Hyper Motard Check In

They aren't a pain, they are easy to live with, they're reliable, and they do turn heads. On the right roads and rides the Hyper has few peers, but on a longer journeys, the limited tank range needs to be managed, and it can get tedious hanging out in the wind on this tall naked bike. The air cooled Bologna engine is one of my favorite ever. Primeval.

What makes you think it can't be both?

I've owned Ducatis for 20 years now. I've never recommended them to anyone*. Some people have had a horrible experience with them. Others (like me) don't.

I think some of the ex-owners who hate them were doomed to begin with. They aren't a good bike for people with little patience or a large sense of entitlement. A good dealer is critical, don't shop on price alone. It will most likely require more commitment on your part than the Suzukis. You have to remember it's made by a small company that builds about 40,000 bikes per year, not a huge conglomerate that builds 40,000 bikes/scooters/cars/and whatever else every month. There are going to be some rough edges here and there.

Life with my Hyper has been all smiles so far but I'm only about 550 miles into it. I hadn't even planned on buying one but I brought my 996 in for new tires, there it was, and one thing led to another. The only complaints I'd agree with are the suspension isn't modifiable and the range is on the short side. The fueling has not been an issue for me. It has enough power for what it is. The expanding plastic tank issue has me worried but an aftemarket tank will fix that problem plus add more range.

FWIW, no one who's ridden mine has come back without a smile on his face.


*EDIT: I just realized this isn't true, in fact I have recomended them recently...

There was a Ducati event in La Honda (mall town in the hills) a few weeks ago. I rode up on a bright red Motard, and a smokin' hot MILF walked over and and started asking questions about the bike. When I replied "it's my wife's bike, and she lets me ride it occasionally" she lost all interest in the bike and walked away.

Yes, they really do turn heads.

My wife wants to lower her 796 by 3/4" to an inch.

I'm not finding much online for a lowering link, and my local shop hasn't come up with an answer yet.

Anybody have a good option for lowering it?

Trim the seat. Cheaper than links (or other suspension mods) and doesn't screw up the geometry.

I also found the "D Performance Lowered Comfort Seat" - now I'm just trying to figure out if it's lower than the existing seat, or is only lower than the 1100 seat.

Recovering the seat is probably the best option.

I've read a few things about how some of these Ducati's don't run quite right from the factory, especially under 4000rpm, and require an aftermarket exhaust and tune to get things right. Is this true? Is this something I could expect from a Hypermotard 796 ?

...Yes, that is what is known as the "Ducati Tax."

Every new Ducati requires the DP computer and Termi Exhaust in order to run correctly. The stock fueling is tuned to pass emissions and noise and not to give proper performance. The DP computer and exhaust fixes this. So, just tack on another $3,000 to the price of any new Ducati.

Cheers.

I have a few hundred miles on my wife's 796.

The gearing is one of the stupidest things I've ever dealt with. At 75 on the freeway, it bogs if you upshift to 6th. It won't pull *at all* until you get to 4,000 RPM, so 6th gear is good for extended cruising at 85+ (on a naked bike).
Leaving from a stop requires at least 4k - from an 800cc twin.

It seems like a bike that would be wicked fast on a track, or an empty stretch of road. For day to day riding in the real world, with traffic, I'm not loving it. I'm hoping that a 1 tooth drop on the countershaft sprocket makes a big enough difference.

I was stuck on a slight uphill, in stop and go traffic a few weeks ago. To get the bike to move, I'd rev to 5k and slip the clutch to move forward a bit. 5k in first is about 20 mph, so I'd catch the car in front of me instantly. Wait. Rev. Slip. Brake. Wait. Rev. Slip. Brake. On my Wee, I'd idle up the hill at 2k and never touch the brakes or clutch.

It's a cool bike, but the gearing is just useless if you have any traffic around you.

Check

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and

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Short gal over on the ducati board and the mods to her 796. She is like 5 ft tall.

So, what I've read is actually true? Hard to believe they could put out bikes like this. I love to farkle a bike, but dropping $3000 just to get it to run right is a bit much. Guess I'll have to look at that Street Triple R a bit more.... haven't read anything about a "Triumph Tax" to get them to run right.

Pssst... over here... yeah, keep your voice down so we don't get shouted down by the faithful... the quick answer is no, that isn't true. Now the rambling begins.

I've got about 600 miles on my 796 Hyper. I plan on leaving my exhaust stock in part as a counterpoint to the "Termi Tax" disciples. Other people have ridden my bike, including a guy who has spent many hours and hundreds/thousands of dollars chasing fueling on his (Termi equipped) Streetfighter. None of these people have complained about the fueling, aside from burbling when it's off throttle. This can be fixed with a remap but it's not worth the bother to me at this point.

