KTM 125 DUKE (2011 - 2016) Review

Year: 2014

Annual servicing cost: £160

Mpg are spot on, run I had today was good, rung the neck on the wee thing, good accelerations to 60, afterwards it's a steady waiting game, had 83 out of it on the flat but it didn't like that! Can sometimes be temperamental to get above 70, been on a down hill full power and only got 72 once. (For scottish folk) I topped up at Tescos in Camelon, no motorways as L plate, through Stirling, Callander, Tyndrum, over Connel bridge, round to Glencoe then back down the other road to Tyndrum again, needed a refill at the Esso in Callander. Full route plus detours was 193 miles, plenty of over taking and darting about, only used 8.36L, so mpg is defo above 100 and that wasn't taking it easy. Took a crash very well a few weeks back, only needed new handle bar, gear lever and slight scratching on passenger grips, other than that no body damage for sliding out at 50! Reliable little bit of kit, had it 2 months and done just under 3k, commuting and pleasure, no issues at all, already ran in up to 4k by prior owner (4 years and 4k! Doesn't know what he missed out on). Only downside, sitting on it for 5 hours in a day isn't comfy!

Year: 2012

Bought for son thought this was bike to have, great when it was going but major issues with electrics very very poor brake switches broke, indicators stopped working engine management light on for no reason & bike would cut out took it for repairs computer showing no faults bump start in 3rd gear & everything good all ok for 3 days then starts again revving up on its own in traffic it was dangerous lost a lot of money the boy nearly lost his job due to being late with breakdowns never again.... private 2nd hand buy only had it 6 months had to sell as spare or repair son is gutted.

Version: White ABS

Year: 2016

Annual servicing cost: £250

Very good bike. Quick, very fun on twisty roads, comfortable, good brakes (ABS works very well), smooth clutch/gearbox and nice sitting position.

Buying experience: Got it 100£ cheaper than the list price at my dealer AMD Motorsykler in Oslo, Norway.

Year: 2014

Great learner bike that's nimble, light and easy to live with. Will easily do 200+ miles to a tank.

Buying experience: Dealer. Paid £2995 with under 300 miles on it at a year old. At the time it seemed fair.

Year: 2013

She rides nice through the traffic but the build quality just isn't good enough. My first problem was the gear lever falling off about a month after I'd bought her. I managed to pull over and limp to a garage in second. The next thing was the electrics, she kept shorting out. By the time I'd reset the clock for the umpteenth time, I gave up and accept it. The big problem came in summer. The temperature gauge had always read hot. The KTM dealer told me this wears normal and not to worry, but sure enough this was not true. One hot summer did her. One day the temperature warning light came on. I stopped and waited, then took her to my local garage. The damage was extensive and KTM didn't want to know (she was just outside the 2 year guarantee). I paid £600 for a new thermostat, new alternator and various other bits. The mechanic told me he'd spoken to a friend who worked for KTM and the word was that the thermostat was too small and couldn't cope. He recommended getting rid. I googled it and found various others who'd had the same issue, but KTM (who's customer service is legendary for being bad) told me no such issue existed. So I fixed her up, rode her for a few more months and then part exchanged her for a new Yamaha XSR700. Goodbye and good riddance. I would not recommend this KTM to anyone.

Buying experience: Inmoto in Croydon. They were okay, except that they lied about the high temperature reading right at the start.

Year: 2014

The bike is fantastic! I have now done 13000 miles on the bike and there has been no issues at all. I commute 50 miles a day on the bike along dual carriageways and she has no problems keeping up with the traffic. The ABS breaks are fantastic and they will stop on a dime. A bike really worth getting if you are on your CBT or A1. however it will still make a great little town bike if you don't need to commute that far for work.

