No one could ever accuse Ducati’s Hypermotard of being subtle but the newly announced Hypermotard 950 RVE is particularly loud with its in your face graffiti graphics.
Based on the 2019 Hypermotard 950 Concept shown at last year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este (which we are assuming is where the unusual RVE name is derived from) the new, £11,750, model sits midway between the base model and the 950SP in the bonkers Hypermotard range.
Ducati says that it has employed time consuming new manufacturing processes to create the airbrushed effect graphics, which includes the use of exceptionally thin decals and two-tone red and black wheels. Priced at £755 more than the base machine, at £11,750, the RVE shares the suspension set-up with the standard model but benefits from the SP’s more sophisticated electronics package, which includes the snappily titled Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) Up and Down EVO (that’s a fancy quickshifter to you and me) and, of course, the lairy livery – which loses the number boards seen on the concept but is largely unchanged. The Hypermotard’s electronics also include traction control, wheelie control and Bosch Cornering ABS, complete with ‘slide by brake’ function for those who want to back their Hypermotards into corners like a real supermotard.
The engine is unchanged from the other two Hypermotards, which means a 114bhp version of Ducati’s 937cc ‘narrow head’ V-twin engine, with oodles of power and torque low down the rev range. While the Hypermotard is one of the least common models in the Ducati range, no doubt down to its lack of practicality, it is also one of the most fun bikes offered by the Bologna company. With just 178kg to haul around and an upright riding position, the Hypermotard has always been a real hooligan tool – and the RVE’s graphics really emphasise the streetfighting nature of the machine.
The RVE joins the standard machine and the £14,595 SP when it arrives in Ducati dealers next month. The range topping SP benefits from race style graphics, high end Ohlins suspension and lightweight Marchesini forged rims, which save around 2kg from the unsprung weight for even sharper handling.
