2019 Ducati Hypermotard 950/SP

Since its first public showing 15 years ago, the Ducati Hypermotard has been an outlier in the motorcycle world: part sportbike, part supermoto, and all fun. Sharper styling and revised ergonomics—wider handlebars, a slimmer fuel tank, and a narrower seat—bring the latest-generation Hypermotard 950 more in line with the wild-and-woolly original. Displacing the same 937cc as last year’s model, the Testastretta 11° engine has a new exhaust cam, higher compression, larger throttle bodies, and reworked exhaust plumbing to reportedly pump out 4 more horsepower. The trellis frame is also new and the steel tubes vary in diameter to reduce weight. A 45mm Marzocchi fork, Y-shaped-spoke wheels, and brake discs with aluminum flanges shed additional mass.

In fact, according to Ducati, the Hypermotard 950 is 8 pounds lighter than the previous 939, and the flashier Hypermotard 950 SP—fully adjustable Öhlins fork and shock, carbon-fiber fender and timing-belt cover, Marchesini forged aluminum wheels, and quickshifter—scales in 6 pounds less than the older SP and 4.4 pounds under the standard model. Both machines are equipped with a sophisticated six-axis Bosch Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) featuring traction/wheelie control and cornering ABS.

Likes: Flicks quickly from side to side; bump-eating long-travel suspension

Dislikes: SP moniker adds $3,400 to MSRP of standard Hypermotard 950

Verdict: V-twin supermoto thrills in a lighter, more sophisticated package

Ducati launched the new Hypermotard 950 on Gran Canaria, a picturesque volcanic lump located among the Spanish Canary Islands. “Wheelies are at the ready with a twist of throttle or clutch dip,” contributing editor Don Canet wrote in his review, “and the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IIIs deliver cat-on-carpet cornering grip.”

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In the spring of 2005, designer Pierre Terblanche pitched Ducati on “an extreme streetfighter.” The bike debuted that fall, and various models of have been produced since in a range of engine displacements. Competition runs the gamut: Aprilia Dorsoduro 900, KTM 1290 Super Duke R, and Husqvarna 701 Supermoto, among others.

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Legal counsel suggested: Whether you decide to buy the Hypermotard 950 or the lighter, racier, and 20-percent pricier Hypermotard 950 SP, a “Get Out of Jail Free” card is not among the many available factory accessories/options. Ducati has improved the Hypermotard’s handling manners, but wheelie at your own risk!