Hi all, it's been over a year since I was last here, I sold my Monster796 and built a Caff Racer ( Ryca CS-1 ) which I have just sold. I have my heart set on a GT 1000 as I want the vintage look but with a bit of go. Here in France there aren't many about , looks Like I'll iether get a 2006 or 2009 with around 20,000 Kms. Question, what are the differences, if any, between the years 2006,7,8,9. The plan is to put a comfort seat, low bars ( Rizoma ) and fruity slip-on pipes ( repro Contis ). SouthFrance
Hi SouthFrance, You are definitely going the right way. As you can see from pictures on this forum the GT1000 can be subtley modified from a tourer to a sports cafe-racer and look absoloutley stunning. I don't know what prices are like in France but the GT1000 can be bought in the UK for much less than an SC - yet when modified look (in my opinion) a lot better! I cannot help you with model year differences but I can thouroghly recommend Keihan exhausts. They look retro - sound great - are of excellent quality of build and are about 33% of the price of Termis...Keihan Systems My cans really set my SC off.
I seem to recall recommending the GT1000 to you many moons ago. Welcome back & I hope you find a nice example of the bike. AFAIK, the 2006/2007 models had black face instrument dials (I have a 2007 GT1000) & a seat height of 825mm. The later models had white face dials & a seat height of 820mm. Not sure of any other changes to the GT1000 during its production run. Termis are very hard to find, although I believe a vendor on the Ducati.ms site can source them - but without the modified airbox lid & DP ECU that came with the original Termi kit in the UK. There is also a vendor on the US site who appears to sell a full titanium system. This might suit a cafe racer as it requires the removal of the pillion footpegs & has quite an upswept appearance, but the price is in the region of $2,900 USD. Each to their own with pipes. My GT1000 had the Termi kit already fitted when I bought it 4 years ago, I shan't be changing them. There are so many options for modifying the GT1000 (and Sport Classics in general). There are spoked wheels from Alpina & Kineo that allow the use of tubeless tyres (i.e. without inner tubes), or you can fit cast wheels (in Carbon if you wish & your pockets are deep enough!) to further save weight & also use tubeless tyres. I have Hyperpro progressive fork springs & these have improved the ride on bumpy UK roads. I find the OEM rear shocks work fine, in fact they are very good with a pillion passenger. Some people have changed the forks and/or rear shocks with many different permutations including some nice but costly stuff from Ohlins. I am currently running Dunlop Roadsmart tyres, I am on my 2nd rear Roadsmart. I like them as they grip well (for me) on dry & wet roads, and they also last quite well. I find the bike to be very comfortable whilst still being fun to ride. I've owned my 2007 GT1000 for 4 years now, and I have no plans to sell it.
Bonjour Mr Hart, indeed you did recommend the GT to me some 3 years ago, I'm a bit slow but I get there eventually. After my 796 I built a little caff racer and am now a confirmed vintage/retro chappy. Ive just sold my caff which had a 32 bhp single cylinder engine, it was bags of fun to build and a real larf to ride and was quite small, room for one etc.. So I've decided to get myself one last bike to keep for many years. It has to be big enough for me and which ever member of the family is crazy enough to trust me up front. short list was a predictable: Triumph Bonnie, Thruxton or Scrambler, Guzzi V7 ? or the GT. The thing with the GT is I can pootle around with 'er indoors on the back or..... when my chums fancy a rideout I can keep up with the pack, so it had to be the more versatile Ducati. Anyway, I'll post picks when I get her. Cheers
Spent our hols in Port Vendres last summer, but had to use the 4-wheeled thing as I had Mrs H & one of our daughters along as well. Unfortunately we didn't get into Montpellier, another time perhaps. Keep us posted on the GT1000 front, they are very versatile bikes. Forgot to mention, I have a Ventura grab rail on mine. It can be converted into a luggage rack as well. Mrs H seems to prefer a grab rail behind the pillion.
Currently got my eye on a 2009 with 20,000 Kms, it's the one that looks like a cappuccino ( bicolore ) just hope it's still there when my money comes through. I'm gonna stick low bars or maybe the SC comfort clip-ons and replica Contis...............it comes with chrome rack and leather panniers, which I quite like.
If that one doesn't work out for you, let me know & I'll keep my ear to the ground for any GT1000s being sold over here.
