The Big News: The Ducati Hypermotard

From the Ducati website;

NEW CONCEPT BIKE UNVEILED – THE DUCATI HYPERMOTARD
Ducati chose the Milan launch of the 2006 range to unveil a concept bike for the first time.
The Ducati Hypermotard. Stripped down to its essentials, the Hypermotard is an extreme performance, totally over-the-top motorcycle. Its purpose is single minded – to thrill.”

Is it a shot heard round the motorcycle world? Or perhaps just an admittance that Supermoto styled bikes are here to stay? Time will tell, but today Ducati announced a Supermoto prototype called the Hypermotard at the Milan Motorcycle Show. Conspiracy theorists will no doubt connect the dots between Ducati’s debut of Supermoto bike and their recent signing of former AMA Supermoto champion and SuperMoto X Gold Medal Winner Ben Bostrom for next seasons AMA Superbike Team. One has to imagine that when you take a company that has such a historical and passionate history for racing and pair them with perhaps the most verbal proponent of the newest AMA racing series, something eventually will happen. I suspect today is that day… As OneWheelDrive.Net pointed out;

If that wasn’t enough a concept bike the mad as a sack of frogs looking Hypermotard. Now look at it and ask yourself, “When did Ducati last make a concept that wasn’t a market test?” Multistrada, check… Sport Classics… check… Ooooh, this shows promise.

MCN has published these specs on the prototype;

It features a stripped down look, with a 1000cc Ducal Spark engine, twin exhausts, 50mm Marzocchi R.A.C. forks and an Ohlins remote reservoir shock. Other highlights include magnesium engine covers, and a single-sided swingarm. Stopping comes courtesy of a 320mm Brembo at the front and 240mm disc at the rear, halting the Marchesini racing wheels.

The offical Ducati word is a bit less technical and a bit more colorful…

The Ducati Hypermotard attacks urban canyons and carves up mountain passes with total abandon. High performance starts with attitude. Stripped down to its essentials, the Hypermotard is an extreme performance, totally over-the-top motorcycle. Its purpose is single minded ñ to thrill. Incredibly slim and exceptionally light, with a riding position to dominate, the Hypermotard is ready to rock every road. Race styling makes the blood boil, but the Hypermotard offers what no other bike in its class can: speeds exceeding 220 KPH on the track, fuel injection, and big bore acceleration with more than 100 horsepower on only 175Kg of dry weight ñ the most extreme, mountain-conquering, urban-assaulting machine ever – from Ducati.