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The 2023 Ducati Hypermotard 950 SP ($18,695). Hard to argue with the special livery that distinguishes the SP model from the base Hyper.
The 2023 Ducati Hypermotard 950 SP ($18,695). Hard to argue with the special livery that distinguishes the SP model from the base Hyper. (Ducati/)

Ups

For when pure riding excitement is the objectiveRowdy engine character makes revving the throttle super addictingIMU-managed electronic aids help riders in case they get too carried away

Downs

Relatively tall seat height may not suit everyonePracticality takes a back seat to good times

Verdict

Ducati made the Hypermotard 950 to maximize two-wheeled fun. With gobs of low-down torque, a helmet-over-the-front-wheel seating position, and long-travel suspension, the Hyper practically makes the morning commute as appealing as a blast down your local twisties.

A tall, motocross-style handlebar contributes to the upright ergonomics and offers a ton of leverage when flicking the Hypermotard around on a tight, twisty road.
A tall, motocross-style handlebar contributes to the upright ergonomics and offers a ton of leverage when flicking the Hypermotard around on a tight, twisty road. (Ducati/)

Overview

If laughing in your helmet is priority number one, the Ducati Hypermotard 950 is definitely worth a look. While true motards—or supermotos—are typically based on 450 motocrossers, the Hypermotard is based on what can only be described as an absurd idea. First introduced in 2007, the Hypermotard 1100 was Pierre Terblanche’s final design for Ducati. Dressing the 1,100cc desmodue engine in beefed-up supermoto clothes seemed daft, but the model has become a stalwart in Ducati’s lineup—and for good reason.

The Hyper is Ducati’s night out on the town. It may get a bit rowdy and a little giggly, but it doesn’t totally forget that it also wins world championships. The 950 uses the 937cc Testastretta 11° engine, a classic trellis frame, single-sided swingarm, underseat exhaust, and a full suite of electronic rider aids—not exactly the formula for a standard supermoto, but pretty classic Ducati stuff here.

The Hyper’s unconventional seating position and relatively long-travel suspension turn out to be pretty well-suited to tackling real world roads, and the engine’s bottomless torque makes it one of the most exhilarating twins to thrash this side of 150 horsepower. Ducati should let its hair down more often. Another round of negroni’s per favore!

The Hypermotard is one of the ultimate hooligan bikes.
The Hypermotard is one of the ultimate hooligan bikes. (Ducati/)

Updates for 2023

The Hypermotard 950 and 950 SP are unchanged for 2023.

Pricing And Variants

The Hypermotard is available in two versions: the base model ($14,995) and the 950 SP ($18,695). The SP has a racing inspired SP livery, an up/down quickshifter, forged Marchesini wheels, longer-travel Öhlins suspension front and rear, and a carbon fiber mudguard and timing belt covers. The base model has a lower 34.2-inch seat height with shorter travel Marzocchi forks and Sachs shock (6.7 inches of travel in the front and 5.9 inches in the rear). By comparison, the SP’s Öhlins units have 7.3 inches of travel in the front and 6.9 inches in the rear, bringing the seat height to 35 inches.

Competition

While there are plenty of hyper naked motorcycles out there, the Hypermotard is the only, well, hyper motard. For a truer interpretation of the supermoto, check out the KTM SMC R ($12,999). Its single-cylinder engine limits its all-around usability and it produces far less horsepower than the Hypermotard, but unlike the KTM 450 SMR—Mattighoffen’s legit supermoto—it’s street-legal. The KTM 890 Duke R ($12,949) is realistically the closest competitor in terms of providing wheelie-happy good times.

The Hypermotard uses Ducati’s 937cc Testastretta 11° engine.
The Hypermotard uses Ducati’s 937cc Testastretta 11° engine. (Ducati/)

Powertrain: Engine, Transmission, and

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By: Cycle World Staff
Title: 2023 Ducati Hypermotard 950/SP
Sourced From: www.motorcyclistonline.com/ducati/hypermotard-950-sp/
Published Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2023 10:00:02 +0000

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Prizefighter: A custom Ducati Monster 600 built for a Turkish actor

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Custom Ducati Monster 600 by Bunker Custom Cycles
The Ducati Monster is widely credited with saving the Italian marque in the 90s. Part of its success lies in its minimalist brawler aesthetic—and part of it lies in the fact that Ducati has always offered the Monster in myriad engine sizes at varying price points. If you couldn’t quite spring for an M900 back in 1994, the Ducati Monster 600 looked just as cool, cost less, and still made adequate power.

Decades on, the Monster is a very different beast and has even shed its trademark trellis frame. But the mid-90s Monster still has appeal—and it’s got tons of custom bike potential, as evidenced by this custom Ducati Monster 600 from Turkey’s Bunker Custom Cycles.

Custom Ducati Monster 600 by Bunker Custom Cycles

The 1998-model Monster 600 belongs to the Turkish actor Kadir Doğulu, who went through considerable effort to obtain it. The story goes that the bike was one of four imported to Turkey in the late 90s as show bikes for a major local 4×4 event. Kadir spotted it in the corner of a parking garage gathering dust and hassled the owner for ten years before he finally agreed to sell it.

By then, the Monster 600 was desperately in need of rescue. A decade of being parked had given the elements time to work, leaving the chassis, fuel tank, and a whole whack of alloy parts covered in rust. Kadir held onto the bike for a while, then called in the brothers at Bunker Custom Cycles, Mert and Can Uzer, to revive it.

