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View Full Version : super TT vs. hypermotard



LeFox
08-19-2008, 08:49 AM
click (http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Article_Page.aspx?ArticleID=6946&Page=1)

So we have two bikes that are extremely similar despite being unlike anything else available on the market today. The Super TT is a testament to the success of Buell's Trilogy of Tech that includes a low center of gravity afforded by its under-slung exhaust, fuel in frame/oil in the swing-arm and the ZTL front brake system all combined in a supernatural-look like something from Transformers - It is the Ying to Ducati's classy Yang. The downside to the theory is the often-maligned H-D motor. It opens the Buell up to naysayers when all they experience are brief glimpses into the bike's potential, whining from unappreciative journalists or a comment made on a forum somewhere from some random poster who took a Buell test ride and didn't get their rocks off on it. Fortunately there is a growing contingent of riders who embrace the Buell way and once you do the same it makes more sense why this bike is what it is: Classic Buell.

"Similarly to other Buell's I've ridden, the Super TT is a very unique motorcycle. When compared directly to a European or Japanese motorcycle in the same class, initially it seems like a letdown. Everything the Super TT does is quirky. From the engine's powerband, the handling, the unusual ZTL front brake, to the right-hand side belt drive, everything about the Super TT is different. But it's funny, because the more saddle time you put in, the more those unusual, quirky traits turn into a distinctive personality that is unique and unlike any other manufacturer's offering," said Waheed.

Then we have the Hypermotard, the polar opposite of the Buell. Eerily similar in that they are both big-bore air-cooled V-Twins stuffed into tiny, aggressive chassis with long travel suspension and dirt bike-like riding positions, the Hypermotard gets to the same point with a more traditional and aesthetically appealing approach. The Ducati Hypermotard will run $13,995 for the S-model tested here or $11,495 for the base version, which is virtually indistinguishable from the 'S' save for some carbon fiber bits, while the Buell Super TT is the bargain of the test at $10,295.

Despite that the Hypermotard 1100S motor isn't quite as powerful as the Super TT in terms of peak output, it offers a more broad range of power for the rider to work with and is one of the critical areas that the Ducati bests the Buell. The Hypermotard chassis, suspension and brakes are nothing the public hasn't seen before from Ducati, but in this combination it works better as a package than the TT. Throw into the equation that the Hypermotard design is a piece of rolling art and there is no denying that it is the Yang to the Buell's Ying. In the end, the Ducati Hypermotard is our nomination in this contest for big-bore super motard supremacy. But there is no wrong choice. Both bikes are asphalt-shredding bad-asses. Just ask Jimmy.

captain13ron
08-19-2008, 10:18 AM
i used to buy a new bike every year because i was dissapointed in certain areas of of the motorcycles, until i got my superTT, i love this bike!:)

dave_xb12r
08-19-2008, 10:29 AM
Lefox, I know you've said it before, something like "ride it, you'll either love it or hate it". And its totally true. You really have to be open minded and look past the usual bike and let yourself enjoy the "quirky traits" of the buell. The fact that it isn't like the usual pretty Italian bikes is what makes it so appealing to me. I think it's the Ascari A-10 of motorcycles. Its rough edged, bad ass and best of all, doesn't come with a cd player.