Mumbai, Aug. 28 -- Thumb the starter on the KTM Duke 160 and the first impression is of familiarity - those tense lines, sculpted tank and sit-in stance that signal 'Duke' before the wheels even turn - yet there's also a welcome lightness to how it picks up and changes direction at parking speeds and in the first hundred metres. That easy agility is backed by a chassis brief that reads serious on paper - trellis frame with bolt-on subframe, lighter five-spoke wheels, hollow axles and geometry that's a shade sharper than the bigger siblings - so the bike feels eager without getting nervous when the pace rises.

Within a few blocks, two things set the tone for daily life: a clutch that's genuinely light and progressive and a gearbox that sl...