In a significant development for the Indian motorcycling community, Bajaj Auto has confirmed plans to launch the KTM 890 Duke and Adventure bikes in India this year. This announcement was made by Rakesh Sharma, Executive Director, Bajaj Auto, during an investor’s call.
This marks the first time the company has publicly discussed bringing KTM’s big bikes to India. However, this is not the first time that bigger KTM motorcycles will be sold in India. The company had previously sold the 790 Duke in 2019, but it was discontinued when the BS6 emission norms were introduced and was never updated to the new norms. However, it seems the brand is ready to make a serious entry into the big bike segment. Which means the newer big bikes from KTM will soon be available in India.
While the company has not specified which KTM bikes they plan to launch, it is believed that the 890cc range, including the 890 Duke and the 890 Adventure, will be introduced. The RC 8C, a limited-edition model, is unlikely to be launched in India.
All motorcycles above 700cc must be E20-compliant, meaning they must run on a blend of 80% petrol and 20% ethanol. While some brands like Honda and Suzuki have managed to develop their big bike engines to meet these norms, a few European brands have yet to do this. It appears that Bajaj is likely to get their big KTM bikes certified sometime this year.
The new big bikes will initially be launched only in a few cities. KTM India is not looking to expand to Tier 2 and 3 cities for now. This strategy indicates a shift away from reaching smaller cities, at least for the time being.
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