KTM Duke 390 wins the '2018 Indian Motorcycle of the Year' title

With the 2018 Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) announced, the Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) can't be far behind, can it? Amidst much fanfare and excitement, the same event that honoured the best of four wheels crowned the best of two wheels as well. 

Out of the twenty new motorcycles launched in 2017, twelve made it to the final jury round held earlier this month. The finalists in fray for the title were, in no particular order, Bajaj Dominar 400, Bajaj Pulsar 160 NS, Suzuki Intruder 150, KTM Duke 390, Triumph Bonneville Bobber, Triumph Street Triple RS, Harley-Davidson Street Rod, Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin, MV Agusta Brutale 800, Yamaha FZ25, Benelli 302R and Hero Glamour 125. All the contenders were evaluated on multiple parameters including price, fuel efficiency, styling, safety, performance, practicality, innovation and suitability for Indian consumers and riding conditions. 

In what turned out to be a rather easy win in the end after all the assessments were done and the scores tallied, the KTM Duke 390 was declared the winner. Yamaha's FZ25 finished a distant second while Triumph's Street Triple RS rounded off the podium positions.

The Duke has been an instant success in India, bringing in racing ethos in a value-for-money offering. The second-generation model launched this year acts on every single weakness its predecessor had while retaining all it's strengths. Offering 43 horsepower for a very reasonable INR 2.25 Lakhs, the bright, light and nimble Duke 390 is a pocket rocket in the right hands. Show it a race track and the super-fun Duke 390 would reward you with a big, wide grin lap after lap.  

2018 IMOTY Results

1. KTM Duke 390 - 107 points
2. Yamaha FZ25 - 77 points
3. Triumph Street Triple RS - 68 points

Previous IMOTY Winners

• 2017 - TVS Apache RTR 200 4V
• 2016 - Yamaha YZF R3
• 2015 - Harley-Davidson Street 750
• 2014 - Royal Enfield Continental GT
• 2013 - KTM Duke 200

This isn't the first time a KTM has won the prestigious IMOTY title. The smaller Duke 200 was bestowed with this way back in 2013. With this victory, the Duke 390 succeeds the TVS Apache RTR 200 that won the title last year.

2018 marks the tenth year of existence of the IMOTY award that has now become synonymous with excellence in the Indian automotive industry. Modeled on the lines of prestigious international titles, the IMOTY award brings together a jury panel comprising of automotive journalists and experts representing multiple publications. 

The jury panel for the 2018 IMOTY included Abhik Das & Rahul Ghosh (Auto Today), Arup Das & Jared Solomon (Auto X), Aspi Bhathena & Sarmad Kadiri (Bike India), Aninda Sardar & Sirish Chandran (Evo India), Pablo Chaterji (Man's World), Raunak Ajinkya & Kartik Ware (Motoring World), Abhay Verma & Shubhabrata Marmar (Overdrive), Devesh Shobha (Top Gear) and Vikrant Singh.