Alex Penklis•25 Nov 2014

REVIEW

First ride: Ducati Hypermotard SP

Name: First ride: Ducati Hypermotard SP
Brand: Ducati

With carbon fibre galore, top-notch suspension, Marchesini wheels and all the electrickery you could ask for, this is one seriously kitted-out ’motard

The nomenclature of the Ducati Hypermotard is nearly there. While 'Hyper' does a good job of describing the motorcycle, a more appropriate classification could be 'Hooliganmotard'. From the moment you swing a leg over this bike, the little voice from your left shoulder – with no regard to the guy on your right (common sense), starts to feed you ideas of wheelstands, burnouts and stoppies.

Your licence is left quivering in your wallet as you try to tame and suppress your inner-hooligan that you never knew existed. Luckily, my licence survived the week-long union with the Hypermotard. The bike is raw, angry and rough, yet there is something very satisfying about the riding experience and absolute fun factor.

Back in 2005, Ducati released the Hypermotard prototype and, with public interest high, the Bologna factory put it into production in 2007. Ducati then refined it in 2013, but it still remains the raw, slightly difficult motorcycle to ride that either pleases some riders or annoys others.

There are two models to choose from in the Hypermotard range: the ‘Standard’ and the ‘SP’ model. Both share some characteristics, but also differ quite a lot in other areas.

DUCATI HYPERMOTARD RANGE

Powering both versions is an 821cc Testastretta 11° engine that is housed in a brand new 34mm diameter steel trellis frame. The four-valves per cylinder, liquid-cooled engine producers a claimed 110hp at 9250rpm and 89.4Nm at a relatively low 7750rpm.

Both bikes receive three riding modes that share identical power outputs, but are named differently and also have different rider-aid settings. On the SP you have Race mode (110hp - high throttle response), Sport (110 – medium throttle response) and Wet (75 – low throttle response). The standard bikes modes are Sport, Touring and Urban.

Like on the Monster 1200 that we tested a couple of months back, ‘Sport’ mode is the pick out of all three. You still have the full 110 ponies available in your right hand, but the ride-by-wire throttle is calibrated for a smoother response that makes throttle openings less jerky and in turn less fatiguing than ‘Race’. Traction control is set for medium intervention and the three-level anti-lock braking system runs at level two, which has it working on both wheels. There's also rear-wheel lift prevention.

‘Sport’ still has the front wheel lifting in the bottom two cogs, but the riding experience is so much more refined. I did try ‘Race’ mode, but only for a short amount of time. While it is fun at first the almost too-instant throttle response starts to wear thin and little movements of the throttle will see large surges in power. There is minimal traction control intervention and anti-lock braking only works on the front with no rear wheel lift prevention. This is the hoon mode.

Ducati's traction control is one of the better systems going around, as it only intervenes with the ignition timing. When it's doing its thing, saving your backside, it's very unobtrusive as the cuts in power are smooth and fast, which allows the motorcycle to remain on line and balanced on corner exit. And unlike some other traction control systems, Ducati's will allow wheelies without slamming the front back down to terra firma.

‘Wet’ mode is the lowest power output mode with a more sedate and adverse-weather appropriate 75hp. The ride-by-wire is super-smooth, but still instant enough to feel connected to the engine and not doughy. The highside-saving aid is increased further, and the anti-lock braking runs at maximum with full rear-lift prevention.

On the standard Hypermotard, the three modes differ to the SP, not in power outputs, but are more conservative with respect to anti-lock braking and traction control.

The six-speed ’box is sleek, both on the upshifts and on the downshifts. The clutch pull is extremely light, mimicking the one on the Monster 821. However, once it heats up in traffic it can get a little grabby in its actuation. The oil-bathed clutch with slipper function keeps the rear in check during fast and aggressive downshifts. Not once did the rear chatter, and if any bike is going to do that it's a big twin.

The engine expels its wonderful note out of a completely new two-into-one exhaust system that makes use of large 50mm headers. Fortunately for me Ducati had fitted the optional Termignoni slip-on pipe ($2520) to increase the audible bliss, and in the process shave a few kilograms off the claimed wet weight of 194kg. The slip-on nets no additional power. The 821cc engine benefits from 30,000km major service intervals, and on a 36-degree day in traffic the heat soak was very tolerable.

