Class Winner: Hypermotard Endurance Racer from Crazy Garage…
Back in 2007, Ducati introduced the original Hypermotard 1100 — a massive V-twin supermoto meant to combine the sharp handling and flickable fun of a true single-cylinder motard with the comfort and power of an 1100-class machine. Designed by the legendary Pierre Terblanche, the Hypermotard was a stunner that could cruise at highway speed while still harboring a “pathological penchant for wheelies” (MCN).
However, the big 1078cc machine was still a far cry from a true supermoto experience, and Ducati followed up with the leaner, lighter Hypermotard 796 just two years later. While the 796 weighed 25 pounds less than the 1100, its Monster-based 803cc Desmo L-twin only gave up 9 ponies to big brother. To many, it was actually the better bike in terms of riding experience and value-per-dollar:
“It’s easier to ride in the real world, and every bit as fast from A to B… Best of all its still massive fun and looks the part too.” –MCN
Recently we heard from our old friend Chi-hyun Kim, a veteran racer and founder of South Korea’s Crazy Garage. Most workshops focus on building bikes for normal city and highway riding, but Kim has always been more interested in aggressive, race-centric bikes built to perform at the limit:
“The concept of the shop is mainly that of making bikes that can be enjoyed on the race circuit or winding roads.”
This past year, he set out to build a lightweight track bike with an air-cooled Ducati twin. After testing and considering a Monster, he settled on a 2011 Hypermotard 796. The goal was for the bike to sit somewhere between the less aggressive Monster and the superbike-powered Streetfighter…and built for circuit riding / racing.
Kim completely revamped the Hypermotard’s geometry to suit the track.
“The work included installing Öhlins front and rear suspension, fabricating the subframe, and modifying the rear shock linkage ratio. (Multiple track tests were conducted to achieve the optimal setup.)”
As a fan of 80s AMA superbikes, Kim chose to run the oil cooler in front of a small bikini fairing that recalls the number boards of the old air-cooled racers, and he fitted a 1098 fuel tank, a fiberglass single seat cowl, and a lightweight carbon bellypan created in collaboration with Factory M to round out the bike’s exterior.
For more power, Kim fabricated a full 2-1-2 exhausted system, modified the airbox, and installed a Rapid Bike EASY module — a closed-loop plug-and-play tuning solution. Brakes were upgraded with Brembo and Sunstar components, and though the bike has a gear indicator and remote brake lever adjuster, Kim eschewed a quickshifter for the pure analog pleasure of snicking up and down through the gearbox — a man after our own heart!
The final product is like an edgier, more modern incarnation of the naked superbikes of 1980s AMA racing, but it’s no show pony. Kim is a racer at heart, and he put his Hypermotard to the ultimate test:
“Towards the end of the build, I formed a team and participated in the 7-hour endurance race held in South Korea as part of the testing. And my team finished the race without any trouble and won the class.”
Kim is a modest man, but it’s no small feat to completely disassemble a road bike, rebuild it from the ground up for the track, and then take it to the winner’s circle in an endurance race — a competition that would reveal the smallest mechanical or performance weakness. Congratulations to Kim and his team for this incredible build, and what they achieved in the saddle!
Below is our full interview with Kim about the build, and credit for the race shots goes to Brother Photography KR.
Hypermotard 796 Endurance Racer: Builder Interview
• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?
2011 Ducati Hypermotard 796.
• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?
It all started with creating a lightweight naked track bike that isn’t high in power but is easy for anyone to handle on the track. I like naked bikes and I am fond of trellis frame air-cooled engine Ducati.
At first, my planned to make it an ‘Air Cooled Monster’ series, but after some testing, I changed the plan to a Hypermotard with a strengthened frame pivot part. And the goal was to be somewhere between the Monster and the Streetfighter.
• What custom work was done to the bike?
I took the bike apart and changed the geometry to suit track riding.
The work included installing Öhlins front and rear suspension, fabricating the subframe, and modifying the rear shock linkage ratio. (Multiple track tests were conducted to achieve the optimal setup.)
Based on that, I created exterior parts such as the 1098 fuel tank and FRP single seat cowl. I placed the oil cooler at the front with a number plate, giving it an old-school feel (he way I like it, like an 80s AMA superbike). And I chose a low handlebar on a low mount without using a clip-on handlebar as my personal preference.
I fabricated a 2-1-2 full system exhaust and also modified the airbox to increase air intake. I adjusted the air-fuel ratio using Rapid Bike EASY.
The front braking system is a combination of Brembo calipers, master cylinder, and Sunstar discs. (The red and green painting on the left and right sides of the disc are traces of participation in an endurance race.)
Other accessories, such as a gear indicator and brake lever remote adjuster, were added, but a quickshifter was intentionally not installed for the sake of “the pleasure of manipulating.”
The ultra-lightweight carbon belly pan, made using an infusion process and installed on the final version, was created in collaboration with Factory M, a carbon parts specialist in Korea. It is currently available in three sizes as a universal type.
• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?
Towards the end of the build, I formed a team and participated in the 7-hour endurance race held in South Korea as part of the testing. And my team finished the race without any trouble and won the class.
Follow Crazy Garage
Instagram: @crazy_garage_
Web: cafe.naver.com
Still photos: Crazy Garage
Race photos: @brotherphotography_kr
Carbon bellypan: @thefactorym