult motorcycle, although it weighs only 124 kg. The handlebar-saddle-pegs triangle is designed for riders of normal height, and not just teenagers and short girls, as is often the case with 125s. The front brake with a 4-piston caliper looks better than it works: it lacks information content, which cannot be said about braking power.

To summarize, the KTM 125 Duke motorcycle is an excellent option for beginner riders and is also great for everyday driving around the city. Moreover, judging by its characteristics, it cannot be denied dynamics for this segment of motorcycles.

The information is not advertising in nature and is collected from various Internet sources:

moto.infocar.ua, bikemagazine.com.ua, www.zr.ru.