2017 KTM 250 Duke review, road test

The 250 Duke tries to bridge the gap between the 200 and the 390.

Published on Apr 27, 2017 11:50:00 AM

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Nicknamed the ‘Spawn of the Beast’, the 250 Duke looks like a smaller version of the 1290 Super Duke, the ‘Beast’ in question. Full of sharp lines and angles, the motorcycle looks fresh without sacrificing on the elements that make a Duke, well, a Duke. Up front, you have a single-unit headlamp (unlike the 390 and the 1290’s split units) framed by inverted devil’s horn DRLs. Crowning it is the same digital instrument cluster as seen on the earlier Dukes and RCs. As you move into profile, you have the all-new, 13.5-litre steel tank that is contoured to provide better knee grip to riders. The tank sits on a black, exposed, steel-tube trellis frame that has been modified slightly. Bolted on to this frame is a bright orange subframe which is also all new. KTM claims, this new frame centres the weight better. The seats are also new and the seating geometry has been changed by altering the seating position and the position of the foot pegs. The 250 Duke sports an underbelly pan different from the 200’s – it is simpler and less conspicuous.

The exhaust pipe is side-mounted on the 250 Duke, unlike on the 200. It moves along the left flank of the bike, dipping groundwards into the first-stage chamber, and finishing off in a side-mounted silencer.

The 250 Duke is a very attractive bike on the whole. At 2,009mm in length, it is compact – which will come in handy when navigating the urban sprawl – but still distinctive enough to catch the attention of bystanders and passersby. The 250 Duke will be available in two paint schemes – electric orange and white. From the panels, only the two side tank ones and the front mudguard receive the different colour treatment.

The 250 Duke gets the same suspension setup as the 200 – upside-down 43mm forks up front and a swingarm-mounted monoshock round the back, both developed by WP. The front forks, though, offer only 142mm of travel, compared with the 200’s 150mm, and feature an open-cartridge setup. Stopping power is provided by a 300mm disc up front, bitted by a four-piston radial fixed caliper developed by Bybre, and a 230mm disc round the back, chomped on by a single-piston floating caliper. The 250 Duke, interestingly, also gets a slipper clutch.

The 250 Duke rides on the same MRF Revz-C1 tyres as the 200 – a 110/70 R17 tyre in the front and a 150/60 R17 tyre at the back.