Yeah, that's true. And I know it's true of Kawi, too, but my Kawi dealer is 10 miles from me, although I've never needed 'em (knock on wood). It's just that I've been reading about less-than-stellar customer service from KTM, and the warranty is pretty short and limited, and the dealer is a lot farther away, and fewer of 'em. Maybe you go into a KTM with fingers crossed, some savings in your acct, and a flexible riding schedule. OK, maybe it's not that bad, I dunno. All that said, when the '19 GT hits the dealers, right now I'm probably a buyer.

Yeah, I saw those anti-crash air blasters. Will be interesting to see how those progress. They're kinda like boat bow thrusters for directing the front of a large boat ... but these gotta act a WHOOOLE lot faster!

There are good dealers and not-so-good dealers of all brands. There have always been some pretty good ones around here, but they’re fewer and farther between. My buddy takes his RSV4 300 miles to get warranty serviced and will probably continue doing so because apparently there isn’t one (or isn’t agood one) any closer.

Speaking of dealers, mine is fantastic. Been buying bikes from him for about 30 years and his service is top notch, 2o minutes away and they sell KTM's and kaw. and Suz. The only problem I have with the price of the GT is,if your gonna drop 20 grand @ least through in the bags which are optional

Gonna ride the 2019 in the Spring, it must feel a lot lighter than the R for me to spend that kind of money

* Last updated by: bbird1400 on 11/17/2018 @ 3:04 PM *

I thought the bags were standard equipment in the US and optional in Europe. Mine came with bags. It’s 25 lbs heavier than the R, so not much chance of it feeling lighter. Identical chassis and nearly identical motor.

* Last updated by: Danno on 11/18/2018 @ 8:14 AM *

danno, I hope your right. and I'm wrong

YEAH, for these prices they BETTER include the darn plastic cases!

Looks like the 2019s are here https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2019-KTM-1290-SUPER-DUKE-GT-5005185898

... albeit in CA

https://www.cycletrader.com/listing/2019-KTM-1290-SUPER-DUKE-GT-5005185899

* Last updated by: extrapolator on 11/18/2018 @ 5:30 PM *

no bags in those pics

They never leave the bags on at the dealers. They get all boot-marked from sitters and demos.

* Last updated by: Danno on 11/19/2018 @ 8:14 AM *

bbird1400 said:

no bags in those pics

I think that in every picture on KTM's website the bags are on: https://www.ktm.com/us/sports-tourer/1290-super-duke-gt/

I own a 2017 SDGT with every mod I can think of needless to say its no zx14r in terms of outright speed but when it comes to riding in the mountains the zx stays in the garage.

Rode a couple hundred miles out of D.C. through the Shenandoah Valley today in 34F weather with a 30 mph headwind. In ‘Street’ mode, the GT could not steady itself in the 100-mph airspeed, but as soon as I switched it to ‘Sport’ the headwind was no longer a factor in throttle setting. It’s 80-lb weight break over the ZX was noticeable in crosswinds, but once in ‘Sport’ mode, the headwind was no longer an impedance.

* Last updated by: Danno on 11/28/2018 @ 5:34 PM *

I'm reading anything and everything you have to write about the SDGT Danno

I'm about 98.382% sure the 2019 SDGT is my next bike. Just don't tell any of the dealers ... shhh.

I even started a thread on the SD forum about the list of recalls / common fixes so I, and everybody else, can make sure their SD has had all of the recalls and fixes done, or if not they know what they need to get done.

Have you ever missed the big ZX now that you have the SDGT? Is there anything in particular you miss about the ZX, or wish the SDGT had?

For example, now that you mention wind: My ZX is absolutely rock solid at high speeds 130+. No wobbles whatsoever. Just a rock. First bike I've ever been able to say that about. Can you say the same about the SDGT?

* Last updated by: extrapolator on 11/28/2018 @ 8:22 PM *

Being 80 lbs or more lighter, the SDGT is more susceptible to side and crosswinds. But a Buick Electra 225 is less-affected by side and crosswinds than a VW microbus for the same reason. ya can’t have everything. My 2 riding buddies on C-14s had less of a rasslin match than I did. Have not yet run the KTM to 160+ like I did a few times on The Blue Whale, so any comparison would br speculation on my part.We ran through some frosty Virginia hollers today and we all were tiptoeing around the bends. Most people would not care about how a bike handles on frosty backwoods roads at 23 degrees F, but it did just fine.

A ZX-14 and an SDGT have similar power-to-weight ratios, but are totally different animals otherwise with different missions, which makes direct comparison difficult.