Yes, you can improve fueling by going with aftermarket stuff. And/or you can send your ECU off to certain people who can reflash it with a new map that takes care of the lean running at low rpm. That should eliminate the burble and make it run smoother under 4000rpm. No Termis needed.

About the whole "Termi Tax" thing. People have been replacing the stock exhaust on Ducatis since they started building streetbikes. Then the fueling gets adjusted to work with the new exhaust. Then the idea that you have to change both get's put out there like some undeniable fact and here we are with the Termi Tax myth. Why can't the fueling be adjusted without changing the exhaust? In the case of the 796, it can. So if the fueling truly bothers you, you can send off the ECU and have it flashed for, what is it, about $300 these days?

I think if all the people who change their exhaust out would honestly look at why they are doing it, sound would be the number one reason. You can adjust the fueling without changing the exhaust. More power? How often is your bike at WOT? So open the throttle further when you need more power. Spend the Termi money on track days and riding schools, the bike will be faster everywhere instead of just on the straights. Nope, let's be honest here people. Sound is the big driver for that $3000 exhaust. Looks probably figures in at number two I suppose. And there is NOTHING wrong with either of those reasons. But you HAVE to buy an exhaust to get it to run "right"? Sorry, I'm not buying it. Not on a 796.

FWIW I rarely ride in slow traffic and the engine is typically spinning at least 3500rpm. Every Ducati I've ever owned has spent most of it's time at 3500rpm or higher - it's not a Harley. I've been riding Ducatis for over 20 years now and I probably do "ride around" issues without realizing it... which means to me they really aren't issues.

The gearing has been tall on Ducatis ever since the EPA made noise testing mandatory. But I have never been in a situation where I've needed to rev the bike to 5000rpm to get it to move. When it needs sprockets and a chain I'll change the ratios, but until then it stays stock. 4000rpm just to pull away from a light? That hasn't been my experience.

I'm talking about the 796 Hypermotard only here. I have zero experience with the latest Superbike engines and they may well need attention to not be annoying - my buddy's Streetfighter did. I'm not saying the people who insist on spending thousands of dollars to "fix" the fueling on a 796 are wrong, I'm just saying I enjoy the hell out of my bike and it's still 100% stock. Yes, it has shortcomings and things I'd like to address. The fueling is not high on that list however.

IMHO if you really need to complain about something on the 796 it should be the non-modifiable forks and the tank that may or may not expand...

Bottom line, you really need to ride one before buying to see how it fits your riding style. I am sure that the people with differing experiences are not making it up, I just don't share their experiences.


EDIT: FWIW three of my current Ducatis are fuel injected. Only one of them has a non stock exhaust (my 996) though I admit that two (907 and 996) of them have been re-chipped. The 996 has a modified stock exhaust purely in an attempt to make it sound better. I used to design OEM automotive exhaust systems for a living and still have a prototype shop at my disposal, so coring a stock 996 muffler wasn't exactly rocket science...

Every new Ducati? I ain’t buyin’ that. My 2010 EVO SP 1100, bought new this year runs great. No low rpm fueling problems at all, it’s pretty damn smooth & steady. I have seen others on the Ducati.ms board complain about it though. Maybe I just got lucky.
Down the road a ways after the pain from the initial price of this bike wears off a bit I may start adding some of that high buck stuff for a bit more power, but for now it seems fine & I’m very happy with the bike.
This is my 1st Duc, but I think I pretty much have to agree with all that DesmoDog posted

I have to wonder what is really wrong with OaklandStrom’s 796 if he needs 4000 rpm to pull away from a light. :huh
That just ain’t right.

Try this: Sit in crap traffic, pointed uphill.
You have two choices - slip the clutch till it smells bad, or twist the throttle and disengage the clutch quickly. At 4k, it won't do it.

All I'm saying is that gearing choices were made by Captain Retardo, and it puts out less torque than I would expect from an 800cc twin.

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Still have my 2007 1100S after four years.
I ended up stripping the bike down, all the problems related to the previous owner and servicing said to be done not being true.

My only complaints with my 796.


1. Front end is soft ($60 fix from info I just read)
2. Lack of helmet locks, which I fixed on my own.


I've got 4,000 miles on my 796 and I've ridden in stop and go traffic, mountain twisties, solo, and 2-up. I even marshalled in the US Pro cycling challenge time trial when it was in Vail. Which is nothing but a slow speed skills test going up a curvy hill with people everywhere at like 10 miles an hour. I lived in the friction zone that day,

Bike did fantastic.

My bike is stock, and I love it.

My 1100 Hyper works real good around town. Having a lot more steering lock than some of my other bikes is real nice too. Much easier to do a u-turn on a two lane street than the others.

Couldn't agree more. Around town the bike is a pleasure. Mine's bone stock and I have no issues with fueling or gearing. I've been riding v-twins for years so maybe I'm numb to the condition.