On Track Off Road No.184

TEST
Mind you, the smaller, 14.5-litre fuel tank
accounts for a kilo of that weight loss. Other
changes are the slightly wider handlebar,
hydraulic clutch activation, and Panigale-like
TFT instrument panel.
A reshaped seat makes getting your feet
down slightly easier, but the standard Hyper
is still a tall bike, albeit a slim and manoeuvrable
one. Its character remains thrillingly
raw and minimalist, as you sit bolt upright,
gripping the wide bars, with nothing to divert
the wind from your chest, and the Ducati’s
deep, distinctive V-twin exhaust note throbbing
from those under-seat silencers.
As before there’s a choice of three riding
modes: full-fat Sport, softer Touring, and
Urban with reduced output. Such is the Hypermotard’s
sweet fuelling and flexible power
delivery that even Sport is very rider-friendly,
albeit with plenty of instant punch from as
low as 3000rpm, at which point the V-twin
is kicking out 80 per cent of its maximum
torque.
There’s enough smooth top-end power to get
the Hyper charging to about 130mph, though
its rider’s neck muscles get a severe workout
at much about 80mph. With such useable
delivery, the main benefit of switching modes
(easily done on the move) is that traction
control, ABS setting and anti-wheelie change
automatically to suit. In Ducati tradition
there’s plenty of opportunity for fine-tuning,
so for example you can turn off the antiwheelie
in Sport mode, or allow stoppies by
setting the ABS to its lowest position.
The Hyper is ideally suited to country lanes
but makes a fine bike for A-roads, where it’s
stable through sweeping curves despite its
long-travel suspension and the forces being
transmitted through the bars. The standard
950’s Marzocchi forks and Sachs shock are
adjustable and well damped; the Brembo
Monobloc front calipers give fierce stopping,
and the Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tyres