Click to read: Ducati Hypermotard 796 owners reviews, Ducati Hypermotard 796 specs and see the Ducati Hypermotard 796 image gallery.Calling a bike the 796 when its capacity is 803cc could be viewed as a triumph of marketing over logic, but in other

than the 696 which is a bit gutless, this motor has a lot more midrange, hit the torque at 5,000rpm and off she goes. Ducati claim it’s not just a bored-out engine, as it’s got higher compression, smaller crankcase, lighter internals. The chassis

-bore naked roadster class, designed to take on bikes like the big Hornet and Fazer, as well as the daddy of them all, Ducati's Monster. But while naked bikes are traditionally cheaper and less lavishly equipped than their fully-faired siblings, Aprilia has

to creating a road-going superbike. By the end of an outstanding day, the RSV Mille had shown it was going to be right on the pace.FOG WARNINGRiding the 996cc works Ducati on which Carl Fogarty had just won his third World Superbike title should have been a

flagship with the horsepower to compete on equal terms. The DB7, powered by the 160bhp, eight-valve V-twin motor from Ducati’s 1098, has been created to do just that.In looks and layout the DB7 is on a different level to the DB5, due largely to the power

to 125bhp under an importers’ agreement.Monster ManiaThe year’s most significant bike was Ducati’s M900 Monster, which revitalised the Bologna brand and kickstarted the naked sports bike division. The Monster’s SOHC air-cooled motor made only 73bhp

DUCATI 851The last year of the Eighties was more notable for revamps than for completely new bikes, and nobody did it better than Ducati. The previous year’s 851 had been one of the most eagerly awaited bikes ever: the first Duke with a liquid

play, Harley-D, you did a mighty fine job on that one.DucatiWhat a difference five years have made. Back in 2001 Ducati was swimming with dosh, Troy Bayliss was blasting to yet another WSB title and the 916 range was still going strong. Strongest of all

, and Bimota’s flawed TESI 1D was confirming that telescopic forks were still the best solution up front.With Honda’s new sports-bike ABS system and Ducati’s 1198S traction control about to hit the streets, it’s worth remembering that 17 years ago, Honda’s ST

with tons of midrange, and handled better than any previous Jap superbike. My own black GSX was a great streetbike and a competitive proddy racer. Despite constant thrashing and many crashes it was almost indestructible too.CLASSIEST DEBUT PART 1Ducati’s