Ducati Monster 696

THERE'S not many motorcycles out there that can claim to have their own signature tune, but the Ducati Monster is one of them.

Whether The Automatic really had this iconic Italian twin in mind when they penned their smash-hit last year is unclear, but as a dyed-in-the-wool biker it’s an association I’ve never been able to ignore. The lyric What’s that coming over the hill? Is it a monster? fails to specify which hill, but frankly it matters not because you can hear it coming from miles around. I could fire this thing up the other side of the Brecon Beacons and it would shatter greenhouse glass in Bedminster. In standard trim it sounds like the Earth is about to open up and swallow you, but with the addition of Termignoni pipes on my demo model, Ducati have turned this bike into a, er, monster.

The design department in Bologna had a tricky job on their hands when it came to redesigning the Monster. The model it replaces has always been easy on the eye, and indeed the (homologated) S4RS which is still on sale alongside the 696 is an absolute beauty. In fact, since its inception in 1993 the Monster has been one of Ducati’s biggest success stories with more than 200,000 units sold in the last decade and a half. Not only that, it’s income from bikes like the Monster that help fund R&D into machines like the 1098R, the Desmosedici models and even MotoGP technology.

So Ducati had to get it right first time, and to my mind they have. You can spot the bike’s origins a mile off, yet there’s a 21st century fluidity to the whole package. The sculpted tank, the gorgeous mirrors, the trellis frame all scream Ducati. But look closely and you’ll see the steel tubing only runs halfway along the bike before meeting up with an aluminium sub frame. This is a real break with tradition but there’s no denying it still looks great.

The key thing is though whether it retains the same appeal as the 695, which Ducati are continuing to sell alongside the 696. Well for starters it’s still flyweight, tipping the scales at just 161kg, and the seat height is relatively low at 770mm, so it’s suitable for all riders. The handlebars are higher and nearer the seat than before, the steering lock is improved and the seat has considerably more padding.

So overall it’s a much comfier machine, but that doesn’t mean the Monster has gone soft. Far from it. Engine-wise, the desmo 90degree V-twin gets new cylinder heads and higher-lift cams which, combined with a new ECU system, give an additional 10% increase in both torque and peak power. And you don’t have to look far to see that this "entry-level" Ducati is dripping with quality parts. You certainly get a lot of bang for your buck, with Marchesini wheels, Showa forks and four-piston radially-mounted Brembo brakes.

Out on the road, it really is a lively beast. Sure, it’s not sports bike fast but the noise from the pipes easily gives you an equal shot of adrenaline, and the torquey motor has plenty of grunt to satisfy all but the most throttle-happy riders. The tiny bikini fairing above the fabulous LCD clocks keeps a surprising amount of windblast off and allows, where legal, cruising speeds in excess of 100mph.

It’s not the smoothest machine on the market, but with an air-cooled V-twin power plant, it’s never going to be. But Ducati really have breathed fire into the new Monster to create a machine that excels at showing off, laps up the daily commute and becomes a hardcore headbanger at the weekend. Not bad for £5,500 -- where do I sign?

The Ducati 696 was kindly loaned through Riders of Bath Road, Brislington.

Article written: September 3, 2008

OUR STEER ON THE MONSTER 696

Price: £5,500

Engine: 696cc desmo 90deg V-twin

Power: 79 bhp @ 9,000 rpm

Torque: 51 lb ft @ 7,750 rpm

Transmission: 6-speed, chain drive

Weight: 161 kg

Fuel capacity: 15 litres

Top speed: 130 mph

Seat height: 770 mm

by Jon Bennett