38 MOTORCYCLE MOJO MAY 2019
SP Model on the Track
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slightly jerky affair as I adjusted to the
sharp throttle response metering out
that meaty mid-range when in Sport
mode. A slight brain-to-throttle-hand
recalibration and things smoothed out
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things were dialled in. The torque curve
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twist of the wrist away in any of the
four second-gear corner exits.
The electronics package consists of a
Bosch six-axis IMU (inertial measure-
ment unit) controlling cornering ABS,
Ducati traction-control EVO, wheelie-
control EVO, and Ducati Quick Shift,
with varying degrees of customizability
via the left handlebar switchgear. Sport,
Touring, Urban and a track mode are
available. The lowest level of ABS
intervention (it can’t be completely
turned off) activates Ducati Slide by
Brake, which allows for a degree of
rear-wheel sliding mid-corner using the
rear brake.
The Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 tires
warmed up quickly and provided
fantastic grip and stability. The bike
is tall, as supermotos are, but the bike
tipped in smoothly and predictably, and
tackled the quick left-right transition
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although the suspension wallowed very
slightly here. With a little more time, I
might have asked for some adjustments
to the Öhlins to suit my weight and
help prevent that wallow, but out of the
box, the setup was already quite close.
Accelerating and Stopping
The SP’s quick shifter is a must for
serious track duty, taking the clutch and
throttle modulation out of the equation
when hustling in and out of corners.
The Ducati’s gearbox was smooth and
crisp, although I did encounter a false
neutral or two over three sessions on
the track. These can likely be chalked
up to low-mileage gearboxes and me
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shifter on occasion. A slight adjustment
to the shift lever to better suit my foot
position may have helped as well.
Otherwise, the shifting and gearing
were spot on.
The Brembo brakes were certainly
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mushy for feel. Speaking to a few of the
other journalists, I learned some had the
same feeling, while others did not, so it
may have been a nuance between bikes,
or possibly a tiny bit of air in my tester’s
brake lines. In comparison, I found the
rear brake slightly on the touchy side,
but these are very minor nitpicks for a
brake setup that is quite good overall.
By the end of the track sessions, I
was struck by how effortless it was
to ride this bike at a decent pace and
start getting loose and lofty. It is an
extremely capable bike that takes the
complication out of the equation using
advanced technology. It almost feels
like cheating.
Base Model on the Street
On a base Hypermotard for the
street ride, the 20 mm shorter seat
height difference is noticeable. Ducati
went to great lengths to design the
saddle, frame and rear of the tank to be
narrower than the previous generation,
such that the rider’s feet could reach the
ground easier than the tall seat height
measurement (870 mm base, 890 mm
SP) would suggest. Make no mistake,
this is a tall bike, but Ducati’s efforts do
make the bike feel much shorter than
others with similar seat heights (the
Yamaha Super Tenere, at 870 mm in the
high setting, comes to mind).
Coming off the SP, frantically bang
ing up- and downshifts with the quick
shifter on the track, the lack of said
quick shifter on the base Hypermotard
on the street is a bit of a letdown.
My, aren’t we spoiled? That said, the
Hyper’s new hydraulic clutch is near
perfect, and the gearbox is superb
even without the quick shifter. When
switched to Touring mode for the street
ride, the throttle response is dialled
back by the RbW (ride by wire) system,
which was just right for the endless
tight switchbacks on the glorious roads
above Maspalomas.
Normally, the street-ride portion
would put a lot less stress on brakes,
chassis and suspension, but the truly
PRESS LAUNCH 2019 DUCATI HYPERMOTARD 950
THE SP’S QUICK SHIFTER
I S A M U S T F O R
SERIOUS TRACK DUTY,
TAKING THE CLUTCH AND
THROTTLE MODULATION
OUT OF THE EQUATION
WHEN HUSTLING IN AND
OUT OF CORNERS