GT1000 first ride impressions.

[sjd70]

Yesterday I rode my new GT back to Bundaberg from Brisbane. This is around 400 kms including the city traffic, half duel carriage-way and half Aussie highway. This is in reality a country road with a few overtaking lanes thrown in!

Overall this was a great ride. I love the bike. I like the sound, the looks, feel, relative comfort and the performance was what I was hoping for, especially considering I was trying to run her in and haven't got my Termi's yet! I think the sweeping needles at start up is cool and the stock pipes sound quite good considering.

Anyway back to the trip. I decided to leave early to avoid most of the traffic as a new bike and a rider who doesn't nornally ride in city traffic didn't really equal a super fun ride.

Well traffic was OK but it pissed down rain! So here I am on a new bike, in traffic in the pouring rain.

So considering all this the GT got a stop start, rainy then freeway style run in for the first 80 kms (50 miles). I tried to follow the run in tips but I was more worried about surviving the weather and 40 ton trucks doing 110 kms all around me. After that I tried not to drone along at 110. When the road was clear behind I would run down and up a few gears trying to vary the load/engine speed etc for run in. Still not really ideal.

That brings me to gearing. For the conditions the last two gears were virtually wasted. Around town third can be too tall and on the open road she seemed happy in 4th at around 4000 rpm or maybe just 5th as long as I didn't drop uner 110-120 kph. (Now I write this I am thinking it could be 5th and 6th??!!)

Either way using the higher gears equals rpm under 4000 and she seems not to like this too much or I lose my licence for speeding. I think the 14 tooth front sprocket will go in at first service.

I found the handgrips way too slim and my hands (especially throttle hand) fatigued very quickly. I have large hands with long fingers and found the skinny grips hard to hold comfortably. I will look into something to thicken these up with.

Once home, tired but happy she neaded a serious wash. The bike was black with road grime. It is a tough bike to wash and the front cyclinder now is a different colour to the other. Still cant get it as clean as I want.

Before I washed I noticed that some of the little round vibration absorbing thingies between the cooling fins were sticking out. I just pushed them back in. I am not sure how long they will last though.

I went for a short run this morning to show her off and noticed two things that I trust will dissapear after the first service and the Termis go in. At idle on occasions she tended to stall and I have some popping on deceleration. The popping doesn't really bother me (it's quite nice I think at this stage) but the stalling meant that when in traffic I was inclinded to tickle the throttle more just to prevent the occasional stall.

Well now I need to turn around and ride back to Brisbane for her 1000 kms service. I just have to wait for the Termi's to land in Australia! I can't wait to hear her with the baffles out... and when I can go over 6000 rpm!!

Cheers and thanks for reading my long post.

[drewogatory]

Hey ,how much in Aus? roughly. Do you guys pay some giant tariff there? If you don't mind that is

[sjd70]

Originally Posted by drewogatory

Hey ,how much in Aus? roughly. Do you guys pay some giant tariff there? If you don't mind that is

I think we pay more than the USA.

I don't think there is a lot (if any) tarriff. We do suffer a 10% GST. The importers seem to set the price. In Australia Ducati is a prestigious brand, up there with BMW etc.

Base price before dealer delivery, freight and prep is A$17 995. This equals about US$ 13 500.

Ride away before trying to haggle for basic bike is A$19 600 or US$ 14 700.

Please don't ask me how much for bike, bar end mirrors and Termi's as it makes me shudder every time I think about it... especially as it seems in the USA the bike is around ten grand ??

Still I smile when I ride and then I don't think about it. I no good kicking the bucket with money in the bank is there!!!

He who dies with the most toys wins!

Cheers

Sean

[Ducrider]

Congrats on your new bike and thanks for sharing your first ride impressions.

Sounds like you've pegged the gearing issues right on. Change to a 14 front or a 41 rear sprocket and it will feel more sensible. You can then use 6th at about 110 km without lugging the engine and 3rd gear becomes usable in the city.

I envy you with your whole riding season ahead of you. Ours feels like it's winding down. Enjoy.

[sjd70]

Originally Posted by Ducrider

Congrats on your new bike and thanks for sharing your first ride impressions.

Sounds like you've pegged the gearing issues right on. Change to a 14 front or a 41 rear sprocket and it will feel more sensible. You can then use 6th at about 110 km without lugging the engine and 3rd gear becomes usable in the city.

I envy you with your whole riding season ahead of you. Ours feels like it's winding down. Enjoy.

Ducrider thanks for the ideas re: gearing.

I do feel content that I live in a region with a perfect riding climate. We don't have riding seasons in my neck of the woods. All year round riding... The only difference between summer and winter is I either put in or take out the inner of my mesh jacket.

I have been riding three years (Almost daily) and yesterday was really the first time I had been caught in the rain!

Cheers

Sean

[dietrichpfeifer]

Originally Posted by sjd70

I found the handgrips way too slim and my hands (especially throttle hand) fatigued very quickly. I have large hands with long fingers and found the skinny grips hard to hold comfortably. I will look into something to thicken these up with.

I added a product called Grip Puppies to my stock grips and like them very much so far...from an earlier post:

Originally Posted by Dietrich

So I like the grip puppies! I have fairly large hands (L or XL glove) and the grip is much more comfortable now. It did not feel cumbersome at all working the controls in traffic or twisties. Takes a little getting used to, then aahhhh.
I got mine here: http://www.casporttouring.com/store..._Code=Hand-Cont
$7.50, free shipping, and they got here in about 2 days.

[scottfla]

Same mirrors with bags and Termis. Cheers

[YellowDuck]

Yeah, when Cycle Canada tested the GT, with respect to the gearing they described the bike as "a functional four-speed with provisions for Bonneville record hunting".

And to think, the PS and Sport have even TALLER final drive gearing.

It's just a fact of life - air-cooled Ducatis are all geared too tall. Personally, I wouldn't even pick up a new one without having the dealer install a 14-T front sprocket, at least.

[Jeff_Quan]

Originally Posted by scottfla

Same mirrors with bags and Termis. Cheers

Sweet! I've got the Termi's to but with the slimmer bar-end mirrors. Getting the bags soon too. Does the sport windscreen make much of a difference on the highway? Have you considered painting the windscreen red? I think that'd look great.

[jeffpm]

Congrats on the new bike and thanks for the ride report. By coincidence a friend of mine lives in Bundy, his name is Peter Richardson.

Enjoythe bike!