2017 KTM DUKE SPOTTED AGAIN. GETS RIDING MODES.ARE METZELERS GETTING REPLACED BY MICHELIN?
A fter the last sighting on the Mumbai-Pune Highway 2017 Duke was spotted again parked in a parking lot in Pune. It was spotted by...
After the last sighting on the Mumbai-Pune Highway 2017 Duke was spotted again parked in a parking lot in Pune. It was spotted by a member of Burn N run(a Pune based biking Club) who made a walk-around video revealing lot of details. This biggest change is on the right hand side switch-gear where the switch for High/low beam used to be. Instead now there are a set of buttons which are seen most on bikes with riding modes like rain, sport, race, etc and also bikes which have traction control, a speculation which has been going around since the 2016 Euro spec RC 390 featured a ride by wire. Now we can’t confirm which one of the two will be featured on the Duke but we are sure either of them will be a big feature and will make it great package. Presence of Traction Control would definitely help quite a lot as due to the kind of power delivery and gearing the current 390 siblings have the rear is prone to sliding, especially during mid corner throttle inputs and even while exiting a corner. A traction control would not only help in keeping the bike in control but also help in posting better lap timings. On the other hand different riding modes would help in belting the power to the road in a controlled manner and according to the situations faced by the rider.
Another noticeable change since the last sighting is the Michelin Pilot street radial tyres. Is it possible that Metzeler Sportec M5 are being replaced by Michelin or KTM just wants to give another option to their customers? As big as the Metzeler fan base is, many riders acknowledge the fact that it burns a hole in their pockets as their lifespan is significantly shorter compared to other tyres of the same segment and the cost of a new pair is quite high around INR 17,000 a pair. The MRF Revz though a good and cheap alternative at round INR 5500 are just no-where in the same league as Metzeler. Michelin being both better in grip than MRF and cheaper than Metzeler at around INR 10500 seem like a good option, though, even Michelin doesn't come close to Metzeler's anchorage, but provide better grip than MRF and last much longer than the Metzeler. Well,what’s going on in KTM’s mind is something we’ll hopefully find out at EICMA, Milan Auto show this year in November where KTM is supposed to showcase its upcoming products along with other manufacturers.
Rest of the changes are brand new fuel tank with sharper extensions, split-LED headlamp, what seems to be a TFT instrument cluster though it won’t be a colored one as speculated by many as we can see the glimpse of amber glowing speedo in the previous sighting video, roomier rider seat and wider pillion seat. New split tail lamp inspired from RC series and new (uglier) rear mudguard. With so many drastic changes KTM is reloading itself to create a bigger BANG in 2017 than it did with their first launch, the Duke 200, back in 2012. Well its all party for the consumers. So lets us know in the comments section what do u think about the Duke on Michelin. Also like comment and share on our Facebook page and do follow us on twitter for latest updates and our thoughts on Motorcycles and motorcycling. Stay tuned for more posts to come, until then RIDE HARD.RIDE SAFE
Ankit Williams
Der Motorrad
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