The KTM 125 Duke is a 125 cc naked motorcycle made by KTM and its Indian partner Bajaj Auto. Designed at KTM’s Mattighofen headquarters in 2007 and built at Bajaj’s Pune works since 2011, it extended the Duke family into the small-capacity class and became one of the most popular A1-licence machines in Europe.
KTM 125 Duke at a glance
| Maker | KTM / Pierer Mobility with Bajaj Auto |
|---|---|
| Designed | 2007, Mattighofen |
| Built since | 2011, Bajaj Auto, Pune, India |
| Engine | liquid-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke |
| Bore x stroke | 58 mm x 47.2 mm |
| Valve gear | DOHC, chain-driven, four valves |
| Compression | 12.6:1 |
| Gearbox | six-speed, mechanically operated wet multi-disc clutch |
| Brakes | front four-piston radial caliper disc, rear single-piston floating caliper |
| ABS | two-channel, since 2013 |
| Suspension travel | 142 mm front, 150 mm rear |
| Tank | 11 litres, 13.4 litres from 2017 |
| Emissions | Euro 4 from 2017, Euro 5 from 2021 |
| Licence | A1 or B196 |
The 125 Duke is described only in the German Wikipedia; this page is based on that article.
History of the KTM 125 Duke
Origins and production
The 125 Duke and its larger sister, the 200 Duke, were designed in 2007 at KTM’s headquarters in Mattighofen and have been built since 2011 by the Indian KTM partner Bajaj Auto in Pune. They extended the Duke models into smaller capacities; the 250 Duke was added in September 2017. The models share identical powder-coated tubular steel frames and differ only in their engines.
Model development
In 2013 KTM was the first manufacturer in the class to fit ABS. In August 2014 the faired KTM RC 125 was presented, using the engine of the 125 Duke. The first comprehensive facelift came in 2017: the rear frame section was no longer welded but bolted, the tank grew from 11 to 13.4 litres, a TFT instrument display arrived and the machines received an LED headlight. The software of that headlight led to a recall in mid-2017 to prevent a possible failure at night. Since 2017 the Dukes meet Euro 4, and since 2021 Euro 5.
Engine and chassis
The liquid-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke of the 125 Duke has a 58 mm bore and a 47.2 mm stroke. The engine has two chain-driven overhead camshafts and four valves, and the cylinder head, valves, crankshaft, throttle body and exhaust header differ from those of the 200 Duke. The models have an electric starter and a mechanically operated multi-disc clutch running in oil. The frame is essentially the same as that of the sister 390 Duke.
Running costs and equipment
The 125 Duke emits 56 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. KTM quotes 2.4 litres per 100 km, while tests returned under 3 litres; with the larger tank from 2017 the theoretical range is about 500 km. Front and rear have disc brakes, the front a four-piston radial fixed caliper matching the 390 Duke since 2013, the rear a single-piston floating caliper; since 2013 the brake is assisted by two-channel ABS. Suspension travel is 142 mm at the front and 150 mm at the rear. The 125 Duke may be ridden on an A1 licence or with the B196 extension.
Sales in Germany
In 2012 the 125 Duke was already the market leader with 1,519 machines sold. In 2015 it was registered 2,803 times in Germany, in 2019 3,313 times and in 2020 5,334 times, which would have put it among the top three even in the statistics for all classes; only the BMW R 1250 GS sold more often in 2020. In 2021 2,970 Duke 125s were registered, while the most-registered light motorcycle that year was the Yamaha MT-125 with 3,144 examples.
Design and features
- Shared frame: the same tubular steel frame as the 390 Duke.
- ABS early: two-channel ABS from 2013, the first in its class.
- 2017 update: TFT display, LED headlight, bolted rear subframe and a 13.4-litre tank.
- Licence friendly: rideable on A1 or with the B196 car-licence extension.
KTM 125 Duke versions
- 125 Duke (2011-2016): the original with an 11-litre tank.
- 125 Duke (2017 on): TFT display, LED headlight, larger tank, Euro 4 then Euro 5.
- RC 125 (2014 on): the faired version using the same engine.
The bigger Dukes are in the KTM collection: the 200 Duke, the Duke series and the 1190 RC8.
Sources
- KTM 125 Duke, German Wikipedia: design, engine dimensions, equipment, German registrations
- KTM Duke series, English Wikipedia: place of the 125 Duke in the range
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