The first machine to receive
the 698 Mono power unit is this:
the all-new Hypermotard 698
Mono, 333 pounds of extra-light
and fast-steering fun and games,
a road-legal but virtually ready-to-
race supermoto scalpel.
The Hypermotard's chas
-
sis features a trellis frame
that weighs just 15.8 pounds,
lightweight and fully adjustable
45mm Marzocchi forks, and Y-
shape cast alloy wheels instead
of the heavier wire spoke rims
commonly seen in this class. The
rear suspension is via a conven
-
tional twin-arm swingarm and a
fully adjustable Sachs rising-rate
monoshock, while the brakes are
a single Brembo M4.32 caliper
and 330mm disc up front, and
a single-piston Brembo and
240mm disc at the rear.
This being a Ducati, there is
state-of-the-art cornering traction
control and ABS as well as three
power modes; four riding modes
(Sport, Road, Urban and Wet);
wheelie control; wheelie assist
(which helps you pull and hold
better wheelies!); engine brake
control, and launch control. There
is also Ducati's Slide By Brake
function, which allows non-expert
riders to back-in to corners like a
pro—more on this in a moment.
Like the bigger and heavier
Hypermotard 950 V-twin, the
Hypermotard 698 Mono is of
-
fered in both base and RVE/SP
variants, the latter having "Graf-
fiti" graphics, dual-color wheels
and an up-and-down quick-
shifter. The base model starts at
$12,995, while the RVE is priced
at $14,495.
Our test RVE was also fitted
with a distinctly fruity, track-
only Termignoni race exhaust
system that raised peak power
to 84.5 horsepower, along with
a race seat, sump guard and
race footpegs, which would
take the asking price close to
the $18,000 mark—encroaching
very closely on the twin-cylinder
Hypermotard SP.
RIDE REVIEW I DUCATI HYPERMOTARD 698 MONO
P80
It might be the base model
but it's still a looker with a
claimed 77 horsepower from
a single-cylinder engine.
Yes, 77 horsepower!
