The 250cc engine on the Duke 250 and RC 250 is a trimmed version derived from the 373.2cc unit that powers the Duke 390 and RC 390 in KTM’s lineup.
The inevitable has finally happened! We were telling you since quite some time now that KTM is working on quarter-litre versions for the Duke and RC models and the Austrian manufacturer has finally unveiled the Duke 250 and RC 250 bikes in their production ready avatar at the 42nd Tokyo Motorcycle Show that commenced today, much to everyone’s surprise. Essentially derived from the Duke 390 and the RC 390, the new KTM 250 twins will be competing against the quarter-litre offerings globally including the Kawasaki Ninja 250 SL and the Z250 SL, as well as the Yamaha R25.
Retaining the aesthetics from the current models, the KTM Duke 250 and RC 250 share the same 250cc single-cylinder with Nikasil coating and fuel injection, 4-valve, DOHC engine that is a toned down version of the 373.2cc unit found on the Duke and RC 390. The new 250cc motor has been tuned to deliver 31 HP of power at 9000 RPM and 24 Nm of torque at 7250 RPM, paired to a 6-speed gearbox. The engine weighs 37.2 kgs while the bikes offer class-leading power-to-weight ratio, states the company. The bikes get the same exposed Trellis frame done up in trademark orange along with the digital instrument cluster, WP forks at the front and a monoshock suspension set-up at the rear that have been carried over from the existing KTM range.
In terms of weight, the KTM Duke 250 tips the scale at 139 kgs while the RC 250 weighs 147 kgs. With Japan being an important quarter-litre market globally, it makes sense for KTM to unveil the bikes there, but the product as you may have guessed already will be at the Bajaj facility in India. The manufacturer is yet to announce the markets where the Duke 250 and RC 250 will be sold, but we reckon, the model could replace the Duke 200 and RC 200 in certain markets like Indonesia where 250cc bikes are extremely popular due to the tax structure. KTM might offer the new 250cc twins in India as well with all the bells and whistles, the pricing and other details though still remain under wraps and could be a challenge as there is no place to put the 250cc bikes between the 200 and 390s.
Source – Moto.it