RIDE REVIEW I DUCATI HYPERMOTARD 950 SP
P78
quite stiffly sprung so it's something to
bear in mind if you're thinking about pick-
ing one up. That being said, the chas-
sis composure offered by this setup is
bang-on for hard and fast riding, and with
the right rider on board it'll nail a canyon
at very close to the same speed as any
proper sportbike will—especially when
the road starts getting tight.
Compared to my previous Hypermo-
tard experience which was, admittedly,
a long time ago, this one was much
more enjoyable due to the flexibility
of that 937cc motor and the myriad of
electronics that come with it. Like any
modern Ducati with a sporting glint in its
eye, you get basically every electronic
bell and whistle but the way the elec-
tronics pamper the rider by making them
push that little bit harder without feeling
like a dog on a leash is impressive.
The variable riding modes and cor-
responding power modes give you the
ability to create your perfect throttle
response, and if it all goes wrong you've
got Bosch's Cornering ABS to haul you
up (within reason).
Around town, the motor is an absolute
peach. Low-down throttle response
when the ECU is switched to the
Road map is delightfully snatch-free,
and slow-speed traffic navigating is a
joy when tapping on the light-action
quickshifter. Start ripping up through
the gears on hard acceleration and the
Hyper really starts to show its teeth and
(Top) Part of the
extra $3500 spent
gets you a shiny
Ohlins fork and
this shock, plus
the corresponding
increase in
handling behavior
you'd expect from
such an upgrade.
(Bottom) Parker
Pitman was here.