Year: 2013

I'm a midlife (40s) convert to biking. Rather than go straight to DAS, I decided to pick up a used 125 and ride it for 6-8 months to get my skills and confidence up. The Duke was perfect. Most of all, it's tremendous fun and just whets my appetite to get into biking. The brakes gave me great confidence, even when I was instinctively using my rear brake only (and often engaging the ABS as a result), and then I was able to work on my technique and learn to rely on the front. Same for the steering and suspension. I'm sure it's very basic compared to bigger bikes (rear preload adjustment only, for instance), but every time I think I've maybe pushed it too hard going round a bend, I've been able to make it around. "78 mph in a straight line" is more than I've managed. I did get to an indicated 75 going on a steep downhill, but tops on the flat is more like 65. No matter: it's a ton of fun at lower speeds. The only reason I give it four stars is that the price is obviously quite high for a learner bike. A 17-year-old would love this if (s)he could afford it (or more likely talk the parents into it). I'm hoping to convince my teenage daughter to take it when I move up to a bigger bike; it will hook her on motorcycles for life.

Buying experience: Used bike purchase

The equipment is really good; the brakes are sharp, good suspension to keep you comfy on the crap roads, digital speedo is cool and iv'e had a lot of comments on that. The KTM duke 125 looks the bees knees and feels like a bigger bike. The low down position means you feel really in control of the bike and the clutch is so smooth. however, it is a bit on the slow side, not the accelerating (thats really good) but the top speed isn't great, don't feel too safe on dual carriageways is all but for a learner 125 and commuting to town and back I couldn't ask for much more. Also, haven't had any problems other than keeping it clean in winter due to lack of fairing and exposed parts.

It's a brilliant bike that you can throw around corners and comes with decent equipment. I got one as a learner and I've kept it for commuting as it does a bazillion miles to a tank, my weekend bike is a Ducati and the KTM feels very light in comparison but really does get a lot of attention from admirers, its a good looking 125. The only downside is that the service intervals are short and to keep your warranty you have to take it to a KTM dealer and these are not as easy to find as you would think, especially if you have to ride there on a 125 !! But I would recommend this as a brilliant looking first bike.

My experience with this bag of indian bolts hasn't been the best. Bought from new and in 3000 miles the headstock bearing went AS WELL as a warped disc!!! Next 6k miles and another warped disc... Without listing all the dates I'll just give you the list of what has gone wrong in 12,000 miles (12 months of use). Brake light microswitch faulty X5! X2 warped brake disc (Front) 3 Coolant leaks from THE SAME PLACE - Mechanics tried to patch it up first time, the pipes were not seating the other times. Headstock Bearing DO NOT GET THIS FROM GEAR4 IN MARKET DEEPING. THEY ARE OVERCHARGING COWBOYS! DO NOT GET IT AT ALL. SAVE YOUR MONEY AND BUY A RELIABLE 125 LIKE THE CBF125 OR YBR125!

I've had one of these for a few months now, and it's been excellent. I commuted to work on this which was an 80 mile a day round trip in all weathers. Handled the main roads, winding back roads and town without a problem (it will cruise comfortably at 62 miles an hour and if you floor it, will hit around 70 - 75mph) It's also quite big for a 125, so you can get used to the feel of larger bikes early on and nor will you look out of place if you're fairly tall (I'm 6ft and it fits fine). It looks great, well built with quality parts and makes a decent noise too. The price may seem excessive for a 125 but you won't have any trouble selling it on later and they hold their value extremely well. It sips at fuel and KTM also have insurance deals for getting younger riders on the road without breaking the bank. If you're looking for a simple commuter bike to get you from A to B, there are cheaper alternatives but if you want to start riding and look to get bigger bikes in future, the little KTM is probably the best place to start.

Great looking and fully loaded as are all KTMs ... BUT ... I got one a few weeks ago (May 2011) and it comes limited to 100kph (62mph) as standard, yet KTM can turn this off. You cant! Its one of those modern mapping things. I have asked my dealer (Gear 4 Market Deeping) and they have no idea when the delimiter will be available. Fine whilst it is running-in but frustrating after. KTM seem a bit NFI when asked, not really giving a stuff about the 125 LL market yet. This is not to say the bike is not very good,but Dealer to Head Office comms appear sh*t. It could be my dealer?? I would hold off buying and talk to more dealers... it may be worth the extra miles if yours is not great. Redline KTM have been more helpful.