KNOW WHO MY DADDY IS?
Oh, it’s such a shame we couldn’t shoot this comparison in Delhi, where abrasive one-upmanship is a vital factor in the air you breathe, on odd days and even. All right, so both motorcycles come from very influential families and it shows in the power they have over matters. The 200 Duke, five years into this game now, still has very exciting numbers to show — 24.6 bhp at 10,000 rpm from a 199.5cc, high-compression single-cylinder motor and a 136-kg kerb weight. The TNT 25’s numbers are certainly better, what with its 249cc motor producing 28.1 bhp at 9800 rpm and it generates more torque of the two, too, with 2.2 kgm as opposed to the Duke’s 1.9 kgm. Then again, the TNT weighs 159 kg, so that must even things out, right?
SEE YOU OUTSIDE!
Talk is cheap. You’re more likely to remember a solid uppercut than a wise verbal comeback, ten years into growing up. The only way to settle the one-upmanship, then, is to take it to the street — exactly what the day had in store anyway, as Raunak and I raced up a set of twisties, our respective ferocities hidden cleverly behind tinted visors. Let’s not beat around the bush too much; in a segment so tightly stacked together, power-to-weight ratio is king. And this is why the Duke, despite its vintage and relative power deficit, stayed ahead despite the TNT’s best efforts. The Duke takes off with the immediacy of something that runs on electricity, its front wheel well clear of tarmac until you reach for the rest of its (very slick) gearbox. It’s crisp, aggressive and with an exhaust note that sounds like it’s caught a cold, it’s simply too involving, too engaging to not be fun.
The TNT is the one that has to really work hard here. While the extra grunt is as noticeable as it is enjoyable, the TNT 25, like most other Benellis, is more of a peaky number, which means you have to patiently build up the revs until you can get a closer look at the Duke’s tail. Seeing the Duke in its mirrors is something that will take superhuman effort, however, since the TNT 25 lacks the aggression and agility from both its motor and chassis. That’s not to say it isn’t fast. Either motorcycle will show you the good side of 140 kph on the speedo, but it’s the Duke that feels younger, more aggressive and keener on letting you have a good time. This does turn around on the highway, though, where the TNT settles in comfortably while the Duke is still raving mad, furiously looking for a head to smash with a beer bottle.
