Hello from Seattle!

paradox206 · Jan 19, 2015

First things first....I'm not a Hyperstrada owner...I have a Motard....I hope you'll still have me! You all have better 821 threads then Ducati.ms

I picked up my 2013 Hyper back at the beginning of October and I'm really loving it so far. My back could no longer take the daily commute on my GSXR 750 so I decided to trade up. I find myself taking the long way to places and I have a hard time putting it away at night. My other vehicles are jealous.

I've been researching non-stop since I bought it. So far I've picked up the carbon fairing, frame/axle sliders and found out that the last owner installed the heated grips for me (indy dealer I bought it from didn't know...found out at Ducati of Bellevue when I went to get them installed...opps!). Next week I'm getting a Penske 8983 installed and my forks resprung/valved...can't wait! After that, I'm looking at a sw-motech skid plate, one of those EP radiator guards and some Kreiga bags.

Here she is! ("Red")

ferdi · Jan 20, 2015

really nice, welcome

zippy49 · Jan 20, 2015

Welcome to the forum, Paradox. Considering where you are, you might also look into improving the lousy splash protection with a Strada front fender and a 'ductail' extension on the license plate holder. It does rain quite a bit in Seattle....

kuksul08 · Jan 20, 2015

A word on the sw-motech skidplate. It's a really nice piece but it will vibrate like crazy and reflect the engine noise upwards. You should plan on buying some dynamat at the same time to quiet it down.

paradox206 · Jan 20, 2015

zippy49 said:
Welcome to the forum, Paradox. Considering where you are, you might also look into improving the lousy splash protection with a Strada front fender and a 'ductail' extension on the license plate holder. It does rain quite a bit in Seattle....

Thanks for the suggestion! I've been wondering if there was a better spray guard option than the stock HM setup. My Aerostich has gotten really nasty this winter.

paradox206 · Jan 20, 2015

kuksul08 said:
A word on the sw-motech skidplate. It's a really nice piece but it will vibrate like crazy and reflect the engine noise upwards. You should plan on buying some dynamat at the same time to quiet it down.

That's good info to know, thanks! I never even thought about the directional change of the engine noise. I was also looking at this one, but being metal I'm sure it'll have the same effect.

Engine guard Ducati Hypermotard 821 13-14 black

kuksul08 · Jan 20, 2015

paradox206 said:
That's good info to know, thanks! I never even thought about the directional change of the engine noise. I was also looking at this one, but being metal I'm sure it'll have the same effect.

Engine guard Ducati Hypermotard 821 13-14 black

That one looks nice too. I'm sure they're both good.

The Motech piece its really thick and sturdy, you can jack up the bike by it.

And yeah, I didn't think about it either. Doh! Right at 4000rpm the thing would just hum like a tuning fork.

paradox206 · Jan 20, 2015

I'm leaning towards the motech one as it looks like you could also use the Evotech engine guard with it (overlap on the mounting holes). I love that you can jack the bike up by it...that is hefty!

I'm trying to find a happy medium between Motard and Strata. It'll be taking me to the bay area and back in May and I'll be chasing after my friends on their GS800s in the dirt this summer.

kuksul08 · Jan 20, 2015

paradox206 said:
I'm leaning towards the motech one as it looks like you could also use the Evotech engine guard with it (overlap on the mounting holes). I love that you can jack the bike up by it...that is hefty!

I'm trying to find a happy medium between Motard and Strata. It'll be taking me to the bay area and back in May and I'll be chasing after my friends on their GS800s in the dirt this summer.

I realize this is the hyperstrada forum, but in my opinion the bike is not great at long distance riding. I think it's counterproductive to farkle it up too much, because that just detracts from its sporty performance. The 'strada is made for short trips and some creature comforts. The 'motard and 'sp are made for fun riding. It's a step above a true single cyl supermoto in terms of reliability and highway ability, but it's still made primarily for twisties.

In other words, I think a skid plate and some minor upgrades are well worth it, but don't expect it to be a super dirt worthy adventure machine, or all that great on the highway.

paradox206 · Jan 20, 2015

I actually don't mind the hyper on the freeway! Sure, there is wind buffeting and I do get colder faster than on my VFR but at 6'3", my knees, hip joints and back are so much happier than on my previous bikes that I don't mind the negatives. I've done a couple 400 mile freeway days on it so far and, other than some mild hypothermia, I was ready to keep on going. Unlike my GSXR (or even my VFR, depending on the distance), I can get to the twisties without being in so much pain that I can still enjoy them.

