Ducati Hypermotard 1100

NOT SO MUCH

Big-bore supermotos may still be an acquired taste in the year 2010, but Ducati has developed a special recipe making use of fresh ingredients to create a very tasty product.

The Hypermotard is a simple but effective motorcycle design that hits it mark in most respects, chief among them an ability to satisfy the rider in a wide variety of conditions and situations.

When a motorbike manages to be just as much fun hacking around town as it carving up mountain passes, yet can happily commute two-up in the wet and leave you without sore shoulders or a back ache, you know it's doing something right.

Before I threw a leg over this Italian bruiser, I had it pigeonholed as a niche motorcycle with niche uses. How wrong I was...

With a big 1078cc V-twin, the strapping Italian pulls like a tractor while making all the right noises, and combined with a relatively light kerb weight of 177kg, it's nimble and very easy to throw around. The ultimate daily rider? Let's have a closer look...

IN WITH THE OLD?
It's true that Ducati has unleashed the Hypermotard 1100 Evo and Evo SP models in Australia, so why are reviewing the now superseded Hypermotard 1100 model? The jury's still out on that one. It probably has to do with the Stonecutter's cult, or possibly Barack Obama.

However with five extra horsepower and just a few less kilos than the top range 2009 model on test, there's probably not a chasm of difference in terms of on-road performance. They both feature similar chassis components, and the fact of the matter is if you were to purchase a second-hand Hypermotard 1100 with moderate kays on the clock (one that hasn't been completely binned), chances are you'll probably find a lot a like.

ITALIAN STALLION
You get a good whack of gear with the big Ducati, least of which is the 1078cc air-cooled Desmodromic V-twin engine. Outputting 90hp (67kW) at 7750rpm and 103Nm of torque at 4750rpm, the Hypermotard 1100 has a truly sumptuous powerband that spans 3000rpm. The engine is a tried-and-tested unit, featuring two-valves per cylinder, electronic fuel injection and air/oil-cooling, all of which combines with a six-speed transmission and hydraulic clutch.

The engine lives inside an attractive tubular steel trellis frame, bookended by 50mm upside-down Marzocchi and a progressive-linkage Sachs monoshock. Both suspension components are fully adjustable for preload and rebound compression damping, and the wheels are lightweight forged Marchesini items. Sounds like the perfect set-up for a bit of scratching... The rear wheel is joined to the frame via an appealing single-sided swingarm.

Radially mounted four-pot Brembo monobloc calipers (borrowed from the Ducati 1098 sports bike) grab twin 305mm front discs, while a single Brembo twin-pot caliper works a 245mm disc at the rear axle.

All these goodies help keep the kerb weight down, to around 177kg, as does Pierre Terblanche's minimalist design. It may not be to everyone's taste, but if nothing else the Hypermotard grabs attention.

ON THE ROAD
When the keys to the Ducati Hypermotard 1100 were thrown my way, I wasn't sure what to make of it. I'm a huge fan of naked bikes, but the motard-style high riding position and bark busters initially left me ill at ease.

As it turns out, my apprehension was unfounded. The Hypermotard is easy to ride, and satisfyingly to boot. Apart from a few niggles here and there it's an impressively manufactured machine. The mirrors work well, the flat bars and high seat impart an upright (and comfortable) riding position and the controls are simple.

But before I go on, I'll get the not-so-great stuff out of the way. The big-bore engine is a bit rough at low revs, which is understandable considering each cylinder displaces more than 500cc, but this can sometimes makes slow speed maneouvres problematic. And a little jerky.

The engine is fine above 3000rpm, but anything lower and it gets wheezy, coughing and hacking like a five-pack-a-day smoker having a fit at 2000rpm or below. The clutch is also a little touchy at times and, although the digital instrument cluster has many functions, it's not as precise or as legible as an analogue set-up.

Other than that, it's smooth sailing.

With an 845mm seat height and raised flat handlebars, you sit fairly high and for commuting duties it's ideal; your view over traffic is impressive. Speaking of which, the Hypermotard eats up city commuting, the riding position and massive bottom end grunt allowing you to carve through the commuter crush with casual ease.

The mirrors provide a decent view behind you, but finding neutral is easier said than done. Yet in hindsight I can say I had a lot more fun in peak hour traffic on this motorcycle than I had any right to. Rarely had I arrived at work feeling so good in the morning! But I digress...

CAPABLE CORNER CARVER
This set the scene for an eagerly anticipated day of riding up and into them thar' hills, the first surprise of which was the comfortable seat. This was quite remarkable considering its such a thin, flat cushion. During an (almost) full day's ride, with a 50/50 mix of cruising and flat-knacker power riding, I experienced precious little soreness in the back or shoulders, something that cannot be said of many sports bikes.

