Although the people of our country have a lot of fascination with KTM brand bikes, this Austrian brand has not been able to create a good position in the market of our country.
If you judge the looks, feel, quality and performance of the bike then there is no doubt that KTM 125 bikes will be on the top list. Starting from bike tires, suspension, braking equipments, body parts, console, engine parts, the quality is very good and durable. There are no low quality parts in KTM bikes. Interestingly, the same frame/chassis and features you will get in the 200, 250 and 390 cc versions of the KTM bike, you will get almost the same features in the 125 cc. Only the engine displacement will differ.
As a premium 125 cc, the performance of the bike is also quite good. That is, as it should be. In some cases the 150 cc bikes of other premium brands are enough to beat the sweat.
Why is KTM in Bangladesh suffering from bad looks and great performance?
Many may say that KTM's higher cc bikes could not enter our country due to the cc limit in the past years. As only 125 cc bike was in the market, it failed to attract the attention of buyers. But outside of that, roughly three big reasons caught my eye.
First of all, KTM125 bikes are very expensive. KTM125 has been priced beyond the affordability of the customers in our country who want to buy bikes in the 125 cc segment.
Usually those who buy 100-125 cc bikes in our country have a budget of one to one and a half lakh taka. The main purpose of buying their 125 cc bike is-
✅ Daily Commuting,
✅ Low maintenance,
✅ High mileage.
There are many 125 cc bikes in the market under one and a half lakh taka to meet this need. But the price of KTM125 in the domestic market is four to five lakh taka. 150cc sports or naked sports bikes of well-known brands like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki are available in the market at this price or less. Their spares/services are available and affordable so to be on the safe side people don't want to try the KTM125.
Secondly, there are only three service centers for KTM bikes across the country. Being so technologically advanced, it is difficult for anyone other than the properly trained to service this bike. Apart from this, some people also reported the lack of spare parts. There is an additional cost of spare parts as a steep blow. So, naturally many people want to buy KTM bike for hobby but they stay away from it for fear of back pain.
The third reason, though small, is not less important. KTM bikes officially entered our country in 2021. Those who marketed the bike probably weren't too keen on its promotion. Because of this, many people do not know about the existence of this brand.
However, there is no denying that the build quality of every version of the KTM125 bike is excellent. In the future, if the issues like price, service and parts can be removed, it is expected that KTM will be able to create a strong position in Bangladesh.
Admin, Bike Doctor BD