Ducati recently confirmed that a mid-sized Hypermotard is on the way and – according to MCN – it will be unveiled next week. The entirely new bike is supposed to be powered by the 696cc air-cooled V-twin currently found on the middleweight Monster, but nothing is sure until Ducati takes the wraps off the new model next weekend.
Drawing inspiration from the current 1100/1100S Hypermotards, the new model should be a much lighter and very nimble motorcycle capable of performing well both during urban adventures and track riding sessions alike. The engine should be tuned for more low-to-mid rpm power and that always gives riders a rush. Still, we should wait until Ducati finally releases some official info about this model. To be continued…
A French fan of Suzuki has imagined the Japanese manufacturer’s 2010 model range and put his Photoshop skills to work in a quite successful (in our opinion) attempt of showing how the B-King, GSX-R series, GSX650F, SV650, SV1000 and DR-Z400SM might end up looking in the year to come.
While the visual changes imagined for each motorcycle aren’t dramatic, this might very well reflect reality for models which won’t be significantly upgraded.
Two sophisticated Aprilias that are built for lots of fun, practicability, and teaching beginners how to ride: the 2009 RX 50 and SX 50 meet their purposes with excellence and situate themselves in a class of their own. Full story
Aprilia carries on the production of their latest Supermoto and Enduro 125cc models, the SX 125 and RX 125, in 2009. Currently not new in the lineup, but radically improved, the models announced a whole new kind of fun both on dirt tracks and on paved ones with the occasion of last year’s revision. Now, we got the chance to swing a leg over each model and couldn’t be more impressed, given the category. Full story
Aprilia came across a unique recipe for the enduro/supermoto world, one that enables their riders to rule the trails as well as the supermoto competitions in the same time. The big secret is the 450/550cc V-twin motor found on the RXV models and on the much more interesting and versatile SXV ones that now got our attention.
Although the transformation from an off-road bike into a super motard is rather facile, Aprilia went the whole way and created completely new rides in order to dominate the tracks. Furthermore, the SXV 2008 VDB Replica comes as a purely competition motorcycle born from the need to deliver the very best of engine performance and chassis refinement, the results being even elbow scratching 90-degree turns.
Aprilia has come a long way with the Pegaso 650 and we’re now witnessing the presence of more than one such model in their lineup. The Factory and Trail are two similar and yet very different models. Although featuring the same engine and chassis, one fits in the supermotard category and the other in the enduro one. This really shows the Italian manufacturer’s talent in transforming a bike depending on the requests of riders, but also how versatile the Pegaso 650 actually is. Full story
Italian manufacturers are great when it comes to supermoto rides and Aprilia is definitely an uncontestable competitor for the best possible place on the podium and on the market.
Using the same successful recipe used when creating the SXVs, they went ahead of the competition and built the street-oriented Dorsoduro 750 ABS, a middleweight that is claimed to bring a new kind of excitement on the streets and on the track.
Hypermotards are all about combining the right amout of power with perfect balance and chassis geometry for excellent feedback. It all resumes to upgrating those aggressive riding skills and obtaining better and better lap times. That’s what Ducati concentrates on with their 2009 Hypermotard 1100 and 1100 S models, ensuring that every single owner brags about its ride each time it takes it closer to the limits. Full story
This video shows racers David Checa and Dani Ribalta doing their thing on Supermotos and, along with it, prove that backing it in and scratching elbows isn’t just for MotoGP. Make sure you don’t miss the end!
We’ve long been craving to find which specific motorcycle could have possibly met the demands necessary to shoot the kind of action footage used for Terminator Salvation and not in a thousand years would the Ducati Hypermotard 1100 have emerged from our apocalyptic images-intoxicated brains. Yet, the answer was always there only that we couldn’t pass over the Ducati’s impeccable finishing and spot the very essence of the bike.