Ducati made a radical move in the context of motorcycling when it launched the Hypermotard for the first time in 2007. Much before the Diavel, it was the Hypermotard which started the trend of ‘cross-breeding’ at Ducati. And even today, the Hypermotard bridged the gap between refined sportbikes and minimalist supermotards driven by the belief in the upright and in-control riding position of a dirt bike, but not the harsh characteristics of its single cylinder engine.

It recently ditched the 821cc Monster derived mill for an all-new four-stroke, 937cc L-twin and is a 113 hp rocket. It looks like Ducati is taking another dig at it and is giving it a sizeable update for the 2019 model. Friends from MoreBikes have managed to get their hands on the bike undergoing testing under camouflage.

The Hypermotard has proven to be a popular choice among Ducati aficionados. From the sturdy look of the Ohlins front forks to the Ducati signature single-sided swingarm and the single barrel exhaust, the Hypermotard’s design remains unique and pure Ducati.

All of this is going for a small makeover for 2019, and Ducati, instead of moving ahead, is actually going back in time for this. Don’t get me wrong, I like what I am looking at here. Fresh images snapped somewhere in Italy, shows the 2019 Hypermortard still looking as handsome but with a matured styling cues.

The 2019 edition will run on the same Tubular Steel trellis frame and the single-sided swingarm, but the subframe, however, will be swapped with a lattice framed unit that was seen on the Hypermortads seen from 2007-2012. The single-barrel exhaust unit too is swapped with a double can under-seat unit, harking back to the first Hypermortards we saw in the ‘07s.

Underneath its sleek body, the Hypermotard will run on the same four-stroke, L-twin, liquid cooled, fuel injected, 937cc engine, which now comes with a major bump in performance – 113 bhp of maximum power and 65.7 lb-ft of torque. It has been equipped with Ride-by-wire system, which enables three different engine mappings for the motorcycle for different usability of torque. This results in three different riding modes - Sport, Touring and Urban.

The 43 mm Ohlins upside-down front forks and fully adjustable Sachs mono-shock at the rear are set for an ideal balance to deliver both agility and good ride quality, traits which should be in an equal amount for a supermoto. Like the previous model, the Hypermotard 939 has been blessed with dual disc brakes at front and a single disc brake at rear, both sourced from Brembo, functioning of which are further strengthened by Bosch 9M ABS and Ducati Traction Control (DTC).

Expect a better electronics package for 2019 including the TFT instrumentation coming on all Ductatis’ these days. The Ducati Hypermotard currently comes with a price tag of $14,995. The 2019 Hypermortard will be showcased at the EICMA show in Milan or at the INTERMOT.