Custom Ducati Monster 600 by Bunker Custom CyclesRead More

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By: Wesley Reyneke
Title: Prizefighter: A custom Ducati Monster 600 built for a Turkish actor
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/custom-ducati-monster-600
Published Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2023 18:57:09 +0000

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Where Is the 2024 Honda CB750 Hornet Naked Bike?

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Honda’s CB750 Hornet was officially unveiled in Europe last year, and has appeared in other markets globally—just not the US.
Honda’s CB750 Hornet was officially unveiled in Europe last year, and has appeared in other markets globally—just not the US. (Honda Europe/)

It’s been 25 years since Honda’s massively popular 600cc Hornet wheelied onto European tarmac, so when word got out a couple of years ago that a new Hornet was in development the buzz (sorry) around the internet was palpable. The first and second-gen Hornets were almost universally beloved for their light weight, revvy characterful engine, and uh, down-to-earth price tags. Fun, practical, and cheap? It’s no wonder crowds of riders signed up to own one. And while the naked-bike segment has evolved tremendously in the ensuing years, a midsize model with those same characteristics along with the reliability and build quality Honda’s known for—at the right price—might still put up a good fight against its Trident 660 and MT-07 rivals.

The Hornet’s chassis is dominated by a new lightweight diamond steel frame and Showa suspension front and rear.
The Hornet’s chassis is dominated by a new lightweight diamond steel frame and Showa suspension front and rear. (Honda Europe/)

Sure enough, Honda pulled the wraps off its long-anticipated CB750 Hornet at the 2022 Intermot show in Germany, and it had all the goods we could hope for: a rollicking 91 hp twin engine (not an inline-four like the old model), a robust menu of standard features, and a better-than-expected electronics package. The compact 755cc Unicam eight-valve parallel-twin engine was entirely new, as was the diamond steel frame, and the bike sported throttle-by-wire, ABS, four ride modes, traction and wheelie control, a six-speed transmission, and more.

Initial reports praised its fat midrange, agility, and unique sound (for a parallel twin). It weighed less than 420 pounds, and for a naked middleweight, the price was right; less than 8,000 euro (about $8,500 USD).

Related: 2024 Honda XL750 Transalp First Look Preview

The new Hornet shares its all-new compact 755cc parallel-twin engine with Honda’s just-released XL750 Transalp, though there are slight differences.
The new Hornet shares its all-new compact 755cc parallel-twin engine with Honda’s just-released XL750 Transalp, though there are slight differences. (Honda Europe/)

You can bet plenty of US riders immediately thought, “Great, North America will get it next year.” And really, that didn’t seem like an outlandish idea. The bike had been teased since at least 2021, beginning with computer illustrations and then more fleshed-out reveals of a concept version; it had now become a familiar formula, with Honda then usually releasing a full production model in Europe, followed a year later with entry into the North American market. But here we are at the end of 2023 and many of the 2024 US models have already been announced, including the reborn 2024 Transalp model, which—it almost feels like a slap in the face—uses the same exact 755cc engine as the Hornet. A bike with the same drivetrain as the Hornet, that wasn’t expected in the US at all this year, and yet…

Hello, Honda?

A 5.0-inch color TFT display allows access to rider modes, traction control, engine-braking, and anti-wheelie settings.
A 5.0-inch color TFT display allows access to rider modes, traction control, engine-braking, and anti-wheelie settings. (Honda Europe/)

As we said, the engine is all-new, with the parallel twin using Honda’s latest vortex airflow ducting to improve intake flow in the low-end and midrange. Peak power is 90.5 hp at 9,500 rpm, with max torque of 55.3 lb.-ft. coming on at 7,250 rpm. The Hornet’s 755cc mill also uses a 270-degree crank for an uneven firing interval that injects more character to its delivery as well as its sound.

To be fair, the Transalp’s mill is ever so slightly different, with the airbox inlets being longer to give it more midrange, and its back

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By: Andrew Cherney
Title: Where Is the 2024 Honda CB750 Hornet Naked Bike?
Sourced From: www.motorcyclistonline.com/news/honda-cb750-hornet-coming-soon-rumors/
Published Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2023 22:17:08 +0000

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Make some noize for the Kawasaki H1 that didn’t race at Glemseck

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Kawasaki H1 drag bike by Krautmotors
The Glemseck 101 is the European event for anyone who loves fast, impractical, and highly imaginative machines. Those who partake in it do so with cult-like levels of obsession—returning year after year in a bid to outdo each other and themselves.

Rolf Reick is a regular face at the Glemseck 101. Based in Heidelberg, Germany, the perpetually cheerful industrial designer heads up a design school in the nearby town of Mannheim. But he also has years of experience building custom bikes—like this wild Kawasaki H1 two-stroke—under the banner of Krautmotors.

Kawasaki H1 drag bike by Krautmotors

Rolf has stockpiled a number of rad bits and pieces over the years. So he set himself a goal of building a drag bike for this year’s Glemseck 101 using only recycled parts from his personal stash, turning to external sources only when necessary. (It’s not the first time he’s used this approach.)

One of the parts that Ralf already had on hand was the triple-cylinder two-stroke engine from a Kawasaki H1 Mach III; the original ‘Widowmaker.’ But it was far from stock. It had previously been rebuilt by the Kawasaki specialist Ralf Gille, with a host of upgrades that included extensive head work, a new crankshaft, and a set of Mikuni carbs.

Kawasaki H1 drag bike by KrautmotorsRead More

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By: Wesley Reyneke
Title: Make some noize for the Kawasaki H1 that didn’t race at Glemseck
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/kawasaki-h1-krautmotors
Published Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2023 18:01:55 +0000

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