Ok, here goes chapter whatever ... I'm so screwed up I lost track. My slow fingers can't keep up with all the racing thoughts running through my mind right now so I'll start at the beginning of my day (yesterday), TRYING to spare the fine print. I had sweaty palms like the feeling a first date gives you when I called my salesman. The Diavel ride excited me so much I was nervous and anxious when I asked him if I could now try the MTS Granturismo today ... keep in mind this is now the third time this guy has gone to bat for me. The first time was earlier this spring when I gave the BMW K 1600 GTL a try and didn't like all the drive line lash ... hell of a nice guy to put up with me this far. He said "Glad to hear from you, come on up, I'll get it ready" ... now for the good stuff.
I told him max hp setting with softest suspension and off I go. Same deal as the Diavel with the smooth clutch and transmission. This time I payed closer attention to every little detail for a fair comparison between the two. The MTS easily rolls out from a dead stop every time with NO throttle at all, just like the DS. Engine characteristics are identical even though this is rated 12 hp less, you would never know and I couldn't feel any difference. Everything still stands the same as far as how, when and where the power comes on at all the engine speeds previously mentioned so really nothing new in the engine dept. Here's where it all changes ...
My stance on this is slightly different, I can't quite put my finger on it but nothing awkward and still as comfortable as the DS ... perhaps saddle height is why. Having two feet firmly planted on the ground is past-tense, both heels are now waving in the breeze although not a problem. The height of this seat on the MTS has me shifting my can a bit one way or the other AND stretching to have one foot flat, but not really necessary. The wind in my face problem is now solved on the MTS, not completely but much improved and more tolerable. Windshield all the way down blows some in your face, up all the way blows the majority over my head. It's easily adjustable on the fly too, just squeeze the simple pinch tab with a finger and thumb and release it.
Now for handling ... those Italians certainly did their homework here! Not that I felt the DS suffered, but these two bikes seem worlds apart to me in this dept. The MTS has a much lighter, more nimble feel and was REALLY a great thrill to flick around in the twisties. This is the closest I've come to riding a real corner carver without that uncomfortable, awkward stretch across the gas tank like a crotch rocket. I see exactly what Terry meant about this bike now, it is truly more confidence inspiring through the twisties the more time you spend in the seat ... it definitely does egg you on to run it. I found myself riding more aggressively than I did on the DS and I never experienced any uneasy feelings, it's very sure-footed.
I ran the same identical route as last time except for one deviation. Cars kept spoiling my fun through one of my favorite twisty spots so I took some extra trips through there when the coast was clear and I loved every second of it. This thing is so well balanced it practically keeps itself upright ... stop signs are a delight when you can fully stop and take off without removing a foot from the pegs, I have found the bike of my dreams. Granted they were empty there's no hint that you're even carrying a trunk and hard bags, can't tell that they're there besides trying to throw a leg over the seat then trunk kinda gets in the way a little. If there was a law against having too much fun the MTS breaks it, I can't stop thinking about it.
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Topic: What do you guys think about Ducati? (Read 12429 times)