2023 KTM 125 Duke Spied, Looks Similar To Next-Gen 390 Duke

The updates on the 2023 baby Duke are comprehensive and are in line with the next-gen Duke family

Features a tweaked trellis frame, new subframe and swingarm. Engine casing looks different too. Unveil expected by late 2022.

It’s been a long time coming for the small-capacity KTM Duke family to be updated. After sighting the next-gen KTM 390 Duke, now, the 2023 KTM 125 Duke has been spotted testing. It features several elements from its bigger brother, the 390 Duke. Here’s a full lowdown:

A closer look at the test mule reveals a tweaked trellis frame with a different bracket for the engine. The 125cc single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine features different engine casing, and the position of the catalytic converter has also been tweaked a bit. 

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You can see the current-gen Duke behind, and it looks like KTM is benchmarking the bike with its predecessor. Though the updated powerplant could make the same 14.95PS, 12Nm as before, we expect it to be tuned better. The current baby-Duke is a little too peaky, so expect the upcoming iteration’s power band  to be a little more usable. The rear subframe looks similar to the one in the next-gen 390 Duke, and even the current swingarm seems to have been replaced with an updated design. 

The wheels and disc rotors appear to be carried over from the 2022 KTM RC 200 and RC 390 range. The test mule comes with a WP inverted fork, and an offset rear monoshock, just like the upcoming 390 Duke. The body panels look a lot sleeker, and the fuel tank extensions protrude even further than before. 

All in all, the KTM 125 Duke is already one of the highest selling learners’ bikes in Europe, and the updates in the upcoming iteration should make it even more wholesome. That said, its launch is still some time away. We expect KTM to unveil the small-capacity naked earliest by end of the year, and it could command a price tag of around Rs 1.80 lakh (ex-showroom). It will go up against the Yamaha MT125, Suzuki GSX-S125 and Honda CB125R. 

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