Ducati Hypermotard Problems: 7 Known Issues (Explained)

The Ducati Hypermotard is a supermotard bike with a 1,078 cc, ‘Desmodromic’ aired-cooled two-valve v-twin engine.

This is an award-winning, world-class motorcycle fit for pros and a bike. This groundbreaking is bound to cause at least a few headaches for its owners over the years.

We have researched the Ducati Hypermotard and found the most common complaints owners have had about it and how they rectified their concerns.

Let’s rip into it!

1) Frequent Battery Issues

We’ve encountered a few owner complaints regarding their Ducati Hypermotoard’s battery dying after periods of leaving the bike inactive for long periods of time.

Unless the battery is hooked up to a trickle charger or a battery tender while it’s inactive, a motorcycle battery can’t charge unless the bike is running.

The minimum voltage required to start your motorcycle is 12.2v, equivalent to a 50% charge on a new battery.

As the battery ages, its efficiency reduces.

Parasitic Drain:

Parasitic drain is a circumstance where motorcycle ECUs or worn wiring causes a slight drain on the battery even when the bike’s not in use

Letting The Bike Sit for Too Long:

It is normal for motorcycle batteries to die after sitting idle for 2 – 4 months.

Newer batteries can hold up for about 5 months before the battery hits the hay, while worn batteries generally expire quickly, between 1 to 3 months of neglect.

Ride Your Bike Periodically:

To keep your motorcycle battery healthy, you need to ride your bike periodically.

Allowing the bike to sit dormant for too long, the battery loses its capability to charge. Therefore, it starts the bike, and every time the battery drains completely, its capacity is damaged.

If you plan on leaving your bike to sit for a long time, use a battery tender. Battery tenders are better than battery trickle chargers when it comes to preventing your battery from overcharging.

A battery tender has a sensor that indicates when the battery charge is too low and needs charging. It also detects when the battery is fully charged and will stop charging automatically.

This means you can keep your bike battery connected to a battery tender for as long as you wish without fear of overcharging.

2) Gearbox Downshift Problem

This one is important because it’s not necessarily vindictive of a design flaw, but riders being ill-prepared for a high-revving bike the Hypermotard is.

The Ducati Hypermotard has warranted owner complaints about gear shifts, particularly the notorious false neutral between 4th and 5th gears.

A few riders have lamented that quick shifting into 5th gear from 4th produces a false neutral and briefly redlines the engine before shifting.

Redlining the motor on a bike as fast and powerful as the Ducati Hypermotard can be startling.

Based on statements we’ve dug up, the false neutral between 4th and 5th happens when the engine isn’t ready to shift:

  • If there’s more power available in 4th gear, it’s not prepared to shift in 5th yet.
  • If your RPMs aren’t high enough, your gears are too chunky to shift at the current RPMs.
  • If the RPMs are too low for a full-throttle upshift, the bike will reject it.

A Ducati is a racing bike; its high gears are built for high-speeds. Expect to need the RPMs roaring in 4th gear before venturing to quick-shift into 5th gear.

Something else to understand is that sometimes the gearbox force produces a missed shift; this can happen on any bike.

Releasing and re-engaging the clutch will usually click your upward gear shift into place.

3) Kinked fuel lines

Kinked fuel lines can occur on the Ducati Hypermotard, as on any bike, while improperly reinstalling the gas tank.

When diagnosing whether or to you’ve kinked your fuel line, here are specific symptoms you should look out for:

Fuel odor:

When you have a tangled fuel line, expect to experience a strong fuel smell while riding your bike.

However, when it is beyond normal, it could be a vapor lock due to a kinked fuel line.

Consequently, this could lead to misfires, low fuel flow, and your bike going off eventually.

Fuel leak:

This is the more obvious symptom when you have a tangled fuel line.

You will most likely experience a severe loss of fuel, especially when the hose is worn out.

Consequently, you could find a trail of fuel behind you while riding or a puddle under your bike.

It’s important to note the kinked fuel lines are not a widespread concern on Ducati Hypermotard by any means but are generally the result of erroneous reinstallation of the bike’s fuel tank— be vigilante about installing the fuel lines after installing your fuel tank when performing fuel system maintenance on your bike.

If you’re unsure about properly maintaining the fuel system, take it to a Ducati literate mechanic, as these bikes are designed by world-class engineers and must be maintained properly to function as intended.

Inspecting fuel lines should be a part of routine maintenance so that you might catch kinks before you notice any of these symptoms.

4) Intermittent Oil Leaks

The Hypermotard, like any bike, must be serviced in adherence to a regular maintenance schedule.

Seals and gaskets, and even metal can all change shape due to excessive vibration and heat. Inspecting and changing these small components during regular oil service can save a lot of time and money down the road, especially on a high-end machine like the Hypermotard.

Over time, the following parts wear out and cause oil leaks in your motorcycle if left unchecked or unreplaced:

Oil filter:

Your oil filter seal may get loose or break due to the excessive vibration of riding a bike.

Thus, leading to oil loss through the oil filter.

A crack in the oil filter can also allow the oil to seep out.

Oil seal:

Found between the bike’s oil pan and the engine block is a tightened seal.

As a result of the constant use, this seal could wear out and get brittle and dry with time. Hence, allowing the oil to leak through.

Tubes:

The oil transfer tube or hose that channels oil around the engine could damage and, consequently, causes an oil leak.

Head gasket:

The gasket that is found between the oil canister cover and the engine block is prone to leaks.

This is because of the wearing out of the seals and bolts that hold this cover down. Immediately, this seal wears off; you start experiencing oil leaks.

When you notice this oil leak, it is essential to handle it immediately as it could further lead to severe complications with your bike’s engine.

