Road test of DucatiHM 1100 HYPERMOTARD 2007 Ducati Hypermotard : Super Motorcycle ?

before getting on the bike (and that's the right word, given the height of the seat), it's time to revel in the top-of-the-range equipment Ducati has put on this bike.
The suspension and braking equipment are all references to the world of Supersport, and even more so on the S version with Ohlins equipment (owned by Yamaha).

the dashboard is complete, although its small size makes it difficult to read.
The latter is housed behind the tiny headlight plate, which offers no protection unless you adopt a dab position on the tank.
Still on the subject of comfort, and this is the first surprise, this Ducati proves to be a pleasure to live with on a daily basis, and to ride for miles on end. Competing with the new, ever "tougher" roadsters, this Hypermotard benefits from a comfortable seat and, above all, suspension travel that won't break your back at the slightest bump in the road.

the open road is fine, but its favorite playground is twisty roads. This is where the Ducati proves itself to be a weapon of war for buddy rides, where its chassis does wonders for both performance and feel.
Endless cornering and an exceptional feel from both the front end and the drivetrain on corner exits invite you to add a little more to the mix. It's hard for the average rider, even with solid luggage, to see the end of it.
the bike's light weight means it's easy to throw it around, but once again, the suspension travel is such that you'd expect it to pump a little, but it doesn't! Hydraulic braking and suspension rebound are superbly managed, keeping the bike perfectly guided.
even under hard braking, the forks don't dig in too much, so it's easy to get on the brakes when cornering.the only thing it doesn't like too much if you're not able to compress the suspension is braking on the corner, when the bike has a slight tendency to rise up.
A final detail to remember: the steering is very lively, as on any self-respecting Supermotard.

the engine is also a marvel. Despite its 95 little ponies, it's sure to give you a lot of thrills. Many engines can't say as much, especially injected 4-cylinders, which are becoming increasingly bland and inefficient.
The only prerogative here is to know how to keep the engine in the right operating range.
Packed with torque in the first 3 gears on the low rev range (the bike easily lifts off the throttle in gears 1 and 2), you need to stay above 5,000 rpm in the following gears to keep up the pace in the event of a big thrashing. Last but not least, thanks to the low fuel tank capacity (12.7 liters), fuel consumption is very reasonable, enabling you to cover more than 150 kms, even at very high speeds.

on the partique side, it's easy to attach a spider to secure a bag on the rear seat, thanks to the trellis tubes that make up the frame's rear buckle. The fuel tank is not magnetized, and is very short anyway, so you won't be able to fit anything in it. The passenger handgrip, in the shape of a small spoiler, is well designed and discreet.
Last but not least, this bike seems to be inexpensive to insure.

in conclusion, as you can see, this is a very exciting machine. A real big motorized mountain bike, it allows you to indulge your every whim. It doesn't take much for this bike to become as successful as the Monster before it. Will you dare to try it out, swap your bland roadster for a pleasure factory and place it at the top of the sales charts?
How will it stack up against the more powerful but heavier and more exclusive KTM 950 Supermoto?

one possible answer is this: passion is the soul of motorcycling, and as long as certain brilliant engineers continue to produce machines like this one, we've got a great future ahead of us.

v2b