Gt1000

CW FIRST RIDE

GT1000

Ducati's classically modern standard

BRUNO DE PRATO

IT’S BEEN 35 YEARS SINCE THE RELEASE OF the Ducati GT750-the most historically significant model in the company’s history. That bike put Bologna on the moto-map in 1971 when Fabio Taglioni, predicting market trends were heading toward large-displacement motorcycles, took his existing sohc, two-valve, single-cylinder design, doubled it up and turned it into Ducati’s first 90-degree V-Twin. The rest, as

they say, is history. The new GT1000 brings back the spirit of the GT750 and is the third rendition of Ducati designer Pierre Terblanche’s retro SportClassic line, following the Paul Smart 1000LE and the Sport 1000 (CW, January). Of the three, the GT1000 overlaps the least with the styling of its ancestor. When placed side-byside, the GT750 looks much larger than its more compact modern reincarnation. The

contemporary bike’s fuel tank and sidecovers only vaguely resemble the original’s, but when it was viewed by itself, I found myself thinking, “There she is, the natural heir to the GT750.” The SportClassic frame is one of the stiffest and most balanced in the entire Ducati corral thanks to its tightly triangulated trellis structure. The GT1000 shares the same front end as the Sport 1000, incorporating the new Marzocchi 43 mm inverted fork with identical steering geometry (24.0 degrees rake, 4.12 inches trail). Out back, things are different. Twinshock rear suspension is more representative of the original GT’s. Though the layout looks appropriately old-school, the Sachs shocks are fully adjustable modem pieces. Room for the shocks was made possible by using a single exhaust pipe per side, as opposed to the stacked units on the other two SportClassics. Cornering clearance is

reduced but will only be an issue on a racetrack, where the pipes may kiss the tarmac. As on the monoshock Paul Smart/Sport 1000 models, the swingarm is fabricated using massive (2.4-inch diameter) round steel tubing.

Static weight distribution remains the same 52/48 percent front to rear as on the PS and Sport, but a taller, 33.2-inch dual seat and the high, wide and sweptback handlebar aren’t as sporty, much to the delight of those of us with older backs and achy wrists.

• The GT1000 features chromed steel rims in place of the sportier aluminum hoops on the other bikes, mounting 180/55-17 rear and 120/70-17 front rubber. The steel rims increase unsprung weight by almost 10 pounds and contribute to making the GT the heaviest of the SportClassics at a claimed 407 pounds dry (13 pounds up on the Sport). The Brembo braking system features two semi-floating 320mm rotors with pin-slide twin-piston calipers up front and a single 245mm rotor and single-piston caliper out back.

No surprises in the engine bay. The sohc, dualspark two-valver has reached perfect maturity and was the only logical choice for the GT1000.

Identical in tune to the Smart/Sport powerplant, the air-cooled unit makes a claimed 92 crank horsepower at 8000 rpm with 67 foot-pounds of peak torque at 6000 rpm. Fed by a Magneti-Marelli injection/ignition system, it produces a very flat torque curve with no sudden dips, delivering solid power anywhere above 2000 rpm. One change from the other SportClassics is use of a wet clutch in place of a racier dry unit. Benefits include quieter operation, smoother, easier starts and lighter lever effort.

The roads sneaking into the hills outside of Bologna offered a great course to test the new GT1000. Once the Michelins reached operating temp on the cold morning ride, I ripped up and down the familiar asphalt. The GT 1000 really came into its own, increasing pace at every comer, getting into a rhythm. The bike was perfectly at home in these medium to fast bends, its steering responsive, light, precise and progressive.

When the Ducati SportClassics were unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2003, the GT1000 appeared subdued in its elegant dark metallic gray paint, especially in front of the flamboyant metalflake-silver Paul Smart and bumt-yellow Sport 1000. But at $9995 the GT is not only the least-costly SportClassic, it’s by far the most versatile and user-friendly, characteristics that never go out of style.

For additional photography `~ of the Ducati Gil 000, visit www.cycleworld.com