2008 HM S Newbie Purchase Log

[tunefx]

Note: Apologies for such a long post. After joining the site I thought other newbs might enjoy this. This is a chronology of how one person has learned about Ducatis and slowly (obvious) gone about purchasing (soon) a HyperMotard.

2008-Jan-1
New year! Return to dirt bikes last summer was great. I cannot wait for spring. With gas prices going up I think I need a bike for the road. But what do I buy? Cruisers and sport bikes are not my thing. Super moto looks fun but I think I need to get something a bit bigger for the road. What’s this? A Ducati HyperMotard (HM)? Hmmm, looks interesting. Time to read.

2008-Feb-15
Read about HM in magazine. What the heck is a “dry clutch” and what do they mean “noise”. And, who is this kid Casey Stoner riding a Ducati?

2008-Mar-1
Research other bikes such as KTM, Suzuki, Husky, MV, Aprila, HD. Leaning toward Ducati HM and KTM 990 Supermoto.

2008-May-1
Research more. Ahh-haa moment, most Ducs (getting the lingo down) have dry clutches. No problem!

2008-May-3
Stop by local shop. I have a short time window but I sit on the HM. Wow! Looks even better in person! Feels awesome but have to go. No time to test drive/ride.

2008-May-4
Research Duc HM and KTM 990 more. The KTM bike I want is not sold in USA! Now down to one bike. Start researching dealers. Find dealer that looks to be ideal. Discover Ducati.ms! Thanks everyone for posting. You have helped my education. Several of you offered up HMs for sale. Thanks for the PM. I just couldn’t see myself stepping into a race ready HM with hi-comp pistons, cams, etc. You have confirmed again that although bikers come from all walks of life they are a friendly group!

2008-May-10
Toss my dirt bike helmet, goggles, jacket, and gloves into car. We head out to the dealer (about a one hour drive). Wife takes a few books—she knows it’s going to be a long day! But she’s supportive. And, she's willing to drive the car back if I buy the bike!!

Arrive at shop and it’s crowded. Good sign! And, it’s a Duc ONLY shop. I have to wait quite a while to test drive a HM. In the meantime, a guy buying the Multistrada (MS) puts some doubt into my mind about the HM. Still waiting for my test drive.

Finally, put my gear on. The HM they want me to ride already has Leo Vince exhaust system with no cat.

Start the HM. Nice sound! They review the bike with me. I toss a leg over the bike and we are off. Being a dirt biker I have to consciously tell myself blinkers, don’t forget to use blinkers! We don’t have those on dirt bikes! Don’t forget to cancel the blinker! The blinkers are not self canceling so I have to remember or risk confusing every car and give them yet another reason to dislike bikers.

We are taking it easy. It’s been a long time since I’ve ridden anything this powerful. We are making our way out of town and getting up to speed. Very comfortable! The bike feels very light and turns easily. I actually feel like I’m on a dirt bike!

As a dirt biker I use my front brake A LOT. CAUTION: the dual disk Brembo’s on the HM will surprise you if you are new to this type of road bike. Do NOT, let me repeat that, Do NOT hit the front brakes aggressively. You must learn how the front brake works. You can lock the front wheel up instantly if you wish (not recommended). If you are new to riding—don’t even touch it! If you are new to riding—this is probably not the bike to learn on. For those of you wondering, no I didn’t drop the bike or do an unwanted brakie. I was just totally blown away at the “power” of the front brake. This is the one item I wished they had mentioned to me before taking off on the test ride. Of course that first “holy cow” moment was great for getting the adrenaline going!

This wasn’t a long ride so I cannot attest to the comfort on a long duration ride. I can tell you that this bike is extremely “flickable” and that it’s fun to ride—grinning ear-to-ear! Popping the front wheel up in first or second is easy. I did not want to experiment with third. The power delivery is extremely smooth but I would have enjoyed a better throttle response from idle. Maybe I’m just comfortable with my WR450. Or, they may have not tuned it (or proper ECU) with the Leo Vince pipes. Note, this did not prevent me from wanting to purchase this bike—I’m nit picking here. I’ve read where some think this bike is not powerful enough. I think that’s a matter of personal preference. This bike will get up and go. It will not give you the head rush from the start as some sport bikes do—but that’s not what it’s designed for. However, this is not grandma’s bike either. It has plenty of spirit and, for me personally, can be a lot more fun in a variety of ways compared to a purebred sport bike. Nothing against sport bikes—they are, I’ll admit, too much for me!! Bottom line: if you are an avid dirt biker thinking of getting a road bike—give the HM a try.

As for the wind hitting you in the head and chest, above 60 it becomes pretty intense. Of course this was compounded by my dirt bike helmet (visor) and goggles. I will definitely be purchasing a new helmet. And, based on all the reading I’ve done here I believe I will be purchasing the add-on wind breaker (fairing).

Suspension: awesome! We rode down several bumpy roads and hit quite a few railroad crossings. The suspension was very smooth. I think it was set up well for cruising with my 6’ 1” - 240 lbs but I would see it being tuned differently for a track day. Note to anyone: find an expert and tune your suspension for your riding style. Getting a bike dialed in for your style is like getting a whole new bike!!

