KTM Orange Day makes Delhi debut

Austrian bike maker KTM has only one bike from their stable in the Indian market as of now but its Orange Day celebrations held in different cities in the country coupled with the brand’s ‘Ready to Race’ tagline have definitely made it quite popular amongst bikers in the nation. 

KTM held its first ever Orange Day in Delhi on March 31, 2013, inviting all KTM Duke 200 owners from the Delhi-NCR region to come together and interact with fellow KTM owners and exploit the potential of the Duke 200. 

What made the Delhi Orange Day stand out was that other riding clubs such as GODS (Group of Delhi Superbikers), HOG (Harley Owners Group) as well as Yamaha R15 owners were also invited to take part in some KTM racing on the Duke 200. 

And it was not just KTM riders from Delhi/NCR who turned up for the Orange Day in Delhi; riders from neighbouring places around Delhi also turned up for the event. This goes on to show how much the ‘Orange Day’ concept has boosted the awareness and appeal of the KTM brand in India that happens to be just over a year old in the country. 

The KTM Orange Day in Delhi began with riders registering themselves for racing. This was followed by a classroom session organised by a racing expert on the basics of racing, safety and how to extract the most out of the KTM 200 Duke. Safety was of prime importance and all riders were required to wear full face helmets, riding jackets, riding gloves and knee guards. 

Citing laps then allowed the racers to get a feel of the track before letting it rip. The track was a challenging one but could have been a bit longer to allow some more action packed racing. Nevertheless, it was a well laid out track and was very safe.

The riders were divided into different groups for racing. Lap after lap the riders pushed themselves to showcase the cleanest lines around the track. The one thing which was a bit of a let down was the lack of overtaking that was down to the short length of the track. 

The winners of the respective groups were then chosen to battle it out against each other. Before the winners were awarded, KTM kept up the pace of the day by inviting Indian biking legend Dilip Rogger to take the wraps off the 2013 KTM RC8 R superbike. The 1190cc engined RC8 R superbike is the company's flagship bike, it will be showcased for enthusiasts across KTM showrooms in the country. Also read: 2013 KTM RC8 R unveiled

Amit Rajoria was declared as the winner and therefore as the KTM Duke of Delhi during the prize distribution ceremony. Amit Rajoria was no stranger to the KTM Orange Day as he had also managed to win the Jaipur leg of the Orange Day campaign. 

The prize distribution was followed by a KTM stunt show that did stun viewers with an impressive array of stunts while also showcasing the capabilities of the agile KTM Duke 200. 

Speaking at the occasion, Amit Nandi, KTM India Head, said, “The KTM brand has its roots in racing and we want KTM owners to experience the thrills that a KTM bike can provide on a race track. Orange days are being conducted in every major city and will keep on growing in scale in the next few months. KTM is a an exclusive premium brand and we are keen to ensure we provide KTM customers an experience that is uniquely KTM.”

KTM will soon begin the third version of its Orange Day campaign to boost the appeal of the brand further in the country.