One department that the two versions differ from each other is the suspension. The standard makes use of a non-adjustable Kayaba 43mm fork and an adjustable Sachs monoshock, while the SP fits a fully adjustable Marzocchi 50mm pressurised fork and a fully adjustable Ohlins unit at the back. The SP has increased wheel travel with 185mm at the front and 175mm at the back (standard is 170mm front and 150mm rear).

While the front-end does dive considerably under brakes, it's quite confidence-inspiring in the turns when you become accustomed. The wide handlebar makes tip in fast and accurate, mid-corner stability is good and the sticky Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa tyres makes the SP launch out of corners with the front just skimming the bitumen with no fear of slippage. With such big wheel travel large bumps are soaked up smoothly and with ease.

There is no steering damper fitted, but I didn't encounter any headshakes during a week of hard riding. It’s a motorcycle that begs to be ridden rough, hard and almost like a dirtbike -- when you do it rewards you with an experience that not many other bikes can give you. Just don’t let it ride you.

With 70 degrees of lock-to-lock it's very manoeuvrable at slow speeds and makes ducking in and out of traffic a breeze. It is quite thin which makes lane filtering trouble-free and the high-stalked mirrors clear most car mirrors. The 16-litre tank should be good for a 250km-plus jaunt.

Both versions share the same brake packages with dual 320mm semi-floating discs up front that are clamped by radially mounted four-piston Brembo Monobloc calipers. The rear makes use of a single 245mm disc that is pressed by a two-piston caliper. Front lever pull is strong and powerful with a soft initial bite, while the rear mimics the front’s positive attributes with enough power to slide the rear on the SP with ease.

The thin seat does start to cut into you after a while, but around town it gets the job done. The only time it became a pain, quite literally, is when I had a 90km highway commute to get to my favourite twisties.

With a seat height of 890mm it is very high and at 182cm tall I couldn’t even manage two flat feet on the ground. As a point of reference, the KTM 1190 Adventure R’s seat height is 890mm, so if you are height challenged this may be a problem – the standard is lower at 870mm and you can option a lower 870mm seat on the SP.

The LCD dash is extremely easy to read at night and also in direct sunlight. It conveys what most dashes do, with the addition of the riding mode selected and a lap timer. It does lack a gear indicator function, which would be a welcome addition on such a torquey engine.

Other bits that set the SP apart from the standard include carbon-fibre front mudguard and cam-belt covers, magnesium cam covers, unique seat, special edition colour scheme (which has since changed from this test bike to a Pikes Peak Multistrada layout) and lightweight Marchesini wheels. All this adds up to a saving of 4kg over the standard model’s wet weight of 198kg.

The Hypermotard SP comes in at $20,990 plus on-road costs, while the standard is priced at $16,990. The standard comes in red or black, and both receive two-year unlimited-kilometre warranties.

The Hypermotard is an angry, raw yet very exciting bike to ride. It may not be for everyone, but there wouldn’t be too many riders out there that wouldn’t have a grin from ear to ear after getting off one.

If you are looking for a motorcycle to excite you and one that you don’t have to be doing warp-factor 10 for that to happen, then Ducati’s Hypermotard range could be worth a look – especially if you are a bit of a hooligan.

SPECS: DUCATI HYPERMOTARD SP

ENGINE

Type: Liquid-cooled, four-valve per cylinder, Desmodromic L-twin

Capacity: 821cc

Bore x stroke: 88mm x 67.5mm

Compression ratio: 12.8:1

Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection with Mikuni 52mm throttle bodies

PERFORMANCE

Claimed maximum power: 110hp (80.9kW) at 9250rpm

Claimed maximum torque: 89.4Nm at 7750rpm

Economy: 5.2 litres/100km (measured)

TRANSMISSION

Type: Six-speed

Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR

Frame: Trellis, tubular steel

Front suspension: 50mm Marzocchi, fully adjustable, 185mm travel

Rear suspension: Ohlins monoshock, fully adjustable, 175mm travel

Front brakes: 320mm discs with four-piston radially mounted Brembo monobloc calipers

Rear brake: 245mm disc with twin-piston Brembo caliper

Tyres: Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa -- 120/70-17 front, 180/55-17 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES

Claimed wet weight: 194kg

Rake: 25.5 degrees

Trail: 104mm

Seat height: 890mm

Wheelbase: 1505mm

Fuel capacity: 16 litres

OTHER STUFF

Price: $20,999, as tested $23,519 (standard $16,990)

Colours: Red and White

Bike supplied by: Ducati Australia & New Zealand, www.ducati.com.au

Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres

First ride: Ducati Hypermotard SP

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