EICMA 2018: Ducati unveils it’s new Hypermotard 950. Back to the hooligan ways

We’ve been telling you about this bike for months now, even bringing you our spy snaps of the Hypermotard in action on road tests a couple of months ago – here’s one of those exclusive shots:

Nice. And given that Ducati has just officially unveiled the new Hypermotard in all its glory at the EICMA show preview in Milan, Italy, we now know that the proddie bike will be virtually identical to the prototype we showed you ages ago.

The details of the bike tell the story of what Ducati wants to do with the Hypermotard. The new version of the bike goes back to its roots by being smaller, lighter and more punchy out of corners. It also gets a comprehensive tech package, too.

The new Hypermotard 950 gets wider handlebars, slimmer sides and a new seat. Feet can be placed firmly on the ground thanks to an inseam measurement that is now 53 mm shorter than the bike it replaces. There’s two versions of the bike, the stock 950 and an SP uprated version (below).

The bike’s twin under-seat tailpipes and exposed subframe hark back to the original Hyper and as well as being more visually compact, the Hypermotard 950 is also 4 kg lighter (the engine alone accounts for a 1.5 kg saving) compared to the previous model. That has happened thanks to a new frame made up of tubes of varying diameter, new rims, brake discs with aluminium flanges and lightweight Marzocchi forks with aluminium fork bodies/tubes.

Both Hypermotard 950s get a renewed 937cc Testastretta 11° twin with (Ducati claim) more
muscle, greater pulling power and new electronics for smoother control. It makes 114 hp @
9,000rpm and  71lbft of torque – of which 80% is available at 3,000rpm.

The latest generation Hypermotard 950 uses a Bosch 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (6D IMU) to detect the bike’s roll, yaw and pitch angles instantly. The Hypermotard 950 electronics package includes Bosch Cornering ABS with the Slide by Brake function (with setting 1), Ducati Traction Control EVO (DTC EVO), Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) EVO and Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) Up and Down EVO (as standard on the 950 SP version and available as an accessory on the 950).

The design and interface of the colour TFT display take their cues from the panel on the Panigale V4 racer and for those who want the Hypermotard with even higher performance there’s the Hypermotard 950 SP with dedicated graphics, a flat seat, increased-travel Öhlins suspension (+15 mm at the front and +25 mm at the rear) that increases the lean angle (+3°), Marchesini forged wheels and Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) Up and Down EVO.

The 950 can mount the Ducati Multimedia System (DMS) too. This lets riders connect the bike to a smartphone and manage key multimedia functions (incoming calls, text messaging, music) via switchgears, and display the relative information on the TFT instrument panel.

Testastretta 11° engine

The Hypermotard 950 family mounts the advanced 937 cm³ Ducati Testastretta 11° twin cylinder
engine. After an in-depth overhaul (and being lightened by 1.5 kg), this engine packs 4 hp more
than its predecessor to reach 114bhp @ 9,000 rpm. It puts out smooth pulling power across the
rev range, with torque peaking at 71lbft @ 7,250 rpm. On the Hypermotard 950 some 80% of
torque is already available at 3,000rpm, with no less than 88% available between 5 and 9,000
rpm.
That performance stems from new pistons with a 13.3:1 compression ratio (as opposed to 12.6:1
on the previous version), new exhaust cam profiling and a new exhaust system with under-seat
silencers. A new 53 mm throttle body feeds the fuel to the Testastretta 11° while a new engine
control unit and new Ride-by-Wire throttle manage power delivery. Both the Hypermotard 950
and the SP version also benefit from new, lighter clutch and alternator covers, a lighter gear shift
drum, an aluminium (rather than steel) chain tensioner and magnesium cam covers.
The self-servo wet slipper clutch can now be operated with less on-lever effort thanks to the
new hydraulic control system. The 937cc Ducati Testastretta twin cylinder engine also has lengthy maintenance intervals: oil changes are required every 9,320 miles while a Desmo Service is needed every 18,640 miles.

Frame

The Hypermotard 950 family features a new steel Trellis frame with tapered tubing, reducing
weight by one kilogram compared to the previous model. With 25° of rake, 104mm of trail and a
30mm offset the bike also gets a steering lock of 70°.

The 1,493 mm wheelbase (1,498 mm on the SP version) does – according to Ducati – maximise high speed stability. The bike also gets a 14.5 litre fuel tank.

The Range:

Hypermotard 950

PRICE: £10,995
Colour
o Ducati Red with red frame and black wheel rims

Main as-standard features:
o 937cc Ducati Testastretta 11° engine
o Twin under-seat silencers
o Trellis frame with tapered tubing
o Rear Trellis sub-frame
o Removable passenger foot pegs
o Marzocchi forks with fully adjustable 45 mm aluminium fork bodies/tubes and 170 mm of
wheel travel
o An adjustable Sachs shock absorber with 150 mm of wheel travel
o Cast aluminium wheels with three Y-spokes
o Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tyres
o Tapered aluminium handlebars
o Brake and hydraulic clutch with radial pumps and separate fluid reservoirs
o Colour TFT instrumentation
o Latest-generation electronics package with 6-axis Inertial Measurement Unit (6D IMU)
including: Bosch Cornering ABS EVO with Slide by Brake function (with setting 1); Ducati
Traction Control EVO (DTC EVO); Ducati Wheelie Control EVO (DWC EVO)
o Riding Modes (Sport, Touring and Urban)
o Headlight with Daytime Running Light (DRL)
o Front and rear LED auto-off indicators (front indicators embedded in hand guards)
o Can also mount: Anti-theft system, Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) up/down, Heated grips,
Ducati Multimedia System (DMS)
o Fuel tank capacity 14.5 litres
o Inseam 1,940 mm (-53 mm vs previous model)
o Seat height 870 mm
o Lean angle 44°
o Kerb weight 200 kg (-4 kg vs previous model)

Hypermotard 950 SP

PRICE: £14,295
Colour
o SP colour scheme with red frame and black wheel rims
Main as-standard equipment – as per the Hypermotard 950 except for:
o Fully adjustable 48 mm Öhlins fork, with 185 mm of wheel travel
o Fully adjustable Öhlins shock absorber with 175 mm of wheel travel
o Forged Marchesini wheels with three Y-spokes
o Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) Up and Down EVO
o Flat seat
o Carbon fibre components: front mudguard, belt covers
o Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tyres
o Inseam 1,980 mm (-53 mm vs previous model)
o Seat height 890 mm
o Lean angle 47°
o Kerb weight 198 kg (-3 kg vs previous model)