KTM Duke 160 First Ride Review: Does It Live Up To The Family Legacy?

When KTM first stormed into India, it didn't just launch a motorcycle – it unleashed a revolution. The Duke single-handedly redefined performance motorcycling, pairing a potent engine with a lightweight chassis that was nothing short of exhilarating.

Now, for 2025, KTM is bringing that same ‘Ready to Race’ ethos to the fiercely contested 160cc segment with the all-new Duke 160. It replaces the Duke 125 as the family's entry point. Interestingly, it’s not just the most powerful 160cc machine on paper but also, according to KTM, has been tuned to be even more aggressive than its own 200cc sibling. The question, however, is – does it have what it takes to become the new segment benchmark in terms of performance? Let's find out.

KTM Duke 160 First Ride Review: Design and Features

At first glance, the Duke 160 is unmistakably part of the family, with the sharp, aggressive Gen-2 silhouette we’ve come to expect. The edgy lines, sculpted tank, and athletic stance all scream performance. Yet subtle differences set it apart. The rear tyre is a slimmer 140/60-section radial (down from the 150-section on the Duke 200) mounted on new five-spoke ‘bionic’ wheels with hollow axles, borrowed from the RC range. This revision was necessary to accommodate a massive 320mm front brake disc – up from 300mm on the 200 Duke and significantly larger than the 282mm unit on its main rival – the Yamaha MT-15. 

But the real headline here is weight. KTM’s engineers have managed to shed a full 12kgs compared to the 200 Duke – not through one big change, but a series of meticulous optimisations. The trellis frame, while structurally similar, now uses thinner tubing. The 37mm WP Apex front forks are lighter, thanks to slimmer outer tubes. Further weight savings come from cast pillion footpegs, a narrower rear tyre, and even redesigned grab handles. In short, the bike has been put on a deliberate diet, aimed at sharpening its core character.

In terms of features, it’s a mixed bag. It comes with essentials like an LED headlamp and switchable dual-channel ABS, with the rear channel disengageable for some good old-fashioned sliding. The instrument console, however, is a step back. Borrowed from the older Dukes, the LCD unit is feature-packed but frustratingly hard to read – even on cloudy days, the dot-matrix font is difficult to read at a glance. The microswitch cube, borrowed from Gen-3 Dukes, makes navigating menus a breeze, but you’ll still have to quint to see information on the screen. You can also get Bluetooth connectivity with turn-by-turn navigation and call alerts, but only as an optional extra.

KTM Duke 160 First Ride Review: Performance and Handling

Thumb the starter, and the 165cc liquid-cooled SOHC engine fires up with that familiar KTM growl. Out on the road, it shows another classic KTM trait: hesitation off the line. Compared to the Yamaha MT-15’s punchy VVA motor or the rev-happy DOHC character of the Duke 200, the 160 feels a touch lazier down low. Instead, it prefers to build its power, waking up with a satisfying surge higher in the rev range. KTM quotes a 0 – 60 km/h time of 4.5 seconds, but from the saddle, it feels a little less urgent than the numbers suggest.

Its real highlight, though, is its incredible tractability. A lighter flywheel helps the engine rev up quickly, while the standard slipper clutch makes shifts slick and smooth and keeps downshifts neatly rev-matched. The motor is flexible enough to pull cleanly from low RPM, even in higher gears – you can sit in fourth at 4,000rpm and cruise anywhere between 40 – 80 km/h without a hint of stress. That makes it surprisingly versatile and well-mannered for daily city use.

Now, the engine does run hot, and the radiator fan kicks in every 5 – 10 minutes in traffic. This, despite a radiator that’s 49% larger than its rivals’, suggests thermal management still isn’t perfect. Even so, the Duke 160 remains a decently quick, entertaining package.

If the engine is the heart, then handling is the soul, and this is where the Duke 160 truly shines. The front USD forks, carried over from the 200 Duke, are now shorter, while a sharper rake angle makes the bike noticeably more agile. Combined with strategic weight savings, all this results in a machine that feels light on its feet and effortlessly flickable in city traffic. It’s a great little sporty runabout that dives into corners with real eagerness. Grip comes from MRF RevZ radials, and even with the slimmer 140-section rear tyre, traction and composure never feel compromised – the bike always feels planted and confident.

Comfort is another pleasant surprise. Though it shares suspension components with its siblings, the Duke 160 enjoys added travel compared to its rivals – 8mm more at the front and a significant 47mm more at the rear. This, I think, has given it a much better bump absorption capabilities, making it surprisingly compliant over broken city roads.

So, Is It Worthy of the Duke Name?

Yes, it definitely is. It delivers on its promise of being an unapologetically sharp and exciting motorcycle for young enthusiasts, with a potent engine, agile handling, and an aggressive design to match. However, it’s not without its flaws. The LCD screen’s poor readability is a notable issue, and at Rs 1.85 lakh (ex-showroom), the price seems a bit steep. KTM has positioned it uncomfortably close to its own sibling – the Duke 200, which costs around Rs 2.07 lakh. For an extra Rs 22,000, you get more features and more power. On the other hand, the Yamaha MT-15 delivers similar levels of performance and is offered at Rs 23,000 less.

So, who is this for? I’d say newcomers seeking a motorcycle that’s thrilling, packed with premium hardware and capable of honing their skills for bigger, faster machines. If that’s you, the Duke 160 is perhaps the best teacher in the segment. What it lacks in outright value, it makes up for in sheer fun and proves that the essence of a Duke has never been about displacement, but about the excitement it offers in every single ride.