KTM has updated the styling of the 250 Duke, giving it the same full-LED headlamp that adorns the 390 Duke
KTM’s Duke series is perhaps the most successful motorcycle line-up in India, consisting of four models – 125, 200, 250, and 390. Earlier this year, the 200 Duke received a major overhaul, with styling now matching the 250 Duke (except for the underbody exhaust). To maintain a visual difference between the 200 and 250, KTM has now refreshed the styling of the latter.
The updated KTM 250 Duke will get the same full-LED headlamp cluster that the 390 Duke uses. Other than that, there seems to be no change to the motorcycle. The instrument cluster is the same LCD unit as before, and not the TFT display on the 390, to keep costs low.
The styling update doesn’t bring with it a change of graphics on the tank, and even the paint options – Dark Galvano and Silver Metallic – are the same ones that were introduced earlier this year with the BS6 update. All mechanical parts will remain unchanged, like the WP USD forks, adjustable monoshock, dual-disc brakes (320mm front and 230mm rear) with dual-channel ABS, tubeless tyres (110/70-17 front and 150/60-17 rear).
The 248.8cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine has remained unchanged as well. This motor generates a peak power and torque output of 30 PS and 24 Nm, respectively, and comes paired to a 6-speed manual gearbox. The fuel tank is a 13.5-litre unit, the same as the outgoing model.
With this minor facelift, the KTM 250 Duke is now priced at Rs. 2,09,280, an increase of Rs. 3,968 over the previous model’s price tag. The company is already criticised by fans for rolling out price updates frequently, which slowly makes the brand less accessible to buyers. At the moment, the most affordable KTM bike, the 125 Duke, also costs a whopping Rs. 1.42 lakh (all prices quoted are ex-showroom, New Delhi).
That said, the 250 Duke is the most exciting quarter-litre motorcycle in the country, and even with the price revision, it will surely catch the fancy of motorcycle enthusiasts. We expect the KTM 250 Duke facelift to go on retail in a few weeks, to rivals competitors like the Suzuki Gixxer 250, Yamaha FZ25, and the Bajaj Dominar 250.