KTM, one of the leading premium European motorcycle brands in India, has upgraded its largest selling 250cc motorcycle – the KTM 250 Duke.

The updated 250 Duke now gets ride modes – Street & track; new LED headlamps; and an all-new 5-inch colour TFT display equipped with navigation and Bluetooth connectivity.

The motorcycle comes equipped with an all-new powerful LED headlamp with integrated LED pilot lights. This new LED headlamp setup enhances the motorcycle's aggressive appearance, bringing it closer in style to its larger siblings.

The new 5-inch colour TFT display, derived from the Gen-3 KTM 390 Duke, provides all the critical information at a glance. The bonded glass display is paired with a new switch cube, with 4-way menu switches that allow easy interaction with all vehicle functions - even smartphone connectivity. The connectivity functions allow riders to control the music, take incoming calls, and also provides turn-by-turn navigation when paired through the KTM My-Ride app.

The KTM 250 Duke two riding modes can be easily toggled using the TFT display. The track screen transforms the 5-inch TFT display graphics to be more race-focused, enlarging the rev counter, showing the lap-timer, selected gear display, reduces the size of the speed readout, and shows preferred rider aid settings. Lap Timer Functionality allows enthusiasts to measure lap times and in turn refine their skills and compete against their personal bests.

The motorcycle is also equipped with Quickshifter+ as standard which allows upshifts and downshifts to be performed without the need to pull the clutch lever. The main benefits include shorter shift times and a more precise and smoother ride. The load reversal impact on the rear wheel is noticeably reduced, traction is improved, and the rider can keep full grip on the handlebar. With the new TFT, Riders can now easily enable or disable the bi-directional Quickshifter+ with just a few clicks, allowing for seamless gear shifts both up and down.

With a paired Bluetooth helmet headset, the connected function allows a KTM My Ride-equipped bike to take control of the smartphone's music player for listening while riding. Using the left handlebar-mounted menu switch, the rider can toggle between tracks on a playlist or music archive and control the volume, with the information of the track displayed on the bike's TFT screen.

Supermoto ABS means disengaging the ABS braking function on the rear end of the bike is easily switchable through the TFT display. This is provided for specific purposes, such as controlled slides needed for competition or the demands of Supermoto riding.

Riders can customise their shift RPM and limit RPM using the left handlebar-mounted menu switch. After setting, the 5-inch colour TFT display transforms between a dark-themed and an orange-themed display. This adds to the overall riding experience.

Aishwarya Pissay has added one more World Championship medal to her kitty by securing third place in the 2024 FIM Bajas World Cup. With this victory, she has become the first and only Indian to win three World Championship medals in Motorsport.

The championship's eighth and final event, the challenging Dubai International Baja, took place on Sunday, marking the end of the season. The Bengaluru rider, who competed in the 450 cc and Ladies' classes, encountered technical difficulties, including problems with her navigation system in the last round, which prevented her from making it to the final classification. Notwithstanding these disappointments, she was able to solidify her position as a trailblazer in Indian motorsport by earning enough points from previous events to clinch the second runner-up spot on the Bajas World Cup standings.

With her victory in the 2019 Bajas World Cup, Pissay became the first Indian to win a World Championship in motorsport. She currently possesses three World Cup medals, which is a record in 2W motorsport. Together with co-sponsors IIFL, Micro Labs and Surana College, TVS Racing has helped to support her outstanding achievements.

Pissay said, “This rally was a true test of resilience. Unfortunately, technical issues with the navigation system on both days kept me out of the general classification, but every challenge brings a valuable lesson. Rally life often throws the unexpected at you, and this experience has only fuelled my determination to come back stronger. Despite the setbacks, I’m immensely proud to have secured 3rd place in the World Championship for India. This marks my third World Championship podium in the history of the sport, and I’m deeply grateful for the unwavering support of my team, fans, and everyone who continues to believe in me.”

Royal Enfield commissioned a new plant in Thailand to assemble its motorcycles out of CKD kits supplied from India. The facility marks the two-wheeler maker’s first such in Thailand and sixth globally. 
Located at Samut Prakan near Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, the facility – fully owned and operated by Royal Enfield – will help the two-wheeler major to cater to the home market of Thailand as well as the surrounding markets. 
Adding to the number of such facilities Royal Enfield has in Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Bangladesh and Nepal, the Thai facility is spread over an area of 57000 sq. ft and can do 30,000 units per year. 
Modern, efficient and flexible, the facility will initially cater to the home market of Thailand. It will ramp up in a phase wise manner to cater to the other markets in the region over time. 
Of the opinion that the reception from the international audience has been great as they look for motorcycles that are accessible and a unique extension of their personality, B Govindarajan, CEO, Royal Enfield, averred, “Royal Enfield has been working extensively to grow the middleweight motorcycling segment globally. We have an evocative range of motorcycles across various platforms catering to our global audiences.”
Emphasising that Royal Enfield is a truly global brand and ranks among the top mid-segment motorcycle brands in markets such as the UK, Korea, Australia-New Zealand among others, he explained, “Our strategic intent is to have an international expansion strategy of investing in markets with huge potential to grow. Thailand assembly plant caters to this vision. We thereby are bringing more and more motorcycle enthusiasts to experience the DNA of Royal Enfield - Pure Motorcycling”.
 

In the India Bike Week, 2024, that will take place in Goa on 6 and 7 December, will see the Pulsar brand of motorcycles from Bajaj Auto make a ‘Definitely Daring’ debut. This will involve a unique experience of riding on a 100 ft. long bridge on the recently introduced NS400Z that is also 24 ft. high. 
Bajaj Auto, in collaboration with Ghost Ryderz (which is claimed to be India’s number one stunt riding team), will provide participants an experience that is unique as well as ‘learning’. For the first time, the two-wheeler major is taking Ghost Ryderz to India Bike Week to provide an opportunity for the participants to stunts such as a ‘wheelie’ or ‘stoppie’ under guidance of experts and in a safe manner. 
The participants at the India Bike Week will also witness signature Pulsar Stunt Shows featuring daring performances with never-seen-before stunts. Bajaj Auto has partnered with Tiivra to offer the participants an opportunity to experience the NS400Z and the all-new N125 on a specialised fun track curated to showcase Pulsar's performance and agility.
“Over twenty-four years, we have built a strong following of ‘Pulsar Maniacs’ across India who love the bike for its daring attitude and sporty DNA. We have always found innovative ways to connect and engage with our loyal customers across India. For our debut at IBW we decided to create moments that define Pulsar’s philosophy of being ‘Definitely Daring.’ At IBW, we’re inviting enthusiasts to experience the thrill, the adrenaline, the pure joy of riding a Pulsar,” said Sumeet Narang, President, Marketing, Bajaj Auto Ltd. 
 

KTM, the world's largest and India's fastest-growing premium European brand, has announced a price cut of INR 20,000 for its KTM 250 DUKE 250 cc motorcycle in India as part of its year-end celebrations.

Featuring two ride modes, Street and Track, the motorcycle now also boasts new LED headlamp setup with integrated pilot lights and a 5-inch colour TFT display with turn-by-turn navigation and Bluetooth connectivity. Bi-directional Quickshifter now comes as standard on the KTM 250 DUKE 250 cc.

The 2024 KTM 250 DUKE will be available at INR 225,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi) instead of its original price of INR 245,000 till 31 December 2024.