In fairness, that will change next year, and this cruiser does offer an extremely approachable seat height of 27.1 inches. But otherwise, it’s a $9,999 motorcycle with an engine more than twice as big, plus a wet weight of 481 pounds and a nearly 61-inch wheelbase.
That’s where KTM’s smallest street bike comes in. At 364 pounds, with a ~53-inch wheelbase, narrow waist and 31.4-inch seat height, the 250 Duke is much closer in size to what most of us learn on, dramatically easing the transition from the parking lot to the road.
Scrappy AF
On those grounds alone, this bike is pretty compelling for newer riders and even seasoned vets. But at just $4,599, it’s got a lot of other factors in its favor too.
At the heart of the steel trellis main frame and aluminum subframe, the engine is a liquid-cooled 249cc single-cylinder 4-stroke making 31 hp and 25Nm of torque. Not huge numbers, I admit, but plenty for urban hijinks and rural twisties, especially considering its other specs.
