For some riders, KTM’s Duke range is just the street-oriented side of the Austrian brand’s lineup. But for others—like me—it’s a lot more personal. Here in the Philippines, the Duke series was my first taste of European motorcycle tech. My first “real” bike was a first-generation 200 Duke, and it cost about the same as a Japanese naked bike in the same class (think the equivalent of around $3,000 USD).
That kind of affordability wasn’t by chance. Back then, Bajaj only held a minority stake in KTM, but because it handled manufacturing of the smaller Dukes in India, riders like me could actually afford one.
