Hyperstrada Buyers Guide: Important before buying your Hyperstrada...

uncle brad · Oct 6, 2022

I wanted to create a repository of info for anyone contemplating buying a Hyperstrada. I'm sure you've all seen similar threads for other vehicles. @duc has agreed to make this a sticky so it can lurk at the top of the forum. Having never created one of these style of posts, i'm looking for any constructive input for content and structure. Without further ado...

2013-2015 Ducati Hyperstrada 821

Christmas tree of Death

Electromagnetic spikes from ignition causes ECU damage. Expensive to replace, may be able to be repaired. Ensure vehicle has factory update suppressor and/or Aprilia coils.
Grabby clutch

Requires Anti-judder spring upgrade
Weak front suspension

Some (most) riders complain of poor damping and bottoming.
Poor low speed fuelling

A number of attempted cures with varying degrees of success. Booster Plug, tune-able ECU's for example.
Surging between 4-5000 RPM

See previous
Uncomfortable seat

Ducati Racing seat

Aftermarket
Timing belt life

Belts to be replaced at least every 5 years or 30,000km's
Limited fuel range

Low fuel warning light comes on early with approximately 6 out of 16 litres left.
Grabby front brake

Early replacement of rotors, some under warranty.
Centerstand dragging during hard cornering

Depending upon driving style and if you have the 'Low' version.
Starter woes

Dragging, hard starting
Luggage difficult to remove

Key operated release mechanism housed in plastic and can be very sticky.

2016-2017 Ducati Hyperstrada 939

Recall due to oil lines chaffing.
- Check VIN here
- Full Service Bulletin here.
Weak front suspension

Some (most) riders complain of poor damping and bottoming. Various cures depending upon riders needs and thickness of wallet.
Poor low speed fuelling

A number of attempted cures with varying degrees of success. Booster Plug, tune-able ECU's
Surging between 4-5000 RPM

See previous
Uncomfortable seat

Ducati Racing seat

Aftermarket
Timing belt life

Belts to be replaced at least every 5 years
Limited fuel range

Low fuel warning light comes on early with approximately 6 out of 16 litres left.
Grabby front brake

Early replacement of rotors, some under warranty.
Centerstand dragging during hard cornering

Depending upon driving style and if you have the 'Low' version.
Luggage difficult to remove

Key operated release mechanism housed in plastic and can be very sticky.

nickwst4 · Oct 7, 2022

A good idea!
You might want to add that the HS is such a compact design, especially compared with the Multistrada, that access to components is not very easy; an opinion held by very experienced Ducati mechanics!

uncle brad · Oct 7, 2022

nickwst4 said:
A good idea!
You might want to add that the HS is such a compact design, especially compared with the Multistrada, that access to components is not very easy; an opinion held by very experienced Ducati mechanics!

Interesting observation. I never really thought about it but after replacing the timing belts, it seemed like you had to take waaaay too much apart to get to them. There's a couple other facts i need to throw in regarding recalls on the 821. I'll try to get to that this evening.

appliance821 · Oct 9, 2022

Some things are important to check out, and some things are less so. Collating complaints on a forum will make any bike look like a minefield. There are a few important things noted, and a few thigs that are standard maintenance or just opinion as opposed to a general problem.

I find the seat (hyperstrada) comfortable.

The luggage works fine if you keep the mounting spools clean and give a sprittz of silicon spray every year or so.

My starter has been fine, and after a Lithium battery upgrade it is better.

Range is range - it is about 150miles - fill up when you can.

Belts = ducati - same as all desmo. If you don't know whn they were done - do them.

Clutch and suspension were OK - but not great. Since they were reaching end of life- needing servicing- I replaced both (full nitron and clutch upgrade with new judder spring). and it is much better.

The christmas tree of death is real. Be aware that the canbus filter retrofit was NOT a recall, so if you ask a dealer if all recalls were done (tps was one). they won't flag it. Have to ask specifically. Ducati has been very good with goodwill repairs. Mine fried after about 5 years and all repairs were free.

Regarding TPS (throttle position sensor). that WAS a recall - check if it was done.

Fueling is an issue: Low speed surge (another ducati thing not specific to this bike) is pretty easy to ride around with short shifting . The main issue, for me, is throttle on/off response - it is sharp and engine braking is strong. No real cure - ride accordingly.

Brakes: Never had grabby problems. The fronts are hard to bleed properly and can be mushy. The rear is weak, and access is a bit of a pain. Keep an eye on it though.

Also: it is a great bike to ride, and is compact light-ish and a great blend of agility and stability. Coming in fresh - a few things to get used to, and a few things to take care of. They are pretty inexpensive now - so suspension and clutch upgrade is worth it for a new rider. With those taken care of - a disciplined throttle wrist should take care of the rest.

IMO

uncle brad · Oct 9, 2022

appliance821 said:
Regarding TPS (throttle position sensor). that WAS a recall - check if it was done.

Can you find the recall number as i can't find any recalls for this or any other 821 issues. I believe this may have been an ESB or a TSB. The only recall i can find on the NHTSA site is for the 939 which i've posted elsewhere on here. It seems like many persons have used the term 'RECALL' mistakenly. This seems to be the case for:

- CAN BUS filter

- starter issues
- ignition coil packs
- '13-'14 clutch pack
- throttle control
- missing seal on upper steering head bearing

- ECU update

Cheers!

appliance821 · Oct 10, 2022

uncle brad said:
Can you find the recall number as i can't find any recalls for this or any other 821 issues. I believe this may have been an ESB or a TSB. The only recall i can find on the NHTSA site is for the 939 which i've posted elsewhere on here. It seems like many persons have used the term 'RECALL' mistakenly. This seems to be the case for:

- CAN BUS filter

- starter issues
- ignition coil packs
- '13-'14 clutch pack
- throttle control
- missing seal on upper steering head bearing

- ECU update

Cheers!