Together with the flat bars and comfy seat, the footpegs help deliver a remarkably good riding position, but it should be mentioned that the pillion peg extensions tended to push the heels of my feet wide (my default foot position is with toes on the pegs).

Out on the open road the bike happily charged past triple figure speeds and is also one of the best handling tall bikes I've ever ridden. Often such tall bikes can feel a little top-heavy, but the Ducati was a balanced, well sorted corner carver. Through many fast-paced sections of asphalt (most of which wended their way through the alpine country) the big Italian rarely missed a beat. Impressive footwork? You better believe it.

It rolled into turns with gusto, the flat bars an ideal platform from which to coerce the bike into corners. Indeed, the tall Ducati tipped into curves most obligingly and held it's line with aplomb, encouraging the rider to dial in more throttle mid-corner.

Every now and then I did notice the lumpiness of the engine, which caused nervousness in the bike when making mid-corner throttle adjustments once or twice. But ultimately this mannerism is something you'd learn to work around, rather than get hung up on.

Peeling into a corner, the Hypermotard feels remarkably planted and you get a very clear indication of what the Bridgestone Battlax tyres are doing underneath you, such is the level of suspension sophistication and feedback. And then blasting out of corners at full-noise is a truly joyous thing.

The engine sounds (and feels) superb at mid-to-high revs, generating a gratifying thud-thud-thud, but perhaps the most appealing acoustic trait is heard on the overrun. Backing off the throttle after giving the bike a handful results in marvellous melody, halfway between a rattle and a giant flag slapping itself angrily in a stiff breeze. The mind boggles at how good the bike would sound with freer flowing mufflers...

Boasting awesome low end punch and a well sorted chassis, this is the sort of bike that can easily keep pace with sportier models on tight and twisty routes. During one ride with a mate, I jumped onto a tweaked and carb-fed CBR600 F4 for a change of pace. The comparison was stark...

While the Ducati had effortless wheel lofting grunt from the get-go, it was like trying to wring the last drops of water from a filthy sponge on the CBR. I really like the '99 CBR, which at last count on the dyno dumped around 92hp at the rear wheel – more than the Hypermotard's claimed 90hp – but the massive 103Nm of torque on tap from 4750rpm made the Ducati far more punchy.

You don't need to rev the life out of it to get strong performance, but at the same token the Ducati's beefy brakes are so confidence-inspiringly strong you'll rarely overcook a corner. The stopping power from the Brembo anchors is physically powerful but also precise enough so that everyday riding doesn't see you bucking to a halt.

Despite some fueling issues low in the rev range, where the engine can get a little choked up, the Hypremotard has excellent throttle response. If you like popping mini monos off kerbs (or cracking out lurid wheel stands), the Hypermotard needs to be on your shopping list.

In summing up, the Hypermotard is a very rewarding motorcycle to ride. It's delivers big thrills should the occasion arise, has a predictable torque curve but a well sorted chassis to back up its brute strength.

The V-twin Ducati Hypermotard is one of the those bikes that can make tooling around town just as much fun as slicing apex after apex. It's not particularly heavy thing either, and you can really throw it around, even at low speeds.

After taking a closer look at the Ducati Hypermotard, and spending a week riding the bike in a variety of different scenarios - to and from work, into the city for coffee with floosies, through the hills for some real excitement – I can report that it is a very good daily rider.

The ultimate daily rider? Not quite, but it ticks a lot more boxes than I ever thought it could.

SPECS: DUCATI HYPERMOTARD 1100

ENGINE
Type: 1078cc, air-cooled, two-valves-per-cylinder, Desmodromic, four-stroke, 90-degree V-twin
Bore x stroke: 98mm x 71.5mm
Compression ratio: 10.5:1
Fuel system: Magnetti Marelli electronic fuel injection, 45mm throttle bodies

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Tubular steel trellis frame
Front suspension: Marzocchi 50mm upside-down telescopic fork, fully adjustable
Rear suspension: Sachs monoshock, fully adjustable
Front brakes: Twin 305mm discs with radial-mount four-piston Brembo calipers
Rear brakes: Single 245mm disc with two-piston Brembo caliper

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Dry weight: 179kg
Seat height: 845mm
Wheelbase: 1455mm
Rake: 24 degrees
Fuel capacity: 12.4lt

PERFORMANCE
Max. power: 90hp (67kW) at 7750rpm
Max. torque: 103Nm at 4750rpm

OTHER STUFF
Price: $18,990
Colours: Red or Pearl White
Bike supplied by: Ducati City, Melbourne
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres