2009 Ducati GT1000 Touring Comparison Photo Gallery

It doesn’t take more than a block aboard the Ducati GT1000 Touring to realize that while the styling may be vintage, its 1000 Dual Spark L-Twin is most certainly not!

The sleek looking Ducati GT1000 Touring is powered by an air-cooled 992cc L-Twin, which delivers an exciting ride.

Built in homage to the GT750 Twins that debuted in the 1970s, Ducati maintains the L-Twin roots but ups displacement a quarter-liter to 992cc via a 94 x 71.5mm bore and stroke.

Style-wise the Ducati hits with its amazing wire wheels, which garnered a number of comments and clearly beat the SE’s rather dull (by comparison) cast units.

As fast as it goes, the Ducati comes to a halt with high-performance efficiency thanks to dual 320mm rotors pinched by 2-piston Brembo calipers.

The white-background and plain black lettering of the analog speedo and tach give a more authentic feel - the small LCD displays located within the two units are unobtrusive.

We were much obliged to the convenient luggage rack after riding three days with all our gear bungeed aboard.

Personality at its core, the air-cooled GT1000 motor claps and rattles a wonderful cacophony.

The 2009 Ducati GT1000 Touring's rear dual shocks are preload adjustable.

The fun factor aboard the Ducati ups considerably and its motor disparity with the Bonneville is quite remarkable. Acceleration, top speed, overall power…

The high-revving Ducati Twin isn’t perfect. Fueling and throttle feel on the Ducati are more abrupt and engine braking makes deceleration less smooth as well.

The Ducati GT1000 Touring's chassis can take everything the raucous Twin can dish out.

The Ducati packs a premium price tag at $12K – a full $4300 more than the base Bonneville.

The spec sheet confirms rider opinion of more aggressive steering geometry: with an inch-shorter wheelbase (56.2 inch) and three-degree steeper rake (24 degrees).

The Duc’s 6-speed gearbox is effectively two gears too many. Unless you’re motoring derestricted on the Autobahn, or racing, gears five and six don’t make much sense.

The Ducati’s power train is of a completely different character. More challenging to ride, it is also more rewarding performance-wise.

As befits a bike carrying the Touring moniker, the GT delivers a comfy seat, though the riding position placed the tank a little snugger than my personal preference.

The GT’s more conventional ergos were a better fit for us, with the 31.8-in. seat height towering over the Triumph.

2009 Ducati GT1000 Touring

Though not a fully decked out tourer, the GT1000 Touring does deliver a comfortable platform for long-distance rides - like our 750-mile journey through Idaho and Montana's scenic mountains (the distinctive Sawtooth Range in background.)

The vibrant motor and brakes encourage spirited riding and the inverted 43mm Marzocchi fork is up to the task.

2009 Ducati GT1000 Touring

The non-adjustable sticks up front are sprung stiffer, making the Duc ride not as smooth at lower speeds as the Triumph, but twist the grip and there’s no question which machine is better suited to high-speed exploits.

The extra moneyfor the GT1000 Touring buys the extra performance and the Ducati also delivers a superior fit and finish too.

The two-valve desmodromic Twin turns our dyno drum up to 77 horsepower at the rear wheel and 58 lb-ft torque.

After nearly a thousand miles riding both the Ducati and Triumph, we got to know the two bikes rather well.

Our modern classic comparison included riding through some incredibly scenic country.