In line with the Indian government’s guidelines on equipping all motorcycles above 125cc capacity with an ABS safety kit, Austrian manufacturer KTM has now announced the launch of the Duke 200 ABS at Rs.1.6 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Currently the Duke 200 is the most affordable motorcycle in the KTM line-up and has only been available without ABS.

The latest news comes courtesy a report by automobile news portal Autocar India. The report says that The ABS system used in the Duke 200 is manufactured by Bosch and is a single-channel ABS system. If true, this will be a bit of disappointment for the motorcycle fans, as single-channel ABS is usually employed as a cost-cutting technique by manufacturers.

KTM’s being a premium brand, with its naked bikes costing upward of 1.5 lakh, dual-channel ABS on the model would have been preferable. However, the official website for the 200cc model is currently displaying an internal error and hence the real deal cannot be independently verified.

As expected, there are no other changes to the motorcycle and it continues to use the liquid-cooled 199.5cc, single-cylinder motor with a four-valve head. A 6-speed gearbox is standard. Power stands at 25hp and the bike uses a trellis-frame chassis along with a 43mm USD fork and a monoshock.

The 200 Duke ABS will be available in three colours – orange, white and black – across the entire KTM dealership network in India, which spans 450 outlets, the report adds. The Duke 200 is KTM’s best-seller in the Indian market. The Duke 200 is also available without ABS for Rs.1,51,757 ex-showroom, Delhi.