falkdal

Well, 650 miles riding to get home on Friday and here she is in all her glory!!

Looks great! While I prefer the gen 2 front end over the gen 1, I do like the side view of yours better. Cleaner and more focused, reminds me of the 890R.

All true. I'm definitely not paying for the performance, I know I won't use it to its potential most of the time. It's more the sporty but comfy naked bike ergonomics, the personality of a KTM, the fuel range/luggage capacity/passenger accommodations, plus the ability to let it loose when the roads allow it. So far it's the only bike that checks all those boxes for me. The Guzzi was prettier and had sublime suspension but reliability was horrible and fuel economy was terrible. The Multistrada/Tracer were more plush but at 5'8" I never feel confident riding a tall adventure bike. The BMW was great for highway miles but not exciting enough in the back roads. The 890R continues to be the most fun bike I've ridden, but I have to carry fuel just in case, the suspension is overwhelmed by too much luggage (and it ruins the handling), and it's too small for 2 people. If I could find a middleweight bike with the personality of the 890R, more range, and added practicality, that would be my ideal bike. I'm much faster riding smaller bikes than big ones (I've had 4 Aprilia Tuono's and I'm still faster on the 890R). I had big hopes for the 890SMT but it's way too tall for me and not setup for a passenger. If KTM ever builds a 990GT I'll be first in line! And yeah I would never pay full sticker for the 1290GT, but a low mileage used bikes ends up being cheaper than most lower spec new bikes, so it's the best compromise for me.

That's interesting, because I find you can ride these bikes at a really mellow pace if you want to. There's so much torque you don't have to wail at it to go, plenty of speed while being gentle on the throttle. But sure, if you're a less experienced rider and a bit exuberant with the throttle (like if you came from a 650 twin or a 600 screamer) and whacked this throttle in the same manner, I get how you'd need a new pair of underwear. 🙂 It's definitely not a bike for everyone. Most people looking for sport tourers seem to want adventure bike comfort and ergonomics, or full dressed tourers or a cruiser. This bike is really for those who loves riding sport/naked bikes on the weekends and wanna have the same experience but over longer distances. I was the same, I LOVE riding the Duke 890R anywhere and everywhere, but it's always loony. I was convinced I should pair it with a more "rational" tourer, and tried the Moto Guzzi, a Multistrada, the Tracer, BMW R1250RS, but I kept missing the 890R. I eventually turned that into a lightweight tourer but it just doesn't have the range or load capacity needed. So the 1290GT is the logical conclusion to this meandering search for a "touring loony bike".

Sadly there are a number of fires around Big Bear right now, so that route isn't an option. But I was going to go through Palomar and then make my way west through Ojai and the best roads I can find, with a mandatory speed run on 25 up to Hollister!

I just finalized a deal on a 2023 with 3k miles, heated seats, tech pack, Puig touring screen, KTM side cases (also includes the stock seats and screen). Have to take a short flight down to San Diego to pick it up and ride it home, can't wait! $13,900 + tax

I sold my Tracer 9GT+ today to a coworker, back to the drawing board! And yeah I had a Multistrada for a while too and for me it was even worse than the Tracer, way too tall/upright/top heavy. I never felt comfortable on that bike. I'm pretty sure a 1290GT is the right bike for me.

Yes you can update the Gen 1 bikes with the Gen 2 suspension "map". The hardware is the same.

The Gen 2.5 also got the lighter wheels from the Gen 3 Superduke R, but otherwise everything is exactly as @jthayer09 said. Although I didn't realize the dash was even bigger on the 2.5 - the 2019 I tested had the full 7" LCD dash. At least it seemed plenty big to me!

$15,900 + $650 OTD, or dealer freight/setup fees & tax on top of that?

It was a 2019, so I guess the Gen 2? It had the stock screen without any deflector or anything. I'm 5'8". The engine felt very smooth to me, the QS+ worked well even at lower rpm's, sure not as buttery as the Yamaha, but perfectly usable. For me the big change is the ergonomics - the GT just fits me and the way I ride much better. It reminded me of an overgrown 890R, my all time favorite bike that I've tracked/toured/commuted on.

I did a test ride on a GT today and I actually found it a lot quieter and less wind buffeting than my Tracer 9 GT+ (even with it's improved Puig touring screen). Surprised to hear you say the GT's low screen is loud. The ergonomics definitely suit me better, it really feels like a naked superbike with some creature comforts. 🙂

1. The Tracer pillion seat appears to be 36-37" off the ground, so a 1290GT is a bit lower. I'm also gonna check out the BMW R1250R or RS and see how that seat is. 2. For all of you talking about the Mandello S, I owned one when they first came out. I had 8 warranty claims in the first 1k miles and only got to ride it for 2-3 months, after which it spend 3-4 months in the shop, after which Guzzi bought it back. It was an endless litany of problems including leaking water pumps, broken engine covers, missing bolts inside the engine, transmission sensor failures, etc. Some of it is documented in the attached link. Oh and it got barely 30mpg during freeway commutes in the Bay Area (around 80mph). I would caution against unusually cheap low mileage bikes because they may well be bikes like mine that the dealers fixed up and trying to unload. I LOVED the bike when I got it, it was everything I wanted in a sport tourer. I had so many plans for that bike, but it was a massive headache. I would try again after they've had another year or so to work out the kinks, but the forums are still full of leaking radiators, oil leaks, exhausts falling off, electronic problems. I just couldn't recommend one right now.

Thanks, that's all really helpful! She has also commented on how much space there is between us, and she's a big fan of the big grab handles. And yeah the transmission is great for riding very smoothly - no helmet bumping or any sudden jerkiness. I'm still a bit torn. I only paid $12,300 for the '24 9GT+ with all the latest tech and the massive 7" screen, it had 1k miles and came with the top box and a much better touring screen, so it was a really good deal. I'm gonna try and find a 1290GT we can demo together before I make any decisions. Either way enjoy the bike and please keep sharing updates!

Great thread, thank you! I've owned two Duke 890Rs and as someone else said I wish they'd make an 890GT. I turned mine into a proper mini tourer but once I got a new job necessitating a 90 mile roundtrip I picked up a lightly used '24 Tracer 9GT+, and it's much better at commuting. Also means I could turn the 890R back into a weekend weapon, which is it's true nature. I'm flirting with a used 1290GT at a great price because of the suspension (the 9GT+ is quite soft and not sprung stiffly enough to carry a passenger or full luggage), the extra power (again to help with carrying a full load), and the brakes, which are frankly garbage on the Tracer after being spoiled by the 320mm Stylema's on the Duke. The Tracer is very good and I really like it, but I don't think I'll ever love it like I do my 890R. The practical side of me says learn to live with it because the service intervals, reliability, and the radar cruise are all winners in a commuting platform, but if I'm going touring I also want to have a blast in the twisties. We'll see which side wins out. Random question to OP: Could you measure the pillion seat height while on the sidestand in Rider + Passenger mode? My wife struggles to get onboard the Tracer, but really likes it once she's seated (it's her favorite bike as a pillion), and I'm curious if the 1290GT is better or worse.