Biker's Cafe Chatroom

Soldato
Joined
23 Jun 2005
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5,454
Bought another bike, sold my MT10 and bought this SD GT 1290.

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Happy so far, just fitted some new rubber, and modified inside the silencer to make it a little deeper on sound.

Lovely looking bike, I'm split between the 1290 SD/GT and the MT10. My riding is mostly short daily bursts (<200 miles) but I do like a tour.

Which would you recommend and why?
 
Soldato
Joined
15 Feb 2009
Posts
4,267
Location
Bristol
Anyone have any experience with LV insurance? They are the cheapest by a fair margin.
On comparison sites for my YBR125, I get £250-300 for companies like Bikesure/MCN/BMF/Lexham. Bemoto gives me a quote of £350 for the standard cover (I'm going to phone them up to see if it's any cheaper).

LV gives a quote of £185, including helmet/leather cover and motor legal cover.

Edit: Just going to go with LV, Bemoto couldn't give it any cheaper. They seem decent enough.
 
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Associate
Joined
5 Jan 2012
Posts
1,694
Location
Pontefract, UK
Lovely looking bike, I'm split between the 1290 SD/GT and the MT10. My riding is mostly short daily bursts (<200 miles) but I do like a tour.

Which would you recommend and why?

Ok so, the MT10 is a great bike no mistaking that at all. Great upright seating position, even better with the optional comfort seat. Handling is very good, turns in pretty quick in corners and then easily flicks over the other way. Engine sounds great especially with a decat, although it can 'drone' a little when just cruising. Power delivery is fab too, although get ready for the front end lifting all the time in the first 3 gears, with it's short wheel base i've come out of corners still leaning with the front lifting up. Throttle is snatchy from the factory, but a remap can sort that out. Fuel range isn't that great, i've had the fuel light flashing at 90 miles when out for a 'spirited' ride. Pillion is not comfy, this comes from a riding friend and my wife. Longer footrests help from the tracer 900.

SDGT 1290, seating position is very similar to the MT10, although maybe 1.5-2" taller seat height. Fuel range is good. I recently did 175 miles and range said i had about 50 miles left, although not sure how far i could push it. Some owners say 220-240 per tank is acheivable. Front screen is adjustable, but doesn't seem to make any difference, in it's lowest psoition wind hits my chest and not my helmet which is good. Handling feels pretty good, still getting used to this bike but i'm confident it'll keep with the MT.


Overall, the MT10 is perfectly capable of doing everything, just the short tank range lets it down for. It is a greedy engine. Personally i think the SDGT just edges it though, it just feels more like a do everything bike with good range, comfy, good styling (imo). I'd say if you can test ride both.

If there's anything specific you want to know just ask :)
 
Soldato
Joined
23 Jun 2005
Posts
5,454
Ok so, the MT10 is a great bike no mistaking that at all. Great upright seating position, even better with the optional comfort seat. Handling is very good, turns in pretty quick in corners and then easily flicks over the other way. Engine sounds great especially with a decat, although it can 'drone' a little when just cruising. Power delivery is fab too, although get ready for the front end lifting all the time in the first 3 gears, with it's short wheel base i've come out of corners still leaning with the front lifting up. Throttle is snatchy from the factory, but a remap can sort that out. Fuel range isn't that great, i've had the fuel light flashing at 90 miles when out for a 'spirited' ride. Pillion is not comfy, this comes from a riding friend and my wife. Longer footrests help from the tracer 900.

SDGT 1290, seating position is very similar to the MT10, although maybe 1.5-2" taller seat height. Fuel range is good. I recently did 175 miles and range said i had about 50 miles left, although not sure how far i could push it. Some owners say 220-240 per tank is acheivable. Front screen is adjustable, but doesn't seem to make any difference, in it's lowest psoition wind hits my chest and not my helmet which is good. Handling feels pretty good, still getting used to this bike but i'm confident it'll keep with the MT.


Overall, the MT10 is perfectly capable of doing everything, just the short tank range lets it down for. It is a greedy engine. Personally i think the SDGT just edges it though, it just feels more like a do everything bike with good range, comfy, good styling (imo). I'd say if you can test ride both.

If there's anything specific you want to know just ask :)

Great summary thanks. How would you compare the power delivery of the SD to the MT10?
 
Associate
Joined
5 Jan 2012
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1,694
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Pontefract, UK
Great summary thanks. How would you compare the power delivery of the SD to the MT10?

Well i had my MT10 remapped early on in ownership, so a very smooth and progressive power delivery. Awesome sound, but as said before with the short wheelbase it gets very light on the front end very easy.

Power delivery on the GT seems more 'aggresive', maybe because it's a twin, but the sound is like 'motogp/airbox induction' roar mixed together. You hit the redline very fast, and if you it that limiter, it's like hitting a wall....it gets up there very fast.

I had a casual ride on Sunday just gone, and tried some 'shortshift' riding, and it's so easy still to maintain progressive riding without hooning in and out of every corner.

Something i forgot to mention before is the cruise control is on the wrong side of the handle bars on the SDGT. Bit more of a faff to use it, but once you're used to it you soon forget about it.
 
Man of Honour
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13 Jul 2004
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I get your point, but it feels way lighter than the figure would have you think. Also be careful with weights, it's 178kg dry, so 12kg more than a certain KTM, BMW actually list reasonable wet weights unlike some manufacturers...

It’s ridiculous that there isn’t a proper standard for measuring the weight.

Dry weight should never be quoted. It should either be the total weight with all fluids, or with an empty tank of fuel.
 
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