2009 Ducati
GT 1000
MSRP $11,495
Celebrating the essential beauty of the Ducati GT models of the 1970s, the GT 1000 is a bike to be ridden every day, with a balance of two-up comfort and Ducati Desmo Twin performance. As you would expect from a motorcycle inspired by one of the original icons of Ducati, every element and component is built with the highest quality materials and engineered with performance as a priority. Although classically inspired, the GT is a modern Ducati motorcycle, so it is powerful, handles confidently and is exciting to ride.
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It corners better than anything else I've owned: a couple of Honda's and a Yamaha... and it sounds absolutely great - I put Termignoni pipes on it, and am leaving the inserts out. I bought a Valentine radar detector and the motorcycle mount and siren. It's already paid for itself - easily.
The largest lie is in the naming - GT - Gran Turismo. A true touring bike should have more capacity in the fuel tank. I initially thought about taking my 2007 GT1000 up the Alaskan Highway, but I'd need to carry gas on my back.
Nevertheless, I've got 12,000 miles on this one now (27Sep09) and am getting another Ducati, perhaps the Sport Bike next.
Ride safely... always anticipate.
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I bought my '07 GT1000 on dealer consignment a few months ago, have put about 1600 miles on it, and absolutely love it. Lots of torque and power give it a dual personality, as it does the low rpm cruiser thing or higher revving sport bike thing equally well. Handling and braking are superb. It gets great gas mileage (I get around 50mpg city), and the ergonomics make it the most comfortable bike I've ever had. The lines are beautiful with no garish superfluousness. I think Ducati got the retro-classic thing just right by combining an old-school look with modern performance and handling.
Now I do have to temper my enthusiasm with a few words of caution. First of all for those who don't know, cost of ownership on Ducatis is a bit higher than that of Japanese bikes - say 20%. Also, the Ducati "Sport Classics" (of which the GT1000 is one) tend to be somewhat more expensive than say Triumph's modern classics (Bonneville, Thruxton, Scrambler), but when you're getting Brembo brakes with braided lines, Marzocchi forks, a techy trellis frame, low weight, powerful engine, etc. I think you're getting good value. Finally, there are a few known issues with the '06-'07 models, the most common being a tendency of the plastic gas tanks to spread and become loose. This seems related to the ethanol in gas and doesn't seem to be a problem for bikes outside the U.S. Also, the tach on mine quit working due to the wire pulling loose, and this required the dealer to install a longer wiring harness. They do come with a 2 year\unlimited mileage warranty which is better than a lot of bikes, and you can buy an additional 3 year warranty for $800-something.
One thing's for sure - you will get noticed on this bike! It stands out because its a Ducati (with all the mystique and cachet the name carries), and because of it's styling. Be prepared to handle compliments and questions with polite coolness as you'll find them to be routine if you get a GT. While not wanting to sound cliche, the GT is elegantly understanded. It gets attention not because it's loud and\or flashy, but because it has a subtle yet unmistakeable muscularity about it. I like to think if you have a good point to make you shouldn't have to shout to do so, and to me, the GT is the motorcycle embodiment of this concept!
