Comparison test: KTM 990 Supermoto R and Ducati Hypermotard 1100

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Comparison test: KTM 990 Supermoto R and Ducati Hypermotard 1100

Comparison test: Supermotos

The supermotos from Ducati and KTM in comparison

If there is a duo that can be called funbikes, then this one .. Ducati has added some innovations to the Hypermotard that are supposed to increase the fun of riding. Whether it helps to become the number one fun mobile?

Supermoto long-legged, spartan shooters with a robust single cylinder for ultra-brutal inclines? That was once. Another branch of this species has long been established. Still long-legged, but with a potent, slim V2 instead of a single with limited performance. With the 990 Supermoto R, KTM demonstrated how something like this should look. The counter-blow from Ducati is called Hypermotard and counters with awesome styling. However, with her somewhat idiosyncratic driving behavior, she has so far been clearly in the shadow of the Austrian, who has set the bar very high in this regard.

That should change now. The 1100 Evo SP – and only the SP – got a completely new suspension setup. Suspension elements with longer suspension travel raise the rear by 15 millimeters and the front by 30 millimeters. This means that the SP should now be much better balanced. Even if the data sheet for the 1100 Evo and Evo SP shows the same steering angle and caster. In the end it doesn’t matter, because what counts is on the pitch. And there Ducati still relies on the air-cooled two-valve engine. Which doesn’t necessarily have to be a disadvantage compared to the four-valve, water-cooled orange competition.

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Comparison test: KTM 990 Supermoto R and Ducati Hypermotard 1100

Comparison test: Supermotos
The supermotos from Ducati and KTM in comparison

Ducati has now trained five horsepower and five kilograms thanks to extensive renovation work on the cylinder head, a more compact, vacuum-cast engine housing and a lighter flywheel. The data sheet announces 91 hp, and a hefty 191 kilograms the scales. Which, in terms of performance, still maintains a respectable margin of respect, but still has very good cards compared to the nominally 116 hp, but also 203 kilogram KTM.

Before driving, however, comes getting on. And there the Ducati now towers mightily in front of its driver. A full 900 millimeters seat height (KTM: 870) want to be climbed and require the pilot to be careful, not every turning on narrow or sloping terrain should result in unworthy footing. At KTM, the fact that a relaxed sitting position is part of a relaxed bend is clearly at the top of the design slip. The pegs, handlebars and seat are so harmoniously arranged that the pilot has a completely relaxed grip on the rod-wide aluminum handlebars.

The two bikes can be used to pepper the corners with ease.

The sitting posture of the Ducati rider, on the other hand, is much sportier, much more oriented towards the front wheel and brushed on attack. This is ensured by the bench, which still slopes slightly forward, and the notches that are mounted much higher. It is much more harmonious than with the previous Hypermotards – also thanks to the 20 millimeter higher handlebar brackets. Like finally the suspension setup. The revision hit the bull’s eye. The Duc can be peppered into the corners with the ease of a supersport file. The greater the incline, the easier it seems to fold towards the asphalt. Straighten up again, bend in the other direction, child’s play, because the turning behavior that took some getting used to from Hypermotards is now a thing of the past.

At last she has the balance and neutrality that is needed for relaxed robbery. "Why not like that right away?", one would like to cheer in the helmet. The KTM has to stretch a lot to stand up to the Duc. With the help of the wide handlebar, it offers almost as little resistance as the Ducati when playing with the slopes. If you want to go very deep, slightly more pressure is required, but this is not a disadvantage.

The handling of the KTM only stiffens a little at high speed. But she immediately scores again in the slower corners. Finds her way into and through the curve with a precision and a matter of course that the Ducati cannot reach. On the one hand, the Duc cannot hide a slight turning of the handlebars towards the inside of the curve in slow corners, on the other hand, the front wheel does not lead quite as precisely and on a slightly further track around the corners. Rather, the Hypermotard’s chassis grows with the task. If it goes in really fast arcs and with plenty of sloping around the corners, everything fits. There is plenty of lean angle. The chassis swallows bumps unmoved. Patches and edges that penetrate more clearly to the driver with the KTM filter their suspension elements out of the road surface with great care. In addition, it scores with great stability on large slopes. However, if you make a more committed turn and brake the corners late and hard, the fork ultimately lacks a bit of damping and the front sags too quickly.

