The single-cylinder Ducati Hypermotard is rumoured to be powered by a 659cc mill putting it in the same ballpark as the RE’s 650cc line-up
Ducati, the Italian bike manufacturer is working on a smaller capacity version of its Hypermotard 950. As suggested by media reports, the bike is expected to get a smaller engine, probably a single-cylinder unit which could make it the most affordable offering in the brand’s portfolio. Well known for its premium motorcycle powered by V-twin and V4 engine configuration, the company now plans to foray into the affordable supermoto segment which is currently booming internationally.
We haven’t seen any single-cylinder bike from the Italian marque in recent times. But, the Supermono lightweight racing motorcycle powered by a 572cc single-cylinder engine putting out 75 bhp made during 1993-1995 is a solid example. This bike was capable of reaching a top speed of 220 kmph.
The recent test mule spotting comes from Ducati’s homeland, Italy. While it is quite clear from the spy images that it is a single-cylinder machine, the speculations of its 659cc displacement come down to the fact that the company homologated a 659cc single-cylinder 4-valve liquid-cooled engine last year in 2022 in the United States.
Going by the spy shots, the overall silhouette is in line with the existing bigger Hypermotard and the body panels are well camouflaged. Being a Ducati, the test mule does sport premium hardware like an aluminium swingarm and lightweight aluminium sub-frame. The use of weight-saving material is rather necessary as it will help to achieve an aggressive power-to-weight ratio speaking of the typical Ducati character. It is in line with speculations that the smaller Hypermotard will be an extremely lightweight machine.
Apart from this, the two-wheeler features USD forks at the front, adjustable rear monoshock, Brembo twin discs at the front and a single unit on the other end. In terms of design, the bike looks quite sharp yet simple with few body panels, however, the twin high-mounted exhaust setup is the highlighting element. It rides on light-weight 17-inch aluminium wheels with road-biased rubber.
As far as the power output figures are concerned, expect the single-cylinder Hypermotard to push out around 75-80 bhp, which will be very close to its immediate rival, the KTM 690 SMC R. Internationally, the bike is expected to debut at the 2023 EICMA while the market launch is still a good time away and it’s India launch is highly unlikely.