increase in intensity as you lean the
bike over, thus directing light into the
apex of a turn.
Some Things Stay the Same
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orange tubular steel-trellis frame as the
Super Duke R while retaining the same
steering geometry, which is matched
with a 1,482 mm wheelbase. The GT has
a longer, stronger rear subframe versus
the R version to give a passenger extra
space and thus greater long-distance
comfort via lower footrests. This feature
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specially designed hard panniers. The
2-into-1 exhaust’s right-side silencer
is also mounted lower that on the R
version to make room for these.
Settle aboard the GT’s quite tall
835 mm seat, which delivers a pretty
spacious riding position with the
footrests set quite to the rear so that
your toes don’t touch the ground at
reasonable lean angles; nor do your
legs get cramped when riding for long
stretches. That sense of spaciousness is
extended by the wide one-piece handle-
bar mounted on the upper triple-clamp,
which delivers a commanding riding
position via any of the four positions the
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yields a more upright and much more
relaxed stance than on the Super Duke R.
The specially designed hand guards,
which are unique to the GT, gave
extra protection to my hands on a chill
autumn morning and the three-stage
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as before, now have the wiring com-
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hydraulically operated clutch levers
are adjustable. “The hand guards were
aerodynamically developed for the
GT because it’s such a fast bike,” says
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handlebar can be a real problem at
speed, so it’s critical to have properly
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they look really nice, too.” Form follows
function.
Must-Have Accessories
The test bike’s heated seat was
super-comfortable and looked good,
a big improvement over the outgoing
bike when I swapped between the two.
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Ergo Seat and its pillion counterpart
are on the GT’s list of 50-odd dedicated
aftermarket accessories. Really, the Ergo
Seat is so comfortable that it’d be a false
economy not to opt for it, and the same
goes for those eminently practical hard
bags, each of which hold a full-face
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that with the luggage removed, there’s
no ugly frame left in open view: the
steel mounting system is very discreet
and doesn’t detract from the bike’s
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6.5-inch TFT dash, which is both
aesthetically pleasing and functionally
effective. Swapping to the outgoing
model showed its analog tach and
LCD speedo to be downright retro.
The TFT version’s full-colour screen is
visible in direct sunlight and features
a choice of layouts, one street-focused
and the other for track use. I love the
way the tach reading changes colour
as revs rise, going from pink through
red to scarlet and then crimson as the
engine nears the 10,500 rpm rev limiter,
which is 500 revs higher than before.
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menus and other functions is done via
an illuminated menu switch found on
the left handlebar. The cruise control
switch also has been repositioned on
the left for greater convenience rather
than being on the right.
Semi-Active Suspension
The new uprated GT features a
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suspension with three riding modes
Pannier mount points are discreet so the bike still looks good with the side cases removed.The Ergo seat is highly recommended for added long distance comfort for rider and passenger.