Regular maintenance and service checks will help you avoid being blindsided by this issue.

Other minor problems with the Ducati Hypermotard include:

5) Frequent Error Messages

The Hypermotard 821 has a common problem with an error message.

You may keep getting these notifications on your bike’s dashboard even when there is nothing wrong with your bike.

Having the Ducati reflash your Hypermotard’s ECU can usually get rid of this inconvenience.

6) Seating Height

On complaint with the Hypermotard SP is the height of the seat.

Some users complain that the seat is a bit too low, hence giving riders an awkward posture.

This is a matter of taste, and as many riders praise the aggressive position of the Hypermotard.

7) Intermittent Stalling

A few Hypermotard riders complained about a stalling issue, only to find out that it wasn’t an isolated incident but that they were different potential culprits.

For one rider, Ducati just had to reload the ECU’s fuel map. Then, they started the bike and let it go through three fan cycles.

When this happens, the ECU readjusts itself.

A different rider with similar symptoms diagnosed that his bike had a faulty fuel pump.

Finally, the most common culprit has seemed to be a faulty throttle position sensor.

You should also be reading our article which talks about 7 Most-Common Problems With Ducati Multistrada 950

Once again, the sporadic occurrences and inconsistent culprits remind us that regular upkeep and inspection is a part of safely owning and operating a motorcycle, especially one as powerful as the Hypermotard.

General Pros and Cons for the Ducati Hypermotard

Pros

The Hypermotard 950 has an engine and ergonomics that are built to provide comfort to the riders. Its Testastretta L-twin engine makes it seamless to ride.

All Hypermotard bikes have an adequate braking system using the Brembo brakes that are effective.

The Hypermotard 821 is built with durable and reliable components. This inadvertently will extend the intervals between bike maintenance days.

Ducati Hypermotard models allow the riders to switch between various riding modes. This is because of the flexible feature of these bikes. Hence, you can ride urban with this bike or even change to supersport style.

The cooling systems of the Ducati Hypermotard bikes vary. You can get an air-cooled or liquid-cooled Hypermotard depending on your preference.

Cons

  • Hypermotard bikes are relatively expensive.
  • Some of the models have a poor seating structure.
  • Overheating is a common problem with this bike model.

What do the reviews say?

Ducati created the Ducati Hypermotard 950 with the shortcomings of the older Hypermotard bikes in mind. Hence, this bike comes with a better-improved system that stands out amongst its counterparts.

The base models of the Hypermotard 950 SP work as well as they ought to. This is a great feature as it is usually common to experience botched shifts while using other bike models.

However, the clutchless system is not available on the base; it still works better than its counterparts.

Also read our article on 3 Most Common Problems with the Ducati Scrambler

“The Hypermotard 950 SP arrives from the factory with the clutchless up-and-down quick-shifter — one of the best clutch-free shifters around. I admit I got extremely spoiled with these over the past few years. After riding the SP all morning on the track, though I only used three gears due to the layout, when I got on the base model.”

[Source: ultimatemotorcycling.com]

Hypermotard 1100 is an impressive bike with its V-twin engine that gives it a smooth performance. Also, the quality of this bike is improved, hence making it more desirable. It combines components from both Ohlins and Brembo that are known for delivering excellence.

“Ducati describes the new Hypermotard as an evolution of the original radical bike, and the SP is a race-ready version for the track. Both versions share the same single spark V-Twin engine, which is 5kg lighter than the previous model with 5 more BHP.”

[Source: Motorcyclenews.com]

Created as a much better improvement to the Hypermotard 1100, the Hypermotard 796 features an air-cooled double valve engine that gives you the perfect riding experience. Additionally, the price of this bike is modest when compared to other Ducati models.

The Hypermotard 939 bike possesses a unique build that will suit any rider and suitable for any mode of riding. With its Testastretta V-twin engine, this bike model gives riders a unique riding feel.

“Morphing the approximate stature and agility of a big dirt bike, the versatility of a street bike, and the performance of a superbike, the Hypermotard is designed to cut through urban traffic, dance along back roads, and attack apexes on the track.”

[Source: Cycleworld.com]

What is the resale value of the Ducati Hypermotard?

YEAR MILEAGE (km/h) PRICE ($)
2008 7,263 6,000
2009 13,036 8,500
2013 12,529 6,500
2015 8,851 8,200
2016 2,961 10,000

NB: The Ducati Hypermotard bikes’ price depends on the amount of mileage and individual price preferences. Also, the state of the bike matters a lot. A newer bike would cost relatively higher than an old model.

Additionally, when you purchase a previously owned bike, ensure that you take it for an adequate checkup as well as an upgrade if need be.

Final Thoughts

The Ducati Hypermotard bike series is built with a slim build and convenient for any rider. Also, the prices of these bikes are worth the value, even when resold.

Hence, if you want to resell your Hypermotard, ensure that you restore the bike to its original settings to retain its value.

Additionally, the problems found in these bike models are that they can be easily managed, majorly by regular and consistent maintenance. Also, a healthy riding attitude would contribute to the longevity of your bike.

Conclusively, as the Hypermotard bikes have different components, so do they require different modes of maintenance.

Two Hypermotards may not have the same issues; therefore, study the bike’s manual to ascertain the exact type of compatible components with your bike.

Sources:

Ultimatemotorcycling

Cycle World,

Motorcyclenews

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ⓘ  The information in this article is based on data from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall reports, consumer complaints submitted to the NHTSA, reliability ratings from J.D. Power, auto review and rating sites such as Edmunds, specialist forums, etc. We analyzed this data to provide insights into the best and worst years for these vehicle models.