KTM 990 Supermoto R and Ducati Hypermotard 1100: Lifting fun.

Here the KTM pulls out of the affair better. Especially since their monobloc stoppers in the front wheel are top notch in terms of effectiveness and dosage. If the practically identical brakes on the Ducati snap shut like a bear trap when the lever is pulled a little too much, the brembos in the KTM provide a nice linear rising effect. If there is still roughly a tie up to this point, the KTM with its magnificent engine will take over the reins.

The L-Twin of the Ducati squeezes an impressive 96 hp out of the cooling fins, turns willingly until the three shift lights in the cockpit glow, pushes forward even from deep areas and hangs on the gas properly. Only the really fat bang from the lower rev range, which still characterized the predecessor, he sacrificed a little for the revving pleasure and the higher peak performance. Slightly poorer draft values ​​compared to last year’s 1100 testify to this. And despite good running culture, it shakes up to 4000 rpm under load. On the other hand, load changes are more elastic than the KTM, and the gears can be sorted crisply and precisely over short distances. He is still a sleek and characterful twin country road for connoisseurs. However, he is not able to put the lively KTM engine in its place. On the contrary. The Austrian 75-degree V2 goes off, as if shot from the tendon, hangs rat-sharp on the gas and burns with force up the speed ladder. No wonder, the KTM engine is bursting at the seams with power, and adds a shovel even from 7000 rpm. With a measured 127 PS it also shoots powerfully beyond the specifications.

However, it hacked the chain unpleasantly below 3000 rpm, and its direct response was bought at the cost of hard load change reactions and constant jerks of 3000 rpm. This can also be felt on the Ducati, but in a much milder form. The KTM twin cannot stand still, wants to turn, fire, be challenged.

The KTM is the ideal toy for unconditional dynamism, while the Ducati ultimately warms the hearts of both curve junkies and connoisseurs who can do without exuberant top performance.

Hypermotard technical data

Thanks to the raised front and longer suspension travel, the balance is finally right. The Hypermotard can now show what it’s made of, inspired by light forged wheels.

Engine:
Air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 90-degree V-engine, crankshaft lying transversely, one overhead, toothed belt-driven camshaft each, two valves per cylinder, wet sump lubrication, injection, Ø 45 mm, regulated catalytic converter, 520 W alternator, 12 V / 10 Ah battery , hydraulically operated multi-plate dry clutch, six-speed gearbox, O-ring chain, secondary ratio 41:15.
Bore x stroke 98.0 x 71.5 mm
Displacement 1079 cc
Compression ratio 11.3: 1
rated capacity 67 kW (91 PS) at 7500 rpm
Max. Torque 105 Nm at 5750 rpm

Landing gear:
Steel tubular frame, load-bearing motor, upside-down fork, Ø 50 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, single-sided swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, double disc brake at the front, Ø 305 mm, four-piston Fixed calipers, rear disc brake, Ø 245 mm, two-piston fixed caliper.
Forged aluminum wheels 3.50 x 17; 5.50 x 17
Tires 120/70 ZR 17; 180/55 ZR 17
Tires in the test Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP

Mass and weight:
Wheelbase 1465 mm, steering head angle 66.0 degrees, caster 100 mm, spring travel f / r 195/156 mm, seat height * 900 mm, weight with a full tank * 191 kg, payload * 199 kg, tank capacity 12.4 liters.
guarantee two years
Mobility guarantee two years
Service intervals 12,000 km
Colours Red Black
price 13750 euros
Additional costs around 255 euros

* MOTORCYCLE measurements

Technical data of the 990 Supermoto

The noble “R” version is also adorned with forged wheels. The fork and directly hinged shock absorber are matched to meet practical requirements. Recommended settings depending on the intended use are available under the bench.

