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Ducati Hypermotard 1100S
Ducati introduces the pearl white color for the Hypermotard motorcycle. The models are latest to receive the now famous Ducati color which has already made the Ducati 848 and Ducati 696 sell with even greater success. The fiery Red Ducati color will only cover the frame while the new carbon-grey finish is applied to the outer engine castings of the simple Hypermotard 1100.
If your momma was hip to motorcycles, this is the
kind of bike she might want you to stay away from.
In fact, despite the many iconic Ducati cues and several components shared with
other bikes from the Bologna-based company, this new Hypermotard delivers a
distinct riding experience. The first the thing you notice after the tall seat
is the view forward that is almost completely unencumbered by any view of the
bike. Strange and cool.
But with the wide motocross-style handlebar, a Hypermotard rider is unlikely to
complain about heavy steering. Conservative geometry (a 24.0-degree rake)
prevents it from being too twitchy, but it is nonetheless highly responsive to
steering inputs. It’s actually so quick to respond that I frequently turned in
too early at many corners before I became acclimated to its taut reflexes. It’s
worth noting that the HM’s 57.3-inch wheelbase is more than an inch shorter than
that of a Honda CRF450R motocrosser.
Another distinct aspect of the Ducati brand is the jingle-jangle of its dry-clutch design. A wet clutch such as the Multistrada’s is quieter than the HM’s, but that wouldn’t do for this bike. It, says Ducati, is “the popular preference of thousands of Ducatisti the world over.” In this application, the dry clutch has a 30% lighter pull thanks to a more efficient lever design and a grippier clutch-plate friction material that allows lighter clutch springs. It also weighs 3.5 lbs less than the oil-bathed clutch in the MTS. Further, the transmission’s primary drive gears have been upgraded with a new lightweight construction. Pulling away from a stop, the Hypermotard’s dry clutch proved to be surprisingly easy to modulate via its radial-pump hydraulic master cylinder. It’s easy to balance the amount of drive through the clutch lever, allowing a gentle hover of the front tire across any intersection, and its rattling clutch plates aren’t as noisy as Ducatis of yore. Wheelies happen at will in first gear. A tug on the bars in second will do the same.
Unlike most current race-replica bikes, the Hypermotard isn’t hindered by overly
tall gearing. In fact, its gearing is as short as any Ducati I’ve ridden. A
briskly accelerating rider can short-shift the torquey V-Twin into fourth gear
before reaching 50 mph, meaning that there is plenty of mechanical torque
multiplication from the street-sensible gearing to maximize grunt from tight
corner exits or that quick blast of power to escape the mindless cell-phone
talker who wants to occupy your lane. For whatever reason, the Hypermotard’s
gearbox proved to be smoother and less notchy than the ’box in our Multistrada
test bike. Even neutral is easy to access. Not just an undersized airbox, the ’Motard is also hindered by a petite 3.28-gallon fuel tank that ensures you’ll be scoping out a Chevron station every 100 miles. This isn’t too much of an inconvenience, as the negligible support from the narrow seat will persuade an early rest stop anyway.
The HM’s saddle is yet another area in which ergonomic compromises were made for
the sake of style. To look the part of a supermoto machine, the seat takes
styling cues from dirtbikes, forcing a fairly lofty height that is said to be
33.3 inches but feels taller. It’s also sloped awkWardly forward. A narrow
midsection allows legs a straight shot at the pavement, but rider comfort would
be gratefully enhanced by a lower, wider seat. Surprisingly, the passenger seat
is relatively cush, and integrated hand-holds built into the tailsection provide
a welcome measure of security. And speaking of hands, we must applaud Ducati for
its ingenious hand-guards that neatly incorporate LED turnsignals while
providing shelter for digits.
But to bitch about things like floppy mirrors or a small fuel tank or a lack of
touring comfort would be to miss the Hypermotard’s point altogether. This isn’t
some homely multi-tool to gracelessly blend into commuter traffic (even if it
requires less maintenance than older Ducs and comes with a two-year warrantee).
Instead, the HM is a high-style scalpel that would be right at home slicing up
the 318 tight corners of the Tail of the Dragon, blatting its rumbly V-Twin
soundtrack across the mountains. And its visual presence and graceful design
can’t help but make its rider feel special, as evidenced by the constant
head-turning it caused during our rides. Source Motorcycle.Com
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Any corrections or more information on these motorcycles will be kindly appreciated. |