Ktm Duke Gets Electrified
KTM DUKE GETS ELECTRIFIED
Production of KIM's likable Duke street-rod has been almost doubled to 1500 units for 1996. The supermotard-style 620 should win more friends with the addition of electric starting; that and a new paint scheme are the only changes for '96. No word on how many of the 1500 are earmarked tor the U.S., which got 80 Dukes last year, all snapped up by eager buyers. The Duke's popularity helped KTM sell more than 13,000 bikes in 1995, a milestone for the once-struggling company that was restructured under Swiss owners Exantra AG after going bust at the end of 1991. The Mattighofen factory is gearing up for a 15,000-bike production run in `96, but further expansion will depend on more street-biased models-and KTM is already working on something new for 1997. Any takers for a V-Twin powered Duke?
