A downright copy of the KTM in terms of chassis and design makes it a well-executed bike that will attract fourth-world countries
The KTM Duke 200 is a motorcycle which is highly sought after by enthusiasts. Its addictive power, agile handling, and unique styling has kept us hooked for so many years. Now what if a brand launches the exact same motorcycle with a different name? Confused and bewildered right? “Are you kidding!?” This was our reaction when we saw UM’s new motorcycle, the Xtreet 250X. Now we’ve had some very identical looking cars and bikes in our Indian market. This one, however, is made for the international market.
The Xtreet 250X is a replacement version of the Xtreet 230R which was UM’s entry level motorcycle. Its talking point has to be its resemblance to the KTM Duke 200. The iconic trellis frame seems like it’s carried over straight from the Duke. The tank, the rider and pillion seats and tail section also looks like an exact copy of the Duke, not to mention the belly pan and the rear mudguard which also look like perfect imitations. Just like the Duke 200, this bike too employs USD front forks and a monoshock at the rear. We wonder what kind of response the Xtreet will gather when launched.
Now after all this, UM has thrown in some of their very parts, like the exhaust, the bright red wheels and the box section swingarm. The design of the headlight is different so is that of the rear view mirrors. The Xtreet 250X employs a simple air cooled 223cc single cylinder engine unlike the Duke’s liquid cooled unit. This is the exact same engine as the one found on the Renegade Duty S. For the Xtreet, the motor is tuned to offer 16.5 bhp of power and 19.6 Nm of torque. Like the Duty S, this one too is mated to a 5-speed gearbox.
Don’t get too excited as UM isn’t going to launch this in India. Even if decide to do so, the stringent laws will give a blow to the brand. While this move of UM has made some die hard orange fans furious what we want to see is how the Austrian brand reacts to this. Do you think UM’s move is justified? Hit us up in the comments section, we will love to hear your word on this.
