My experience with the hypermotard S - Ducati.ms

yellow cake · May 31st, 2010, 11:26 am

Hey guys, I know I'm still a newbie here, so I thought I'd give a little background on me!

In Tucson, Az and have had my hyper for almost 2 weeks. I bought it used from an older gent in northern california whom brought the bike down south for me. I've been riding street bikes since I was 15, and motocross my entire life. I raced a SV650 last year, while my street bike was an Aprilia RS125 that I street-legalized. The year before I raced Supermoto on a KTM 250SX...

The bike came with more-than-oem-carbon fiber, rizoma brake/clutch/rear brake reservoirs, and a few other expensive goodies. Including a few I wasn't told about before I bought the bike. Termi slip ons, Leo Vince bypass, and a custom seat that's pretty comfy, and pretty ugly.

Thanks for all the good info on here, right away I knew the forks were terrible. Easy street riding, and they'd blow through the stroke an immediately bottom out. This is with me at 165lbs. The bike also had a very bad "click" sound when you'd roll it afte compressing the front brakes.

After an easy cleaning with a hose and soapy water, the bad sound went away, but the terrible lever feel was still there. So I killed 4l birds with one stone...I pulled the forks and had put in .90 racetech springs, 5wt oil, new dust and oil seals done by ZR-1 suspension here locally. Then I hopped on the cycle gear deal and mounted up a set of Q2's. While I had the calipers off, I spent 45 minutes cleaning the piston's with soapy water and micro fiber cloth..They were CAKED with buildup, hence the crappy lever, and terrible noise.

Have it all back together, made my own front alignment tool, and set the front sag. As it sits, I'm at 44mm for the front, is this far off to where I should be? I also lifted the rear to where Az_scott is, at 2 1/2 threads on each side. the front forks are flush with the upper triple clamp.

I need a hand, and I'll get the rear sag setup.

cheers!

(oh yea, and a pic!)

yellow cake · May 31st, 2010, 11:35 am

BTW, while I'm on this soap box and have your attention;

We were laughing at the factory springs; what absolute oddities they are. Obviously a progressive spring that was not linear in the slightest. Racetech said they could make me any spring tension I wanted, and my weight called for a .84, I opted for the .90 and went with 110mm air gap. I figure If I need stiffer, I'll go to 120mm, but for right now the forks are firm but VERY plush and smooth.

I am interested in the valving kits, but for just being my street bike, the valving doesn't seem all that far off. Then again, I haven't been to the track yet!

Decreasing Dave · May 31st, 2010, 11:42 am

I'm sure we can talk about this later as I have a few questions for you, but on my bike, the valving is pretty far off.

I had to back out both the compression and the rebound pretty much all the way then dial in more compression as my wheelie landings were suffering.

All in all it's not bad I guess, but in comparison, I do weigh in at 205, nakid

Dave

yellow cake · May 31st, 2010, 12:10 pm

Hey Dave, how can you be unhappy with the valving, or even feel where they're at with such goofy springs. Springs that initially are sprung for a 130lber, and progressively are over sprung. I'm not the master of this though, this is just my opinion...and I'm not a wheelie guy

JFB1973 · Jun 1st, 2010, 1:11 am

It looks like you know your Sh**t, I am still trying to dial in my front sag, I am around 200 lbs with gear maybe a little more and my front sag was at 1.5 cm. after backing off on the preload I got to 3.5 cm.... maybe should go a little more, I don't do track and our roads are very slippery and bumpy, I am thinkng I should have softer suspension as in compression and rebound for better feel, does that make sense?

Tard · Jun 1st, 2010, 2:31 am

I really hate suspension threads...

We're all different in every expectation...

The front 'marshockings' on the Hyper are by far the worst forks I've ever encountered on a Ducati... and I've owned a few...

...and Dave, quit it with the naked shit... I'm trying to eat...

remery · Jun 1st, 2010, 6:20 am

I'm 198 pounds and happy to see this discussion about forks bottoming out. I put 7 tuns on the preload and two turns on the compression dampening but it still bottom out when landing monos unless I am really careful and apply delicate throttle when setting it down. I can't remember having to worry about this stuff back in the old days when doing wheelies on GS1000 Suzukis and so on.

monsterpartenopeo · Jun 1st, 2010, 7:39 am

The Ducati Hypermotard is a great motorcycle,
it's a particular moto but when you have a feeling with his engine .. . .. .. it's fantastic!!!

08hyper · Jun 1st, 2010, 9:10 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by yellow cake

BTW, while I'm on this soap box and have your attention;

We were laughing at the factory springs; what absolute oddities they are. Obviously a progressive spring that was not linear in the slightest. Racetech said they could make me any spring tension I wanted, and my weight called for a .84, I opted for the .90 and went with 110mm air gap. I figure If I need stiffer, I'll go to 120mm, but for right now the forks are firm but VERY plush and smooth.

I am interested in the valving kits, but for just being my street bike, the valving doesn't seem all that far off. Then again, I haven't been to the track yet!

If you want to have a "stiffer" front end with the air gap, you will have to raise the oil level to have a smaller air gap for a stiffer fork, if you go to the 120mm air gap over the 110mm, it will be a "softer" front end, if you still need a stiffer go to a 100mm air gap. Aloha Alex

Decreasing Dave · Jun 1st, 2010, 11:08 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by 08hyper

If you want to have a "stiffer" front end with the air gap, you will have to raise the oil level to have a smaller air gap for a stiffer fork, if you go to the 120mm air gap over the 110mm, it will be a "softer" front end, if you still need a stiffer go to a 100mm air gap. Aloha Alex

Yeah, I saw that too Alex, but I figured I would be talking to Joe on the phone before he had a chance to tear back into his forks and I would correct it then.

What did you do to improve the forks on the MOD II bike, I can't remember.

Tard - sorry about your dinner.....

Dave