Few motorcycle manufacturers present in the Asian market carry the same level of aspiration as KTM and Husqvarna. With their European heritage, class-leading performance, and competitive price points, the two brands have captured the hearts of the Asian market, particularly in India, thanks to their entry-level machines like the KTM 200 Duke and the Husqvarna Vitpilen 250.
Unfortunately, as 2021 rolled around, the KTM India has announced yet another round of price hikes for both KTM and Husqvarna. And yes, this price hike affects quita a few models across both brands' stables. Ranging from Rs 1,200 to Rs 8,500 depending on the model, the price hike may at first seem rather slim. However, when taking into account the demographic of those who buy these bikes, which consists mostly of students and young professionals, even the smallest price increase could throw a spanner in their finances.
Let's start with a rundown of KTM's bikes so you can plan your finances accordingly, if you plan on purchasing any of these bikes soon. For starters, the RC 125 gets the smallest price hike of just Rs 1,279. That means, the baby sportbike now retails for Rs 1.61 lakh—to paint a broader picture, that's around $2,202 USD. On the other end of the spectrum, the 390 Duke, KTM's most popular bike of the decade, has received the largest price hike of Rs 8,517. It now costs Rs 2.66 lakh, out of the showroom, or $3,640 USD. The KTM 250 Duke goes up by Rs 4,738 (Rs 2.14 lakh ex-showroom), while the RC 390 gets an Rs 3,539 increase, now at Rs 2.56 lakh.
Now moving on to Husqvarna, the Swedish manufacturer only has two models available in India—the Vitpilen and Svartpilen, both of which in 250 trim. Now we're well acquainted with the Vitpilen and Svartpilen thanks to all the hype these bikes had built up prior to launch. Western markets as well as other Asian countries are lucky to get the 401 iterations of this bike. For the time being, the Indian market will have to make do with the 250 variants, however.
That being said, both the Husqvarna Vitpilen and Svartpilen 250 get a price hike of Rs 1,790. This pegs their retail price at Rs 1.86 lakh, or $2,544 USD a piece. Given the fact that this isn't the first price hike on KTM and Husqvarna's bikes, chances are this isn't the last. So if you've been itching to get hold of one of these bikes, now's the time to do so, before they announce yet another price hike.
And The Prices Go Up, Up And Away:
Source: Drive Spark