KTM 125 Duke, despite two price hikes, is selling nearly two times than that of Yamaha MT-15
KTM 125 Duke once again outsold its direct rival, the Yamaha MT-15 in the month of July 2019. Not only it sold more than the MT-15 but registered nearly twice the sales of the 150cc bike. Yamaha posted a sales figure of 1400 units of its naked streetfighter, MT-15 whereas the baby Duke shattered it and when up to clock 2786 units in July 2019.
When KTM launched Duke 125 in December 2018, it was priced at Rs 1.18 lakh ex-showroom, exactly same what Duke 200 was priced at when it was introduced in India way back in 2012. But when the company saw an overwhelming response to the new product, KTM was quick to increase the price tag first by Rs 6,500 and then by Rs 5,000 just a month later. This brought the price to Rs 1.3 lakh ex-showroom and even now the bike is ringing the sales registers.
Yamaha MT-15, on the other hand, is priced at Rs 1.36 lakh ex-showroom, which in its own way is overpriced by about Rs 10,000 considering the number of components it is offering. When compared to fully faired R15 V3.0, which comes with dual-channel ABS and full fairing for a price tag of Rs 1.39 lakh ex-showroom, the MT-15 sans fairing and a single channel ABS should have been priced at Rs 1.25 lakh ex-showroom.
Also Read: KTM RC125 launched in India for Rs 1.47 lakh
With this sensible pricing in the price and brand sensitive market, Yamaha could have made some numbers for itself. In the initial days of launch, eager customers bought the MT-15 in a hurry and after that sales fell. The Japanese company managed to sell just 1400 units of MT-15 against Duke 125 which has sold double its number. R15 V3 also managed to keep its number at 5176 units despite being an uncomfortable sports bike.
It is the funky and hooligan brand image of KTM which is driving its sales in the Indian market. The youngsters who love to pose with their bikes more than riding them are the one opting for 125cc Duke. There is also a long list of people who are opting for the KTM 125 Duke as their first motorcycle. This is because Indian parents are concerned about the engine capacity owing to increasing road accidents involving powerful bikes. However, they forget a simple fact that it is the lack of skills (of a rider) and not the bike which causes these accidents.
Ride Safe, Ride Hard, and always wear a helmet while riding. Stay Tuned for more from the world of motorcycling.
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