You might be right that the TCU wasn't an official recall. I believe the TCU was only for the 2013 models. You had to bring the bike to the dealer so they could check its specific unit - no VIN type identification. Ducati has a page on their website where you can enter your vin and get a list of official recalls.

Other things on your list weren't really considered major issues apart from the upper bearing seal which was fixed at the first (600 mile?) servicing. For example, when I had all the christmas tree of death stuff replaced - they used the same coils. sad trombone..

gatdammit · Nov 13, 2022

Not deal breakers, but, things I wish I had known before purchasing my 821:
- Must remove fuel tank to service air filter and top plug/ coil pack. I challenge anyone to a flint-lock pistol duel that says this isn't that big of a deal. I've removed my tank a dozen times and it's never fun or easy. Poor design decision.
- For the 821 starter, you have to disassemble half of the engine to service it. For basic starter trouble shooting, especially for those that got the non-Denso unit, this sucks. Not easy for a junior mechanic.
- The 821 plastic hand guards will not survive a drop or serious impact. This means you usually lose the OEM lever, too.
- The early 821 brake issue also included excessive chatter/ noise. Probably the bobbins sticking but how I ended up with an upgraded Brembo set from my dealer. I still have to clean and oil the bobbins on the floating disk occasionally or they squeal.

uncle brad · Nov 13, 2022

gatdammit said:
Not deal breakers, but, things I wish I had known before purchasing my 821:
- Must remove fuel tank to service air filter and top plug/ coil pack. I challenge anyone to a flint-lock pistol duel that says this isn't that big of a deal. I've removed my tank a dozen times and it's never fun or easy. Poor design decision.
- For the 821 starter, you have to disassemble half of the engine to service it. For basic starter trouble shooting, especially for those that got the non-Denso unit, this sucks. Not easy for a junior mechanic.
- The 821 plastic hand guards will not survive a drop or serious impact. This means you usually lose the OEM lever, too.
- The early 821 brake issue also included excessive chatter/ noise. Probably the bobbins sticking but how I ended up with an upgraded Brembo set from my dealer. I still have to clean and oil the bobbins on the floating disk occasionally or they squeal.

Good feedback. When i again get access to the original post, i can add this.

bostonduc · Nov 14, 2022

Does a REXXER tune help cure the surging? I ended up purchasing a Yamaha FJ-09 for my daily commute instead of the Hyperstrada mostly because I could not find one in the northeast (boston based). I was specifically looking for the 2015-16 models since I am 5'7". I also have a 2013 multistrada. The FJ-09 I got has aftermarket suspension and is a great bike which is about 90% of the multistrada in many ways (weight, power, physical size, etc..) But, it lacks in character compared to the Ducatis. Still wondering if I made the right choice.

gatdammit · Nov 14, 2022

bostonduc said:
Does a REXXER tune help cure the surging? I ended up purchasing a Yamaha FJ-09 for my daily commute instead of the Hyperstrada mostly because I could not find one in the northeast (boston based). I was specifically looking for the 2015-16 models since I am 5'7". I also have a 2013 multistrada. The FJ-09 I got has aftermarket suspension and is a great bike which is about 90% of the multistrada in many ways (weight, power, physical size, etc..) But, it lacks in character compared to the Ducatis. Still wondering if I made the right choice.

Exhaustive threads on REXXER and RapidBike tunes on this site.

nickwst4 · Nov 14, 2022

bostonduc said:
. I was specifically looking for the 2015-16 models since I am 5'7".

I didn't know the various years of production were consistently different. Are you perhaps suggesting that the earlier ones were better suited to taller riders? If anything, I'm a little shorter than you, but can manage my 2013 HS 821 OK. I've come to the conclusion that taller bikes have more suspension travel and compliance, so stretching the legs is not all bad!

gatdammit · Nov 14, 2022

nickwst4 said:
I didn't know the various years of production were consistently different. Are you perhaps suggesting that the earlier ones were better suited to taller riders? If anything, I'm a little shorter than you, but can manage my 2013 HS 821 OK. I've come to the conclusion that taller bikes have more suspension travel and compliance, so stretching the legs is not all bad!

IIRC, 2015-16 was when Duc made all HS models Low only. Only caution is if you upgrade the rear suspension. If done right, it will raise seat height.

bostonduc · Nov 14, 2022

Yes, 2015 and 16 are low versions. Also, I was under the impression that the clutch issue was fixed in those years. I guess from the response higher, the Rexxer tune does not fix the issue. Good to know. I'm sure the 2013/14 versions would still be manageable for me. My 2013 multistrada is pretty tall

gatdammit · Nov 16, 2022

bostonduc said:
Yes, 2015 and 16 are low versions. Also, I was under the impression that the clutch issue was fixed in those years. I guess from the response higher, the Rexxer tune does not fix the issue. Good to know. I'm sure the 2013/14 versions would still be manageable for me. My 2013 multistrada is pretty tall

They included the judder spring in 15-16, which helped. I still think hydraulic clutch is the true fix. Best upgrade I did. I can practically dump it and won't stall or buck. My argument against Rexxer is it's a one time tune based on current setup. Why not have full control over your tune, especially if you haven't added all go-faster parts yet?

Hyperstrada Buyers Guide: Important before buying your Hyperstrada...

2013-2015 Ducati Hyperstrada 821​

2016-2017 Ducati Hyperstrada 939​

Similar threads

2013-2015 Ducati Hyperstrada 821

2016-2017 Ducati Hyperstrada 939