Adventure and sports bike enthusiasts in India can look forward to powerful goodies from brands like KTM in the coming years.
The brand, which works with Bajaj in the country has confirmed that its Indian partner will be making a 500cc bike with a twin cylinder engine, that will compete against the Japanese. This was said by Stefan Pierer, CEO, KTM in an interview with Speedweek earlier this month.
KTM and Bajaj have turned out to be a successful pairing, with bikes like the Duke 200, 250, RC 390 and the Dominar 400 changing the dynamics of the mid-segment bike market in India.
What excites us the most about the upcoming 500cc bike to be made by Bajaj is its price tag, and going by they way the company has priced the Dukes and the RC 390, expect another value for money product.
Pierer believes that the 500 to 800cc bike segment has a lot of potential in emerging markets like India, and with Bajaj’s localised expertise, one can hope that the supposed Duke 500 has all the bits to stand out as another power churner for the company.
In the 500 cc class, we will bring a two-cylinder machine, which is manufactured by our partner Bajaj in India and with which we compete against the Japanese. Growth is happening in the emerging markets today, and in these emerging markets ‘premium’ is the mid-range of 500 to 800 ccStefan Pierer, CEO, KTM to Speedweek
Now, talking about the Duke 500, the bike should borrow its design elements from other Dukes, especially the Duke 790, which will be launching sometime in 2019. Trellis frame, with TFT screen and Pirelli tyres should be part of the package, for a bike that is likely to be priced around Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh. In terms of power, the Duke 500 could pack anything around 80PS, along with 74Nm of torque.
These bikes are likely to push other brands into action, with Yamaha and Honda also mooted to make wholesale changes to its stagnant mid-range segment.
Royal Enfield has already shown the way for the industry, with its first 650cc twin-cylinder engine bikes that have been priced aggressively under Rs 4 lakh in the Indian market. There’s apparently a waiting list already for the bikes.
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