KTM 125 Duke And KTM RC125 To Be Discontinued In India

UPDATE: Here's what the brand says: "We would like to clarify that neither KTM nor Bajaj Auto has officially announced this news. It is a case of misinformation and is unrelated to KTM’s financial restructuring.

Quick Highlights

• The KTM 125 Duke and RC125 will be discontinued 

• Poor sales is likely to blame

• The bikes will be available until stocks last

KTM India is planning on discontinuing the KTM 125 Duke and the KTM RC 125, according to our dealership sources. The two bikes will continue to be sold until stocks last, but our dealership sources have revealed that the bikes may not be updated to comply with the upcoming OBD-2B norms effective from April 1, 2025.

One of the biggest reasons why KTM failed in the 125cc segment is because of poor sales. The manufacturer has only managed to sell 1,044 units from April 2024 to January 2025. This is a massive drop of almost 50 percent year-on-year. Even in January 2025, it sold only 17 units, which is a 92 percent drop year-on-year. This comes down to two reasons. The first being high prices and second increasing competition from rival manufacturers. The KTM 125 Duke for example is priced at Rs 1,81,030 and the KTM RC 125 is priced at Rs 1,91,795 (both ex-showroom, Delhi).

The Duke 125’s rivals like the Yamaha MT-15 is priced at Rs 1,69,050, making it Rs 11,980 more affordable. The Yamaha MT-15’s 155cc engine also offers much better performance, with a bump of 3.9PS and 2.1Nm. The KTM RC125 on the other hand is priced Rs 10,395 over the Hero Karizma XMR 210 which comes at an ex-showroom Delhi price of Rs 1,81,400. The Karzima offers a bump of 11PS and 8.4Nm. Overall, the competition provides better value for money. 

Another reason why KTM is likely discontinuing its 125cc lineup, is to streamline their product portfolio and focus on bikes that are bringing in good sales. With the restructuring plans being approved by creditors, the brand is likely working on clearing excess inventory build up, something that KTM has been struggling with for a while now.

Overall, the discontinuation of the KTM 125 Duke and the KTM RC 125 is not that big of a deal. It will allow KTM to focus on improving their higher capacity bikes which customers prefer. The main issue with the 125cc platform is that, although they are great beginner bikes, most riders end up outgrowing them very quickly. Going for a slightly higher capacity bike makes more sense.