Project Ducati Hypermotard Part 1

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We started our project with an S Model.  The Hypermotard S has a few higher performance features.  The S model has slick DLC coating on the fork stanchion tubes for smoother action and an Ohlins double adjustable remote reservoir shock with a ride height adjustable linkage, The S model comes with lightweight forged Marchesini wheels.  Marchesini is like the Volk of the motorcycle world and like Volks, they are super light, weighing 2 kg less than the stock wheels.  The Marchesini wheels are wrapped with 120/70 front and fat 180/55 rear Pirelli Diablo Corso III soft compound tires.  These tires are the motorcycle equivalent of an R-Compound DOT race tire.

The Ducati Hypermotard S has a brake system any car guy would die for.  Dual Brembo monoblock 4 piston calipers with big floating rotors!

The brakes on the S-model are also upgraded to hardware that will make any car guy go bonkers.  Dual 4-piston, radial mount, Brembo monoblock calipers activated by a responsive radial pull master cylinder squeeze twin 305mm floating rotors in the front.  The rear brake is a twin piston Brembo caliper with a 245mm rotor. The S-model also comes with various carbon fiber parts that take place of the normal plastics of the base model.  The cam belt covers, front fender, fork protectors and tail side covers are all carbon eye candy.

In short the Ducati Hypermotard has the road handling and braking of a state of the art sport bike with a limited off road capability similar to an adventure bike.  A nearly stock Hypermotard won the Pikes Peak hill climb which is a mix of pavement and smooth dirt, a perfect match for the Hypermotard.  The responsive torquey engine and light weight make the bike quicker than the power numbers indicate.  The Hypermotard is capable of embarrassing many sport bikes in the twisties and on the track.  Like a high strung Supermoto bike, the Hypermotard is exceedingly fun to ride, light, quick and nimble.  Unlike a Supermoto, the Hypermotard is relaxed, easy and low maintenance with an everyday rider, road trip reliability.

The Hypermotard S comes with forged Marchesini wheels and soft compound Pirelli Diablo Corsa III tires.  This is the motorcycle equivalent to Volk TE37’s and RA-1’s.

Why did we select this somewhat unusual bike?  The answer is somewhat novel.  The editor that owns Project Ducati Hypermotard has his roots in off road and Motocross racing and although he has several different sport and vintage bikes, he is still the most comfortable with the feel and seating position of his old Motocross bikes.  The Hypermotard is perfect in this regard, the performance of a sport bike with the feel of a dirt bike.

Of course the MotoIQ crew never leaves anything alone so we are going to tweak our Hypermotard to make it more to our liking.  For assistance we enlisted the help of AMS.  No not the AMS that makes awesome parts for your EVO but Advanced Motorsports, a performance and motorsports oriented Ducati dealer located in the Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas area.  Jeff Nash, the owner and founder of Advanced Motorsports is a six-time National Roadracing Champion. Jeff’s passion for Ducati motorcycles has served as the foundation for Advanced Motorsports.

Jeff’s resume is broad and deep with motorcycle expertise.  Jeff developed and directed operations for Ducati North America’s roadracing team and engaged in R & D and product development for the Ducati factory.  Jeff is a member of the AMA Board of Directors and the AMA Pro-Racing Board of Directors.  He has also engineered and developed a line of products for Ducati motorcycles exclusive to AMS. Jeff has been awarded “Technician of the Year” by Ducati North America many times for excellence and going the extra mile for his customers. Jeff is also available for private consultations or groups of individuals wanting to improve their riding skills. 

It takes some balls and faith in your dealer to tear into a brand new bike.  We were in good hands at AMS.

The service team at Advanced Motorsports has over 50 years accumulated experience and is completely dedicated to Ducati. AMS is a state of the art facility with complete in-house machine shop, in-house dynamometer and three AMA Pro-Racing Mechanics of the Year.  AMS’s services include; full suspension service, scheduled maintenance, performance modifications, engine building and track side support.  With these sorts of qualifications, we were glad to partner with AMS on the build of our bike.