Now the dirt, I don't expect it to do much there. I should have kept my DRZ for dual sporting but I didn't....lesson learned. I don't see myself doing the Washington Backcountry Discovery Route with it but there are some well maintained loging roads that would be fun that I remember from my mountain biking days. The armor is partially for looks and the rest is so I don't have to worry about that darn oil filter sticking out so far. We have some rather tall curbs in downtown Seattle...

AJsarge · Feb 9, 2015

Welcome to the club! I'm a bit south of you in Tacoma. My HS is currently "Khaki" with a pair of Givi cases on the Duc Bellevue mounts if you see me around town.

At 6' 3" I highly disagree that the HS is not highway-friendly and maintained-dirt-road-friendly. I rode from here to New Hampshire in 5 days (6 including the day I spent with a friend in PA) and I was perfectly fine. The wind buffeting off the stock shield makes a light-weight or aerodynamic helmet key.

And even with road tires, the HS isn't half bad on groomed dirt.
This was Travel day 10, taking a shortcut suggested by my MT relatives. 30 Miles of this in an hour, or 60 miles of highway in an hour...
Boulder River Rd, Beaverhead-Dearlodge National Forest, MT

If you don't mind spending a night away from home, Highway 12 through Idaho is AMAZING. A "Curves Ahead: Next 75 Miles" sign doesn't even cover the amount of win on that road. Just remember to go in the summer or fall while it's warm. It's also an RV attraction, so watch out. Catching I-90 through Idaho to zip home from Montana afterwards is great, as long as you watch the road when zooming through the corners at max throttle.

zippy49 · Feb 10, 2015

AJsarge said:
Welcome to the club! I'm a bit south of you in Tacoma. My HS is currently "Khaki" with a pair of Givi cases on the Duc Bellevue mounts if you see me around town.

At 6' 3" I highly disagree that the HS is not highway-friendly and maintained-dirt-road-friendly. I rode from here to New Hampshire in 5 days (6 including the day I spent with a friend in PA) and I was perfectly fine. The wind buffeting off the stock shield makes a light-weight or aerodynamic helmet key.

And even with road tires, the HS isn't half bad on groomed dirt.
This was Travel day 10, taking a shortcut suggested by my MT relatives. 30 Miles of this in an hour, or 60 miles of highway in an hour...
<snip>

If you don't mind spending a night away from home, Highway 12 through Idaho is AMAZING. A "Curves Ahead: Next 75 Miles" sign doesn't even cover the amount of win on that road. Just remember to go in the summer or fall while it's warm. It's also an RV attraction, so watch out. Catching I-90 through Idaho to zip home from Montana afterwards is great, as long as you watch the road when zooming through the corners at max throttle.

What he said, +100. I have a pic of that sign somewhere!

paradox206 · Feb 10, 2015

AJsarge said:
Welcome to the club! I'm a bit south of you in Tacoma. My HS is currently "Khaki" with a pair of Givi cases on the Duc Bellevue mounts if you see me around town.

At 6' 3" I highly disagree that the HS is not highway-friendly and maintained-dirt-road-friendly. I rode from here to New Hampshire in 5 days (6 including the day I spent with a friend in PA) and I was perfectly fine. The wind buffeting off the stock shield makes a light-weight or aerodynamic helmet key.

And even with road tires, the HS isn't half bad on groomed dirt.
This was Travel day 10, taking a shortcut suggested by my MT relatives. 30 Miles of this in an hour, or 60 miles of highway in an hour...

If you don't mind spending a night away from home, Highway 12 through Idaho is AMAZING. A "Curves Ahead: Next 75 Miles" sign doesn't even cover the amount of win on that road. Just remember to go in the summer or fall while it's warm. It's also an RV attraction, so watch out. Catching I-90 through Idaho to zip home from Montana afterwards is great, as long as you watch the road when zooming through the corners at max throttle.

I'll have to keep an eye out for you when I'm in that neck of the woods! I saw those Duc of Bellevue Givi bags and mounts the last time I was there to get something installed. The setup looked awesome for touring!

I've upgraded to the small carbon screen and even that cuts down on the buffeting that was present without any screen. I might get the Strata screen before I travel down the west coast but I have to buy my Kriega bags first.

I will definitely have to go check out Highway 12! I'm always looking for 2-3 day rides to get me out of the office during the summer months. Thanks for the suggestion!

Hello from Seattle!

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