10 Big KTMs Incoming On November 14

KTM launching big bikes on November 14 has been out in the open for a while. However, the latest teaser that the brand has put out on its social media channels has given us an inkling of what to expect on this Children's Day. 

Let's start with the road-legal models, of which there are four in all. The flagship Duke – the 1390 Super Duke R – will land here on our shores. The latest gen Super Duke is just a pure chaotic hooligan that matches every level of crazy that your heart desires. It is the most powerful that the Super Duke has ever been with nearly 190 bhp on tap. While that is not nearly as powerful as the Ducati Streetfighter V4 or the BMW M 1000 R, the Super Duke has the capability to deliver that gut wrenching, up-on-one-wheel experience that one seeks from the Austrian brand.

Disappointingly though, India will only get the 890 Duke R and 890 Adventure R to begin with. The 990 version of the middleweight Duke will not arrive currently. The 890 Duke R is a generation older and has already been taken off the shelves in Europe. But still with over 119 horses on tap, it can keep up with the likes of the Triumph Street Triples and Kawasaki Z900s. And not to mention the far more sophisticated package that it offers over the old 790 Duke that used to be sold here. 

On the Adventure R, KTM has detuned the same 889 cc mill to push out only 93 bhp, which is a lot less in comparison to other sub-litre class ADVs like the Triumph Tiger 900 or the Ducati Multistrada V2. Where the KTM scores higher is with the top shelf WP Xplor suspension and a more keen intent towards the muddier stuff.

There are a load of off-roaders that KTM is going to offer, though. Right from small kid-focused 50 SX and 65 SX to 250-450 cc thoroughbreds, we shall get the whole of orange mania in India. However, expect them to be on the premium side. In fact, the 450 SX-F is a pukka motocrosser that has helped KTM win numerous World MX titles. And the 350 EXC-F, also teased, is the serious enduro bike that KTM races at hard core competitions like the Erzbergrodeo enduro event.

Even when we consider the 890s or the 1390s, we don't expect that KTM will be able to crack as sweet a deal as it has done with its India-built bikes. These are CBU products and hence the asking price might just be comparable to that of Ducatis or BMWs. Stay tuned for more details coming on November 14.