The baby Duke has outsold the Yamaha MT-15 in the May 2019 sales, even though the Yamaha’s motorcycle has better sales numbers overall
The rivalry of two products is not something new and we see often in the Indian auto industry, especially in two-wheelers as the volumes are more. One such rivalry started in March 2019 when Yamaha launched its MT-15 and KTM launched the 125 Duke. Both the bikes were offering the same naked streetfighter high-performance deal to the buyers and it seemed like Yamaha won this race by raking up some good numbers initially.
However, KTM Duke 125 has overtaken the Yamaha MT-15 in the May 2019 sales. KTM was able to sell 2,228 units of Duke 125 in the month of May 2019 as compared of Yamaha’s 2,048 units of MT-15. In terms of overall sales since their respective launches in the Indian market, Yamaha MT-15 has racked up a total of 11,074 units since its launch in March, with a cumulative sales of 9,026 units in first two months.
On the other hand, KTM 125 Duke has got 7,496 buyers till now, with 5,268 units sold in first two months of launch. This shows how buyers are favouring the Yamaha MT-15 over the KTM Duke 125, even though the former is priced higher than the latter. To lure customers, Yamaha is offering an option of getting either a free helmet or a riding jacket, which means a further savings of at least Rs. 5000.
The reason for such a success of the Yamaha MT-15 is both its powertrain and design. The MT-15 is a 150cc motorcycle while the KTM Duke is a 125 cc motorcycle. While Yamaha MT-15 has priced at Rs 1.36 lakh, the KTM Duke 125 is priced at 1.30 lakh, only a Rs 6,000 difference.
The Yamaha MT-15 offers more power paired with VVA (Variable Valve Timing), better looks and more features compared to the 125 Duke. The KTM Duke 125, on the other hand, has a strong brand connect for aspirational riders and is the entry to the Orange band.