KTM Duke 125 Review (2011)
What Is It?
The KTM Duke 125 is a premium learner friendly naked bike and is powered by a liquid cooled 124.7 cc single cylinder four stroke engine, producing 15 bhp at 10,500 rpm and maximum torque at 8,500 rpm.
Specs
- Seat Height: Average (800 mm / 31.5 inches)
- Dry Weight: Light (127 kg / 280 lbs)
- Economy: Very good (85 mpg / 3.3 l/100km / 30.1 km/l)
- Range: High (200 miles / 322 km)
- Top Speed: Average (70 mph / 113 km/h)
Pros
- Useful dash
- Handling
- Comfort
- Brakes
- Stylish
- Power
Cons
- Build quality
- Suspension
- Tyres
What Is It Like?
Choosing The Duke
The KTM Duke 125 is my first motorcycle. After looking around at various bikes it was the one that looked like a big bike and as a new rider gave me ABS.
A selling point was the advice and time I got from my KTM dealer Jim Aim Racing in Braintree. These guys advised me the best was to get into riding, what to expect, motorcycle maintenance and great first time rider advice (along with a great finance plan).
Economy
I've had the Duke 125 for 18 months and for most of that I was riding it on my CBT. The bike boasts a massive 15bhp which puts it right on the CBT limit and is higher than its competitors. I used the bike all year round for commuting and it happily returned 90+ mpg with occasionally getting into 100mpg.
Tyres
Fairly quickly I changed the tyres out for Pirelli Diablo 2's as I split my rear on something. It's a brilliant tyre in the Summer but not the most complimenting in the cold or wet.
Speed
The bike is at home and will comfortably sit at at 50mph, it's great fun on the country roads and the bike will manage 70mph but not much more. This was a good introduction to riding and encourages me to trade up to the Duke 390.
Mods
- Aluminium hand guards
- Rear seat cowling (adds more storage, great for a disk lock)
- Pirelli tyres
What's Good
- Handling
- Economy and running costs
- Looks
What's Less Good
- Head winds (noticeable with 15bhp)
- Occasionally cut out when approaching junctions
- A few false neutrals
- Aaron M, 2018
Price Guide
Related Bikes
KTM Duke 125 (2017 On) - Upgrade with TFT dash, LED headlight and refined engine.
Add Your Review
Do you own this bike? We would love to hear anything good, bad, unexpected or that you have changed plus anything that a prospective new owner might find interesting or useful.
More Info
Check out this video review from CagerOnTwoWheels.