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It is a Beast

I read several reviews of the 2008 Hypermotard before I purchased my 2009. The bike is pretty much the same between the two year models.

First thing you should know is it is an 1100 air cooled V-twin engine and doesn't produce near the horsepower of a high rev sport bike like the Kawasaki Ninja ZX...14 or the Hyabusa but with the power to weight ratio of the Hypermotard 1100 makes more than enough power.
Wheelie machine! It will stand up in 1st and 2nd with just a twist of the throttle. It will easily sand up in 3rd and 4th if you clutch it.
Stops on a dime. The dual rotor front Brembo disk breaks are more than enough to bring this beast to a hault. If you need more the "S" model has upgraded calipers but unless you are racing on a regular basis I don't see the need.
Suspension. Great all around. There is plenty of adjustments in both front and rear to fine tune the Hypermotard to your liking. If you are racing, you can get the "S" model with the upgraded Ohlins rear shock and lighter front forks but for the street, the base model is better than you will find in most other bikes.
Clutch. It has a dry clutch like most Ducatis. This makes for easy and quick changes to the clutch if needed. If you have any mechanical ability you can change or upgrade the clutch (pressure plate, springs, clutch plates, basket, etc.) with minimal tools and 30 minutes. Some somplain that the dry clutch is a little "grabby" but, coming from sports bikes, I have not found the clutch any problem at all. I drive primarily in town, stop light to stop light, and have no issues with the clutch.
Exhaust. I never rode mine with the factory undertail exhaust so I can't really speak from experience. I had the Termingoni race exhaust with the race ECU installed at the dealer as part of the initial purchase. Sounds great and adds a few more horses to the beast.
Fun factor. I have owned over a dozen bikes in my life and I will say the Hypermotard is more overall fun than any of them. It can do 130mph if you want to but the most fun is the twisties and just being a hooligan. You will drag pegs and rip your leg off before it gets out from under you. Wheelies and stoppies all around town. The Hypermotard is more fun than should be allowed on two wheels. Read Full Review

Like being a kid again

This is my first Ducati, so I can't compare to other Italian bikes, but it's also my 80th motorcycle, so I'm not a noob. I went through the Japanese phase 30 years go, then the BMW phase for 15 years and then the Harley phase for 10 years (there's some overlap there as I'm not 100 years old). This i...s by far the most fun bike I've ever owned.

I've only made minor changes from stock for now because it just does everything I want as it is. It's not a screaming Hayabusa, but I pretty much devastated my buddy's 'Busa on the Dragon. There just wasn't room for him to outpower me and I could corner much better.

This thing is essentially a street-legal, 90hp dirt bike with street tires and that's just how it rides. Some guys even put their low-side foot down instead of their knee, but I don't have steel-soled shoes yet.

I'll never ride it as hard as it can be ridden, but there's a big smile on my face every mile. Read Full Review