Sometimes rumors don’t take long to come to fruition. Take the case of the 2010 Ducati Hypermotard. Just last week we reported that Ducati had a 696 DS motor based babytard in the works, and today Ducati has officially announced that motorcycle. As we expected the new bike is named the Hypermotard 796, and it shares almost all of the same core design elements as its larger counter-part, including the bar-end mirrors (as we expected).
The biggest news with this release is that the Hypermotard 796 will live up to its name, boasting a 808cc displacement (88mm x 66mm bore & stroke respectively). Many had said the Hypermotard 796 would still feature the 696cc displacement dispite its nomenclature. Ducati instead stroked out the 696 motor, resulting in a comparable 81hp to the Monster 696, while boosting torque to 55.7lb•ft. More details after the jump.
Due to come out in October, and not during the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan in November, the Hypermotard offers a smaller and cheaper optoin for those who cannot afford the Hypermotard 1100 series. The Hypermotard 796 is 27lbs lighter (368lbs), and roughly one inch lower (32.5 inches) than its counter-part, which also makes it more ideal for smaller women? riders.
According to Ducati, in order to make the 796 cheaper and fit its market segment better, the company had to abandon the iconic dry-clutch configuration, instead opting for a wet-clutch, similar to the Superbike 848. Ducati claims that this APTC wet-clutch offers a shifter-clutch feel, but we think they really just want to distract you from the fact that you’re riding a “watered-down” Ducati.
The Hypermotard 796 will be available at authorized Ducati showrooms beginning in December 2009. Color selections will include Ducati red, matte black, and matte white. MSRP for the Hypermotard 796 will be $9,995.
Source: Ducati
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