oop's!, i did it again










i remember the first time i saw a ducati hypermotard, me and dangerous went into a 'well known, midlands, motorcycle dealer' and there it was, whoa! my initial thoughts were i don't know what it is but i really, really like it! i couldn't take my eyes off it, for once i was literally speechless, poring over the details, the underseat exhaust, the 'beak' the tiny headlamp, rear light aero-foil thing , the single sided swing arm, the back wheel 'floating' in mid air, the fork protectors, radial brakes, abbreviated front mudguard, just so beautiful and so different, then i looked at the price tag, not for the common working man, just unobtanium.
 scroll forward seven years, i sold the 900ss, sold 'yellow-hammer' and had a garage clearout of all my redundant 'spares' and i was in a position to purchase an eleven plate, two owner, low mileage 796 hyper from a kawasaki dealer in britains second city, two new pirelli rosso's, new belts, oil and filter, three months warranty, six months tax and a tank of fuel sealed the deal.
      the original bar end mirror / indicator combo had been replaced with ducati performance items, horrible, sticking out like mickey mouses ears, first thing i did when i got home from picking the bike up was take them off, got them on the 'bay and purchased oberon bar end indicators and a mirror, to fit the indicators required sawing off the end of the bar's as they have a machined section to fit the oem parts. mrs b's face was a picture, [and her language a tad 'fruity' to say the least when she bought me a cup of tea into the shed to find me attacking the bars with a hacksaw!] 'tim, for fu[ inaudible as she slips into scottish] 'you've had it less than twenty-four hours and your cutting it up already!'
       so, i've got my hypermotard and the more i look at all the goodies you can get for them, the carbon, titanium, the exotic exhausts, blah, blah, blah, the more i'm thinking that i might just keep this one [almost] stock, i'm loving the performance, the quiet pipe, the big numberplate, i'm mr anonymous, especially behind that black visor. no one acknowledges you, not sports bike riders, harley riders or tourers or the too kool for skool 'brand new, your retro' beardies and that's something i'm revelling in............

Comments

  1. I'm guessing you just forgot to mention the massive shit eating grin you wear every time you throw your leg over it. I bought a KTM 690 Duke after test riding it, I initially went on a test ride of the 390 which does 80 odd mpg and hated it, took the 690 out after and then just couldn't get it out my head for weeks, I finally caved and at 0% finance why not. I commute on it everyday 45min each way and inspite of its inpracticality I love every second I'm on it, Enjoy your new ride.

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    1. Cheers spud! These sort of bikes really make sense to me, fast, light and just great fun! ( especially on the crap roads in Derbyshire! Must say, I like the ktm 690 and the big superduke is just an awesome looking machine.

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  2. Wow Tim! Your new bike is killer!

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  3. whoa whoa ....you new ive just grown a beard!!

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  4. Wotcha Chris, good to hear from you mate! How's the Duc project going, did you finish it?

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    1. Yeah Grant, and it suits you mucker x!

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    2. Perfectly trimmed, not like them ragtailed scruffy bar stewards!

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    3. Finish is a relative term, heh.
      I just fitted a used Power Commander because the thing ran like shit. It was running super rich. If you stood behind the bike while it was running you were covered in unburned petrol in seconds and it would backfire and pop like crazy all through the rev range. I found a Power Commander on ebay for $100 and installed it last night. The PC came with someone elses map on it but immediately it has helped. It's rev up to 4500 without popping now. Gotta save up to get it tuned now that it can be done.
      Man! Your bike looks great sir! and Hyper is sick!

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    4. hey chris, are they ever finished? have you tried a rexxer reflash of your ecu? had mine done on the 'peaky blinder' project, found a very useful five extra bhp and the bike runs smooth man! thanks for your kind comments, oh yeah, the hyper is just so much fun, just the perfect bike in every way, fast, comfortable and a real blast, trouble is, it's turned me into a hooligan......

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  5. Fun! Cough, (shorter pipes!), cough!

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  6. Are you quoting Britney Spears..............?

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  7. No Jan no! I have turned over a new leaf! You don't expect me to ruin another perfectly good motorcycle do you! ( and yes, I AM quoting Britney, forget all that dance music, soul and rock, re-tune your radio to Heart FM, enough already of that radio 6 nonsense!

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  8. Heart FM brings me out in hives.

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  9. What's the dash like Tim?

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  10. jan, the dash is the same one fitted to the ducati streetfighter, basically a mini computer, records everything and you can download laptimes and loads of information, taking a little figuring out, especially for a luddite like me, can't even work out how to set the bloody clock or the trip meter!

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