KTM Duke 250 vs Kawasaki Z250 in a drag race [Video]

The Ktm 250 Duke is the underdog in the Austrian company’s lineup in India. Though it is a pretty capable bike and looks quite good too, it is caught between the pricing of the cheaper Duke 200 and the much more powerful Duke 390. Another capable 250 cc bike on sale in India is the Kawasaki Z250, though it is much more expensive than the Duke. The question then arises which among the two offers better performance, and for the same, here is a video by X Motos which pits both the bikes against each other in a classic drag race. Let’s take a look at the video before we move onto the results of this drag race.

KTM is known worldwide for its maniac performance bike at a relatively affordable price tag. Kawasaki, on the other hand, is one of the oldest Japanese sports bike manufacturer known for its technology. One of the most powerful production bikes in the world, the H2, is also made by Kawasaki. Coming to the quarter-litre bikes here, the Duke 250and the Z250 are actually not direct rivals. This is because the Z250 is a twin cylinder bike while the KTM 250 Duke is a single cylinder motorcycle.

Coming to the result of the drag race here, the Kawasaki Z250 emerges out as the winner here. A total of two rounds were conducted in the video and the riders swapped bikes in the second round. At the beginning of both the rounds, the KTM darted ahead of its Kawa rival but the latter triumphed it in top end performance. The gearing and the engine tuning of the Duke 250 is such that it offers more power at the lower end and this is the case with all the KTM bikes. The KTM 250 Duke also weighs less than the Kawasaki Z250 but the performance of a twin cylinder engine can’t be matched by a single cylinder engine in the higher rev band.

The Indian spec KTM 250 Duke is powered by a 248.76 cc, liquid cooled, single-cylinder engine that produces 29.6 Bhp of power and 24 Nm torque. The engine comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox and the bike weighs 161 kgs. Comparatively, the Indian spec Kawasaki Z250 is powered by a 249 cc twin cylinder liquid cooled engine that puts out a maximum power of 31.5 Bhp along with 21 Nm of torque. The engine comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox and the bike weighs 168 kgs.

However, pricing is where the whole difference lies. While the KTM 250 Duke is priced at Rs. 1.80 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi), the Kawasaki Z250 is priced at Rs. 3.08 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). The price difference of more than Rs. 1 lakh is what is the deciding factor here. Being a twin cylinder motorcycle, the Kawa Z250 will definitely offer smoother riding experience and will be better off in long distance riding. However, the KTM offers similar thrills at a much lower price while compromising a bit on refinement and rideability when compared to the Z250.