RIDE REVIEW I DUCATI HYPERMOTARD 698 MONO
P86
tire break free without worrying the
day is about to end in the medical
center. Even with hot, slick rubber
fitted, I was able to predictably slide
the rear into first-gear corners like
I would usually only attempt on the
PlayStation. Talking of which, Ducati
offers a track-only option, which
comes with the race exhaust, that
allows much higher and more sus
-
tainable wheelies than the standard
DWC. Tip: don't tell your friends it's
installed on your bike.
A word of warning, though. The
698's extra tall 35.6-inch seat height
isn't going to suit everyone, although
there is an optional lower perch that
drops to 35 inches. That said, I'm
short (nearly 5'7"), and I didn't have
too many problems with the Ducati
on the standard seat, partly because
the chassis and seat are so slim and
because the bike only weighs 333
pounds, wet with no fuel. It's not like
a tall and bulky adventure bike that
hits the scales at over 440 pounds.
Being a track-focused supermoto
means the 698 Mono also lacks
a few niceties. A compact 3.8-
inch LCD display is a little small
compared to other models in
Ducati's range. I preferred to change
the modes and the settings in the
pits, stationary, not out on track, as
Dial the electronics up
and you've got quite the
pussycat in the wet. But
put slicks on and have a dry
track underneath you and
it's a different story.
