KTM 150 EXC TPI

The KTM 150 EXC TPI fits the bill of an entry-level dual purpose enduro motorcycle category with its perfectly lean and outright design. One glance at the KTM 150 EXC TPI will make you believe that this motorcycle is single-mindedly made for deciphering off-road tracks with ease.

The KTM 150 EXC TPI has got a very minimalist looking front fascia, which is a combination of a small trapezoidal headlamp surrounded by a big cowl that has tapered edges on the sides and a flat edge at the top. As in all the other enduro motorcycles from KTM, the 150 EXC TPI also gets a high-mounted front fender, which is attached just to the bottom of the headlamp cowl and has a tapered beak ahead of it. The bold decal on the front forks as well as plastic protectors on the lower portions of the front forks does make the front look outright sporty.

The lean stance of the KTM 150 EXC TPI is well carried out on the side profile as well, with the sleek and minimal-looking body panels partially exposing the fuel tank as well as chassis components. The thin panels surrounding the white-colored fuel tank end up with sharp-looking vertically laid tank extensions. At the same time, the body panels flowing towards the rear too look very sleek and do accommodate the slim single-piece seat at the top of it.

There is a small cylindrical exhaust pipe positioned just below the rear side panels which is an end result of the swooping exhaust pipe emerging out of the engine. The tall ground clearance, as well as off-road spec tires with fat block treads, do give the KTM 150 EXC TPI a go-anywhere stance. The sleek rear side body panels end up with a very small LED tail lamp at the back.

The high-mounted handlebar comes with very basic switchgear and a thin instrument console-mounted behind its central portion, the latter of which shows digital readouts like speed and distance covered. The sizable handlebar crash guards do come in very handy if the rider meets a frontal crash.

Despite being an entry-level offering, the KTM 150 EXC TPI has got a rugged and top-notch mechanical setup, which makes it every bit a premium motorcycle. The suspension combination of 48mm inverted hydraulic telescopic forks with suspension travel of 300mm at the front and a fully adjustable monoshock with suspension travel of 310mm at the rear gives a solid ride and handling balance to the KTM 150 EXC TPI. The braking setup here is shared with the range-topping 300 EXC TPI – 260mm front disc and 220mm rear disc. 

The KTM 150 EXC TPI sources its power from a two-stroke, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 143.99cc engine. Mated to a 6-speed gearbox, this very engine is the smallest two-stroke engine in the Enduro lineup of KTM. The power and torque figures of the KTM 150 EXC TPI haven’t been officially revealed by KTM though.

KTM has made all of its enduro range of 2-stroke motorcycles devoid of any sophisticated electronics, in order to bring both the weight as well as cost as low as possible. The same goes for the KTM 150 EXC TPI as well.

The KTM 150 EXC TPI serves as the perfect range starting model to face the challenges generally thrown in for dual-purpose off-road motorcycles. The nice and agile handling, packed with a decently powerful engine and balanced ride and handling characteristics, make the KTM 150 EXC TPI a fun-to-ride machine for beginners.