One of the most highly anticipated releases of 2007 was Ducati's Hypermotard, the concept bike that finally came to fruition. Inititially it seemed like a cool idea that would never see the light of day, but sure enough it hit the streets relatively soon after the first model was seen in Milan in 2005.The traditional Ducati trellis tube frame hosts a handful of dramatic shifts from the Ducati norm-one being a stubby dirtbike style front fender and wide dirtbike bars. The visual cross-breeeding between a full on sportbike and an off road bike is obvious, and Ducati kept its components on the higher side rather than dumbing the bike down. Brembo brakes do a competent job, but they aren't in the same ballpark as the KTM's. This seems odd considering the Ducati's sturdy 50mm Marzocchi forks and aggressive forward stance that indicates a steep ride height and front end weight bias. But the brakes are only average unfortunately and don't encourage one wheeled antics with a mere two-finger tug.
The delightful Ducati engine tone is alive and well as it sings through funky dual exhausts. The 1078cc air-cooled twin can be prone to stalling at slow speed, but as long as you keep it chugging and above the 2,000rpm mark (courtesy of a gorgeous dash display) the Desmo gets its drone on.
Teach's opinion: "Ducati typically...
Teach's opinion: "Ducati typically builds great handling motorcycles and the Hypermotard is no different. It handles like a sportbike on rails with a much more comfortable riding position. The most street-oriented motard out of the bunch, the styling and sound is as addicting as the ride itself."
John's opinion: "The Hypermotard...
John's opinion: "The Hypermotard has an urban streetbike prowl. Strong brakes and a punchy motor make it fun to ride around town. The goofy fold out mirrors and gigantic passenger pegs have to go though. Then add some carbon-fiber and a sweet sounding exhaust and you're ready to race coffee shop to coffee shop."