Old Duc rider

I put the race seat on mine and it made a world of difference. I now am no longer locked into one position. I like it a lot.

make sure you can stand comfortably over it. The riding position is comfortable - most complaints stem from the suspension and city throttle response. It's a sporty fun bike that can do some decent jaunts but its no long distance tourer.

The seating allows a little movement. If things bunch up, I stand up for a brief rearangement - the dirt bike ergos make this a a natural affair. It's different than a sport bike - but very comfortable.

The water cooled 821 is also a fantastic engine - takes a little time break in and to smooth out, but it's very flexible and has creamy midrange power - a real joy.

Kuksul and I will never agree on this but I think it's a great tourer. I just came back from over a thousand miles camping and back roads - torrential rains - beating sun - mountains and valleys - it was wonderful.

The only "tourer" I test rode was a bmw f800st - when I complained that it was sluggish in handling and the motor was like a very large lawnmower - some said that's what a tourer should be: A compliant machine getting the miles done. If so - I'll just get a car.

This thing is alive - the handling's great and the engine responsive - each road seems like a new invigorating challenge. You get engrossed - focussed - and forget about miles and time. To me this is a better way to tour.

One last note: I have a 30" inseam and do fine on the bike. It's very well balanced and one of the games I play is how long I can stand still without putting my feet down. I usually cover the rear brake anyway so I rarely straddle with both feet on the ground.

ozarkman said:

Thanks, I've got also got a BMW G650x country and often ride on the pegs. Seat height is a little tall on it too but I'm used to it. I've read some early reviews when the bike was first introduced that complain about a snatchy clutch and fueling issues but some, mostly later reviews of the hypers and monster with the same engine either say these problems were fixed or don't mention them. You guys have any issues like that? I'm looking at a new 2013 that's been sitting on the showroom floor but I'd go for a 2015 rather than go back and forth to the dealer to get **** sorted.

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My 2013 has been trouble free. The 2015s are all low suspension models. Besides that, they're essentially the same bike. If the 2013 has a good price - and warranty, I'd go for it. Any issues are covered by recall or warranty, get the work is done before you pick it up. (ecu update, steering head bearing, throttle (maybe- it's on a bike by bike basis).

The clutch is fine on the road - off road I had some problems with smooth engagement going into first on some difficult terrain. Practice makes perfect. The upside is you can slam through downshifts and not lock the rear wheel. Also, the bike makes nice noises , and you feel like a pro. I think I'll kill myself if I ride a bike without slipper assist.

Some people have had real issues - in general the european makes will have teething problems - but some people just aren't used to a fairly hard edged machine. Once you get the rhythm it's fantastic.

appliance821 said:

The seating allows a little movement. If things bunch up, I stand up for a brief rearangement - the dirt bike ergos make this a a natural affair. It's different than a sport bike - but very comfortable.

The water cooled 821 is also a fantastic engine - takes a little time break in and to smooth out, but it's very flexible and has creamy midrange power - a real joy.

Kuksul and I will never agree on this but I think it's a great tourer. I just came back from over a thousand miles camping and back roads - torrential rains - beating sun - mountains and valleys - it was wonderful.

The only "tourer" I test rode was a bmw f800st - when I complained that it was sluggish in handling and the motor was like a very large lawnmower - some said that's what a tourer should be: A compliant machine getting the miles done. If so - I'll just get a car.

This thing is alive - the handling's great and the engine responsive - each road seems like a new invigorating challenge. You get engrossed - focussed - and forget about miles and time. To me this is a better way to tour.

Click to expand...

It's an acceptable tourer, but anything over a few hundred miles I would want a real touring bike. You can still have fun and won't beat yourself up.

Suggestion: If you decide on the 2013 Hyperstrada, check the warranty (before you sign any papers) to insure it includes the full 2 years including Ducati Road Assitance. I bought a new 2014 Hyperstrada on May 29th, 2014. The dealer offered somewhere around $1,100 - $1,200 dollar discount because they had had it since the fall of 2013 (I'm pretty sure the discount was a credit of some kind the dealer was getting from Ducati, North America). After I got the bike home and started checking through all the paperwork, I noticed that the warranty was dated from December 29th, 2013 - December 29th 2015. I thought it should have been from May 29th 2014 (the date I bought the bike) - May 29th 2016. When I went back to the dealer, they said I was only getting 19 months of warranty coverage versus 24 months as that was part of the discounted price. Of course no one at the dealership ever mentioned the lost months of warranty coverage during the purchase process, so it was a complete surprise. They also said they couldn't change the warranty period, because the December 29, 2013 "start date" had already been submitted to Ducati, NA. My perspective is that any vehicle warranty should start from the date of original retail purchase through the full warranty period. So I lost 5 months of warranty and roadside assistance as part of saving $1,200 dollars to buy a 2014 model versus a new 2015. I was not a happy camper and made this evident (very politely) but with resolve to address the issue. The dealer came back with an offer to pay 1/2 the cost of a 3 year warranty extension (the extension cost $1,000 total and apprears to be very comprehensive -- it's offered through VW, which owns Ducati). I'm still deciding whether I want to give away 5 months warranty or spend $500 bills and get an extra 31 months (the extended warranty is for 36 months but I've lost 5 months so I figure I'm getting 31 months if I agree/pay for the extension). But the extended warranty does not cover Roadside assistance, so I'm still losing 5 months of RA. Buyer Beware!!

If the bike is a demo model the warranty starts when the demo begins. If it's not a demo the 2 year warranty starts with the sale of the bike.