KTM is among the renowned bike manufacturers in the world and have it’s headquarter based in Austria. KTM are renowned for their off-road, endure and street bikes. The slogan for KTM is “Ready to Race” and this character is reflected well in its range of motorcycles.
The Austrian bike maker made their foray into the Indian market with the help of Bajaj Auto which currently hold the majority take. By joining hands with the Chakan based two-wheeler giant, KTM was able to reap the benefits of frugal engineering that Bajaj brought along. The first motorcycle to be launched by the Austria based bikemaker in India was the 200 Duke street bike.
The 200cc, single-cylinder motor was a hit among Indian buyers owing to its aggressive styling and it was the first mass market motorcycle to offer upside down works. The second motorcycle to enter India was the 390 Duke. Although styling of both the Duke offerings remained same what made the 390 Duke revolutionary was the hardware. It was equipped with a scorching motor churning out close to 43PS of power and Indian buyers had the option of buying a proper performance bike without shelling out a fortune and it boasted features like switchable ABS and Metzeler tyres. In 2014, KTM also rode in the faired duo of RC 390 and RC200 expanding its Indian portfolio to four motorcycles.