Ducati Hypermotard 698 Mono

The Ducati Hypermotard 698 Mono is a supermoto styled machine built around the largest production single cylinder engine Ducati has ever made, and one of the most distinctive bikes in the entire range. It strips the concept back to a single cylinder and pared back bodywork, delivering a lighter, sharper riding experience than the V2 powered Hypermotard while keeping the same playful, stand up and attack attitude.

At its centre is the 659cc Superquadro Mono, a hugely oversquare unit with a 116mm by 62.4mm bore and stroke and 13.1:1 compression, using a box-in-box piston design and desmodromic four valve timing to survive the huge stresses of such a large single, producing 77.5hp at 9,750rpm and 63Nm of torque at 8,000rpm. Twin balance countershafts smooth out what would otherwise be a punishing single cylinder character, and a 62mm throttle body with full ride-by-wire sharpens throttle response for genuinely flickable handling. Drive goes through a six speed gearbox with Ducati Quick Shift up and down, and a slipper clutch with self servo action manages the engine’s considerable compression braking.

A steel trellis frame with an aluminium double sided swingarm and a compact 1,443mm wheelbase carries a fully adjustable 45mm Marzocchi upside down fork and a fully adjustable Sachs monoshock working through a progressive linkage, tuned to keep the chassis composed under hard braking and playful when changing direction. A 330mm front disc gripped by a radial Brembo M4.32 four piston calliper and a 245mm rear disc give strong, controllable stopping power on 120/70 ZR17 front and 160/60 ZR17 rear tyres, and at 151kg the whole package feels remarkably light, helped by a narrow stance that suits its tall 904mm seat height.

The riding position, narrow tank and direct steering make it happiest darting between corners or attacking a technical back road, rather than covering motorway miles, and its 12 litre tank reflects that focus. It suits confident, experienced riders who want supermoto agility backed by proper Ducati engineering and performance, a genuinely unique proposition in the class. Available now at GT Motorcycles, your Ducati dealer in Plymouth, serving riders across Devon and Cornwall, with finance and test rides available.