Motor: Couldn’t hear it due to the Leo Vince. I can only say smooth, easy to start, and I couldn’t feel any serious vibration on the road.

The dealer could have sold this bike to me but it was closing time. I was there 2.5 hours. I guess I get to keep shopping.

2008-May-11
Wondering if I should test drive the MS. However, I really believe I will like the HM more because of its dirt bike feel. I’m also wondering if this is too much bike to commute a few days a week and ride on weekends. Is filling up every 100 miles going to be a problem? Will I get a decent price and what upgrades are mandatory? Finally, what riding equipment do I need to protect myself during the hot weather, riding to work in nice clothes, etc. Decisions, decisions! Any advice welcome! Got to go, it’s Mother’s Day.

p.s. Yes, I’m probably displaying a retentive side. I purchased my WR the same way—with no regrets!

Thanks again to all the posters on this site. You have made me a Duc fan!

Watch the front brakes!

[totnac]

just get the hyper already !!!!

i'm located in fairfax county, i need someone to ride with (non sportbike)

chris410 is selling his hyper you might want to check it out on classified add

[Motard-Menace]

Welcome to the Ducati Asylum. I am selling a nice non "s" version if you are interested. Has a few upgrades. Goodluck

http://www.ducati.ms/forums/showthread.php?t=42387

[lelenb]

I always enjoy reading about other people's passions relating to the HM. The front brakes are awesome, they do get a little less grabby after you put on some miles. I rotated my controls down to be in more of a dirt bike attack position. There are locater tabs in the bars that have to be removed to allow the levers to be rotated. Once I rotated the brake levers they modulated better. The clutch also gets smoother after a few hundred miles. There are a few Hypers for sale here, so look around and get a great bike at a great price. If you buy a new one the first thing you need to do is open up the airbox lid; it makes a big difference. Give the Multi a test ride if you can, if you ride a lot of freeway it is a great bike.

Good luck on your purchase.

[mig7410]

wow, heck of a post. Like your list of previous bikes, lot of yammy in there. I like em to, just traded my wr for a new zy250.
Being a dirt biker I think you will really like the hyper, but give the multi a hard look. It does have a lot more wind block, but not as much dirt bike like flickabilty.
For commuting you going to have to get some bags of some kind. There is not a spot on this bike to put anything but your but.
Filling up is something I just do before every ride, if I need more, I get more. Not a problem.
I thing you will pay right at MSRP.
No upgrades are mandatory, its ready to ride. But after you get the bike, a strong desire for carbon fiber will overcome you.
For the heat, a warm weather jacket is the ticket, Joe Rocket or the like.

[tunefx]

Lelen:
Thanks for the tip! You hit the nail on the head. The first thing I told myself as I was taking the test drive, was to turn the levers down a bit--for the same reason you mentioned. LOL

[tunefx]

Mig:
Thanks for all the great advice. You comment on the carbon fiber is spot on. Based on reading all the threads I think I would be singled out if I didn't purchase at least some CF!

I think the accessories are going to add up. Not to mention the J. Rocket. $$$

[tunefx]

It is done! Today I brought home a HM S--after a 50 mile detour!

First, let me say thanks to everyone that has posted here. And, to those who PM'd me--thank you as well. This forum has been a tremendous help as I step from the dirt and onto the asphalt. Not to mention, as a guy who likes to wrench his own bikes, this place has been incredibly educational. Thank you!!

I purchased Finnster's bike. It came with:

DP Race Header
DP Slip on
DP Race Seat
DP Steering Damper
BMC Filter
DP Airbox lid
Pistal hi-comp pistons
DP Race cams
DP Race ECU (cam version)
Ported Heads by BCM
Carbon Tank cover
Piazzo short levers
Carbon hugger (4 pieces)
Carbon sprocket cover
DP Carbon clutch cover
Carbon Ignition cover

And, it had less than 250 miles on the bike. Thanks to Finnster for bumping his "for sale" thread, and the fact he lives 15 minutes from me, I couldn't resist the temptation any longer. And, since I had already planned to NOT leave well enough alone, he had done a lot of work for me already. Being a newbie to Duc's this was a huge blessing!!

Kept it under 6K RPM today. At 4-5K RPM I had a huge smile on my face. What a great sounding engine!

Put it in the garage and wiped her down good. My WR450 was happy to have a friend.

Finnster, I will take good care of her!

Thanks again everyone for all the help!

My Duc experience and education has just begun.

I can't wait for tomorrow!

[AXE]

Holy shit.................for someone on the fence you went all out! Nice......all that's left is the riding. Don't forget the insurance!

Out!

[tunefx]

Originally Posted by AXE

Holy shit.................for someone on the fence you went all out! Nice......all that's left is the riding. Don't forget the insurance!

LOL! A 25-year lay off does that to you! I went nuts on my WR all winter. With the HM, I think I can hold off modifying it for a bit. Then again...

Tried the quiet inserts in the Termi slip ons today. I took them back out when I returned home.

Can't wait for tomorrow!