Ducati Hypermotard

Mr Motard

NOT SO MUCH

RATINGS: Overall rating: 4.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain: 4.0/5.0
Chassis: 4.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.5/5.0
In the saddle: 4.0/5.0
X-factor: 5.0/5.0

OVERVIEW
The motard market is a hugely crowded one (populated mostly by singles), particularly considering the tiny number that is actually sold in this country, which begs the question of what does Ducati have that the others don't? The pitch from the factory is what they have on offer is a combination of style and performance that you can actually use as a day-to-day proposition - in other words there's a fair bit of built-in practicality. And we have to agree - it's a thoroughly enjoyable package.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
There are two levels of spec available for the Hypermotard - the standard which we rode, plus the more exotic S version, which is a whopping $3500 more.

The stock bike is running the latest version of the firm's two-valve per cylinder liquid-cooled engine, which, radial mount brakes, good quality suspension, and an instrument cluster that includes lap timing and ride data functions. So you're not exactly left wanting.

As for the S, you get lighter wheels, more exotic suspenders and premium Brembo monobloc brakes, plus of course some cosmetic extras.

DRIVETRAIN
Ducati claims several decades of experience developing the basic air-cooled twin configuration and fortunately, seems to have managed to make some fairly impressive refinement along the way.

This injected 1100 iteration is a significant step forward from the last series I rode, proving to be smoother, more willing to respond to the throttle and with a meatier torque curve. In all, it's a thoroughly pleasant thing to fire up and play with, making ample power for the task at hand. So 90 horses is harly breath-taking these day but it's still enough to make the thing come alive, particularly when it weighs a claimed 179 kilos.

The powerplant is complemented by a well-sorted transmission, possibly one of the best I've sampled from this maker. Change action is slick, while the clutch has a nice, predictable, take-up and is light on the lever.

CHASSIS
If you ever to get to see one of these things stripped down, you may be surprised by the minimalist approach. There's the traditional Ducati trellis frame, with various brackets and sub-assemblies hanging off it, but the whole effect is one of simplicity.

The suspension spec on the basic model includes a fully-adjustable Sachs monoshock, while the front is a fully-adjustable Marzocchi USD unit. There's plenty of range to cope with varying rider sizes and tastes, while the action of this combo is pretty hard to fault. I walked away feeling very confident in the machine, and more than happy to explore the limits of its cornering clearance.

Speaking of which, the brake lever and gearchange are the first to touch down. The latter bent back like a banana on our bike, the first time it dragged on the tar. I'd be replacing it with something a little more robust, preferably with a pivoting end piece, which is an inexpensive mod.

Braking is strong and entirely predictable, while the stock rubber turned out to be a very good match to the bike.

As the ride pic of superbike star Ruben Xaus at the international launch shows, the package has plenty of potential.

PACKAGING
Styling looked pretty radical when it was first shown, but I confess it grows on you. There are some neat touches, with the treatment of the rear end being particularly neat.

The single binnacle cockpit is very effective, providing an enormous amount of information from a tiny package.

Its handguards with the built-in indicators are cute, but I'm less wild about the handle-bar-end mirrors. They look good, but take your eyes a long way off the normal horizon. They also make the machine incredibly wide, and have to be folded back if you plane on filtering through traffic.

Fuel range will be an issue at times, with a minimal 12.4 litres making trip planning a bit of a challenge. This really is a day-ride bike. It's quite miserly on fuel - I was getting up to 18km/lt with it and found it to be far from impossible to live with.

Niggles aside, the machine feels and looks great, giving every indication of being well put-together.

COMPETITORS
There's no shortage of competition when it comes to twin-cylinder performance bikes, with Suzuki, BMW, Aprilia, Harley, Buell and Moto Guzzi all willing to sell you something along those lines.

However litre-plus supermotards are much thinner on the ground. The only one which comes to mind is BMW's HP2 Megamoto, which claims an extra 20 horses and is priced at $28,400. In effect, Ducati seems to have carved out a market niche of one.

ON THE ROAD
It's impossible not to like this bike the minute you throw a leg over it. The light weight, wide bars, punchy engine and very capable chassis combine to generate an enormous amount of confidence. It will of course let you play the hooligan, but doesn't have to be ridden hard to be enjoyed. Nice one...