Ducati has launched the Hypermotard 950 in India, priced at Rs 11.99 lakh (ex-showroom, pan-India). Unveiled at EICMA 2018, the supermoto bike comes in as a replacement to the Hypermotard 939, a model that has almost sold out in India.
The Ducati Hypermotard 950 gets the same 937cc L-twin motor that did the duty in the 939. However, the compression ratio has gone up from 12.6:1 to 13.3:1, which has resulted in an increase in power and torque by 4hp and 1Nm, taking the total to 114hp and 96Nm. The motor is also tuned to make 80 percent of its peak torque at 3,000rpm. Other changes include new exhaust valve timing, a 53mm throttle body, a new injection control unit and a new hydraulic clutch.
Apart from the mechanical changes, the 950 gets a revised frame where the thickness of the steel trellis tubes has been reduced from 3mm to 2.5mm. This has resulted in a minor weight loss – from 181kg to 178kg (dry). The standard model gets a fully adjustable Marzocchi USD fork and Sachs monoshock, while the SP rides on fully adjustable Ohlins units on both the ends.
For 2019, the motorcycle also gets a six-axis-IMU and Bosch Cornering ABS Evo which has three settings. Additionally, Ducati has reintroduced the underseat exhaust exits on the 950, instead of the side-slung single-barrel unit on the Hypermotard 939.
The Ducati Hypermotard 950 has no direct rivals at this point and is priced Rs 82,000 more than the Hypermotard 939 that costs Rs 11.17 lakh (ex-showroom, pan-India).
Ved Janve
Vishal Venugopal
Dinshaw Magol
