Ducati Hypermotard 950 launched at Rs11.99 lakh (ex-showroom)

Ducati has launched the much-awaited Hypermotard 950 at Rs11.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The fully loaded SP variant might be launched at a later date, depending on the market response. In India, the Hypermotard 950 goes up against the Aprilia Dorsoduro 900. So what does the new Hypermotard 950 have in store for us?

Engine

The Hypermotard 950 is powered by the same 937cc testastretta 11° L-twin engine but with new pistons, which brings the already high compression ratio of 13.1:1 to an even higher figure at 13.3:1. Couple this with the updated exhaust cam profile, aluminium chain tensioner (instead of the steel one on the 939) and a lighter gear shift drum, and we get a performance increase of 4bhp of power and 1Nm of torque making the new figures 114bhp of power at 9000rpm and 96Nm of torque at 7250rpm. The bike also sheds 4kg courtesy the magnesium cylinder head covers, revised steel trellis frame and other tweaks making the dry weight stand a measly 178kg.

Chassis and electronics

The 950 now uses fully adjustable Marzocchi 45mm forks and continues with the Sachs monoshock at the rear. Braking duties are taken care of by Brembo’s M4.32 radial callipers and 320mm rotors out front and a 2-piston Brembo calliper with a 245mm rotor at the rear. The 950 also comes with updated electronics including by a Bosch 6-axis IMU with cornering ABS, traction control and wheelie control. The SP also gets the bi-directional quickshifter as standard and we expect Ducati India to offer it as an option on the base variant. The bike now comes fitted with a 4.3-inch TFT display similar to that of the Monster 821 making the entire interface extremely pleasing to the eye.

In terms of looks, the 950 looks a lot more modern thanks to the revised headlamp cluster and of course, the twin exhausts that debuted on the original Hypermotard 1100 way back in 2007.