Engine:
Water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 75-degree V-engine, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, dry sump lubrication, injection, Ø 48 mm, regulated catalytic converter, 450 W alternator, 12 V / 11 Ah battery, hydraulic actuated multi-plate oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, x-ring chain, secondary ratio 41:17.
Bore x stroke 101.0 x 62.4 mm
Displacement 1000 cc
Compression ratio 11.5: 1
rated capacity 85.0 kW (116 hp) at 9000 rpm
Max. Torque 97 Nm at 7000 rpm

Landing gear:
Steel tubular frame, load-bearing motor, upside-down fork, Ø 48 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut, directly hinged, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, double disc brake at the front, diameter 305 mm, four-piston -Fixed calipers, rear disc brake, Ø 240 mm, double-piston floating caliper.
Forged aluminum wheels 3.50 x 17; 5.50 x 17
Tires 120/70 ZR 17; 180/55 ZR 17
Pirelli Dragon Supercorsa Pro tires tested

Mass and weight:
Wheelbase 1505 mm, steering head angle 65.6 degrees, caster 109 mm, suspension travel f / r 160/180 mm, seat height * 870 mm, weight with a full tank * 203 kg, load * 197 kg, tank capacity / reserve 15.0 / 3.7 liters.
guarantee two years
Mobility guarantee two years
Service intervals 7500 km
Colours Orange / Black / White
price 13,195 euros
Additional costs around 200 euros

* MOTORCYCLE measurements

MOTORCYCLE measurements


Drawing: archive

Power on the crankshaft. Measurements on Dynojet roller test stand 250, corrected according to 9/1 / EG, maximum possible deviation +/- 5%

With an enormous 127 hp, the KTM clearly exceeds the factory specification of 116 hp. Will this level be maintained in the series? Logically, the two-valve Ducati twin cannot keep up with this despite its impressive 96 hp and clean performance curve. Especially since the Evo engine has gained in revving power compared to the previous 1100, but has lost torque and thus pulling power up to 5500 rpm. Nevertheless, it distinguishes itself as an economical twin country road for connoisseurs.

Readings

Maximum speed (manufacturer information):

 Manufacturer  Km / h
 Ducati  220
 KTM  220

Acceleration:

 Manufacturer  0-100 km / h
 0-140 km / h
 0-200 km / h (sec.)
 Ducati  3.6  6.2  17.6
 KTM  3.4  5.3  11.0

Draft:

 Manufacturer  60-100 km / h
 100-140 km / h
 140-180 km / h (sec.)
 Ducati  5.2  4.7  6.6
 KTM  4.4  4.2  4.8

Fuel consumption (country road):

 Manufacturer  Liters / 100 km
 Ducati  4.9
 KTM  5.5

Theoretical range (country road):

 Manufacturer  Km
 Ducati  253
 KTM  273

MOTORCYCLE test result

Clearly ahead: the KTM 990 Supermoto R..

1st place: KTM 990 Supermoto R
The agile chassis and the great brakes are an excellent basis, but only through the fiery engine does it become a match winner.

2nd place: Ducati Hypermotard 1100 Evo SP

The chassis has taken an enormous step, the engine is very popular, so the Duc can take second place with its head held high.

Scoring:

Category engine:
It’s great how the KTM engine hangs on the gas, implements gas commands without delay and revs up almost weightlessly. On the other hand, the Ducati-Twin looks significantly less lively despite its decent top performance. It also shakes much more strongly under load up to 4000 rpm, but has a transmission with nice, crisp, short shift travel and the much smoother load changes.

Winner engine: KTM

Category chassis:
Bolting straight ahead at top speed is not their job, they acknowledge that with clear pendulum movements. What they offer in terms of handiness and stability in the jungle of curves, on the other hand, is the finest. The KTM scores in terms of accuracy, while the Ducati’s suspension elements respond more finely and offer more comfort. Both benches are hard in the long run.

Chassis winner: KTM

Category everyday life:
That fits, is the first thought that comes to mind when you take a seat on the KTM. The ergonomics are excellent. The Ducati driver, on the other hand, sits much sportier and more compact. After all, both offer a passenger more than just an emergency seat. The mirrors of the Ducati have to be readjusted after each folding and unfolding. The level of workmanship of both is encouragingly high.

Everyday winners: KTM

Category Security:
Both braking systems deserve the title race-ready. The beastly snapping of the Ducati stoppers is tricky in moments of fright. The setup moment has been greatly reduced due to the new chassis setup.

Safety winner: KTM

Category costs:
Low consumption, 12,000 inspection intervals (KTM 7500) and favorable insurance rating = victory Ducati

Winner cost: Ducati

   Max points
 Ducati  KTM
 Overall rating  1000  632  651
 placement    2.  1.
 Price-performance note  Top grade 1.0  2.9  2.4

Price-performance winner: KTM
Despite the higher price, a clear thing for the king of driving fun, KTM.

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