New Hypermotard for 2013? Don't think so...

[antonye]

I was intrigued to look at the picture of the "New Hypermotard for 2013" Spy Shot that MCN ran this week - unfortunately I can't find any online versions so you'll have to go and have a look at it in WH Smiths...

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/upload/289381/Spread-2.jpg

It definitely looks like it has the 4V T11° engine in it due to the casing and plumbing, but that front end looks like the MultiStrada not the Hypermotard to me.

Maybe it's a MultiStrada 848 ??

[antonye]

Doing a search to try and find the pic MCN used online, I came across an interesting thread (in Italian!) discussing the new Hypermotard.

It seems that the 4V 1198 Hyper was touted way back in the Feb 2011 (yes, more than a year ago!) issue of InMoto magazine: http://s2.postimage.org/uwlmy02mg/IMG_0336.jpg

and some more pics here based on the magazine's mock-up:
http://www.daidalgas.com/hypermotard-2012/

To me this still looks too much like the MultiStrada 1200 and surely it would be in direct competition with it, or at least far too many similarities to be a worthy model? Look at what happened with the StreetFighter - it went to an 848 engine for this year, so why not do the same to the highly successful MultiStrada (like they did the 1000/1100 and 620...) and have a lower-cost, entry level tourer?

I'm still not convinced it's a new Hypermotard!!

[antonye]

Ours spies tell us that there is a MultiStrada 848 to be shown at the Milan show in November, but also that the factory are indeed also working on a new Hypermotard as well!

Check out this latest spy shot - looks like the new Hyper to me!

[antonye]

Another picture of the new Hypermotard 848 which looks like an almost complete production model...