If the scrambler is down on horsepower, its readily available torque seems to mask that deficit. A snappy throttle lets you zip though traffic easily, and the scrambler feels lively in stoplight- to-stoplight jousts. I also found the bike bearable at highway speeds. The flat seat and moderate bar bend made 80-90 mph feel comfortable; any faster and the wind blast became overwhelming. Gearing is tall and the box shifts smoothly, but because the scrambler is so butter-smooth you can't tell what cog you're in (there's no tach) until you need to shift.
Don't expect to haul up quickly, either-the 310mm disc with two-piston caliper up front can be best described as adequate. And range is on the small side- I couldn't squeeze much more than 125 miles out of a tank in most situations.
Everywhere i went, however, people were smitten by the scrambler, longtime riders as well as the general public. The bike looks good, but it's also an everyday rider-air-cooled, simple to repair and relatively inexpensive. The scrambler is more show than go, but for sheer fun at a nice price it's tough to beat.
Boom From Bologna
"Our demographics are along the same lines as harley's. We've had guys on road kings come in and request these gts. They mount risers and tall bars, slap on a pair of bags and troll around."
I'm speaking with john canton of ducati north america, and to be honest i'm not buying his "cruiser" pitch, but i am intrigued. You can't blame canton for pushing the gt; ducati designer pierre terblanche himself said he'd designed the bikes for the 50-year-old rider looking to cruise the countryside.
But it's a ducati, and that may raise howls of protest from the traditional cruiser set. I'm not a ducatista (that's catterson at motorcyclist)-i've always associated the bikes with a riding position that'd make the marquis de sade shudder. And those in the know will recall ducati's first foray into cruiserdom -the lackluster 650cc indiana.
But like triumph, ducati has learned to mine the past effectively; the gt borrows liberally from the classic '71 gt750. That bike, ducati's first production v-twin, was a high-barred roadster with plenty of grunt. The gt1000 follows that trend with a thumping v-twin, wide touring saddle, high bars and a massive, 10-inch headlight.
The GT nails the retro part, but it's mated to modern technology -an updated version of ducati's air-cooled 992cc desmodue engine, the 1000 ds. The mill's identical to those of the other sportclassic models and the multistrada, except it uses a wet clutch. Our gt's bars are comfortably situated (we requested a riser kit) and that cushy saddle is wide, but it's a reasonable 32 inches in height and strikes the right compromise between a standard and a cruising position. And i'm definitely sitting in the bike this time.
With its well-calibrated efi the gt1000 starts instantly, and there's a hint of hooligan lurking on the other side of that loping idle. Lever pull is still overly stiff but at least it's adjustable. At a twist of the throttle, cylinders explode with gobs of torque and a rush of power between 4000 and 7000 rpm (meaning it can be tricky to pull away smoothly from a stop). At revs below 3500 rpm the motor feels lumpy, but the six-speed box shifts so sweetly that it's a pleasure to snap down a gear.