5 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A Used KTM Bike

While owning a KTM bike promises to be an exciting prospect, there’s a lot you need to know before bringing a used one home

The reason riders love the concept of riding is mainly the wind in their face… er, helmet… experience coupled with the sense of freedom and sheer entertainment. And what’s better than experiencing all of this on a KTM bike? The Austrian marque introduced an insane price to performance ratio with its offerings when it debuted in India back in 2012.

However, now, with the prices of all its products inching towards the premium side of the spectrum, it isn’t a bad idea to pick up a used KTM bike, as they’re prone to rapid depreciation, and you can get yourself a good deal. That said, with this being a high-performance machine, there are a few things you have to keep in mind before bringing one home.

Before we dive into the specifics, ensure that the ownership title of the used KTM bike you’re looking at is clean and up to date with all its paperwork. Here are five tips and tricks that will help you shortlist the right bike.

Grab A Steal Deal

KTM bikes depreciate massively, and hence you would be able to capitalise on massive savings buying a used KTM bike when compared to a new bike. For instance, a five-year-old KTM 200 Duke will be priced around Rs 70,000-80,000. Although, ensure to check the service history and also have it inspected before making your decision.

Easy To Source Parts

KTM bikes have remained largely unchanged over the years and sourcing parts is hardly an issue. For example, the KTM RC 200 has remained mostly the same from 2014 to 2021. Hence, there are enough people to help you with the upkeep of the bike, be it KTM service or independent garages. 

High Performance, High Wear And Tear

There’s no doubt that KTM bikes are fast. However, the downside of this is that KTM bikes are also easily subjected to higher wear and tear. With KTM service centres being digitised since their inception, accessing service history of the bike should be relatively easy. While the engine cylinder is forged, the head gasket and piston rings can wear out quite quickly if abused and can be a big expense to fix.

Suspension Issues

While all KTM bikes get impressive hardware, like 43mm WP upside down fork and Bybre brakes, these components undergo massive abuse owing to our pothole ridden roads. As a result, the fragile suspension oil seals are prone to leakage, which is a cumbersome fix. So keep an eye out for leaky oil seals on the USD forks, and also check for scoring marks on the fork stanchions, as these are expensive parts to replace.

Safety First

The earlier examples of the smaller capacity KTMs – 200 Duke and RC 200 – were not equipped with ABS, even as an option. 2019 saw a major revamp in this area, with the smaller bikes like 125 Duke, 200 Duke, 250 Duke and RC 200 being equipped with single-channel ABS at a small premium. We'd recommend getting KTM bikes post 2019 in the interest of safety.

The above points should help you choose the right used KTM bike. And after you bring the bike home, here’s how you can transfer the ownership online.