2006–2008 · Naked Bike · Buyer's Guide
Real Ducati, Real Accessible
Ducati built the Monster 695 around the part that matters most: an air-cooled 695 cc L-twin making 73 hp and 45 lb-ft, hung in a steel trellis frame with almost nothing else in the way. Power arrives as a muscular midrange rather than a top-end rush, and the desmodromic valvegear hands the bike a personality the spec sheet cannot carry on its own. Six gears, a slipper clutch, 300 mm front discs, minimalist bodywork. Nothing here reads as the cut-price model in the showroom, and that is exactly why the 695 still holds its place among small nakeds.
On the road it plays light and honest. The 30.3 in seat lets most riders plant both boots at a stop, the chassis answers small inputs, and 408 lb wet never feels like work in traffic or on a narrow back road. An air-cooled twin with six speeds and a slipper clutch is simple hardware, and simple hardware is what survives two decades of riders. This is the bike for someone who wants Italian character in a size they can actually use every week. Just know what you are buying: 73 hp and 45 lb-ft are plenty for fun, and nothing like enough to win a straight line.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 73 hp (54 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 45 lb-ft (61 Nm) |
| Displacement | 695 cc |
| Engine | L-twin |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Front brake | 300 mm |
| Front tire | 120/60-17 |
| Rear tire | 160/60-17 |
| Wheelbase | 56.7 in (1440 mm) |
| Seat height | 30.3 in (770 mm) |
| Wet weight | 408 lb (185 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 3.7 gal (14 L) |
| Top speed | 124 mph (200 km/h) |
| Fuel economy | 35 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Drivetrain
This one isn't Nils' ride. It's what has come back to him over years of listening to riders: parking lot and paddock talk, club nights, and the messages owners send him directly. On the 695 that chatter points one way: loud, consistent praise, with complaints that stay narrow and mostly turn up when someone pushes.
The engine takes the most votes by a distance. Riders talk about character, about a throttle that answers the moment they ask. The chassis earns its own credit: balanced, easy to trust on a twisty road, forgiving enough that newer owners say they settled in fast. Plenty of them also like looking at the thing, the deep paint and stripped-down shape standing apart from the Japanese bikes parked next to it.
The front brake is where the grumbling starts. Owners describe a firm pull for not much bite. Push on a good road and two more turn up: the low exhaust cans touch down before the tires are finished, and the softly sprung suspension starts feeling loose over rough pavement. Here and there someone points at the finish around the engine, exposed wiring and unresolved details, while granting it's tidier than older Ducatis.
Plastic fuel tank swelling from ethanol
The polyethylene fuel tank can absorb moisture from ethanol-blended fuel (common in the US), causing it to swell and distort, potentially affecting fit and seal.
Where this Ducati Monster 695 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Monster 695 is actually built for.
Weekday city traffic and Sunday ridge roads both suit it. Light, low, and good-looking enough to hold its own in the lot at Alice's. No rider aids though, so damp fog-slick pavement needs respect.
Made for Bay Area Ridge Roads · San Francisco / Bay Area · Skyline Boulevard / Alice's Restaurant
It thrives on the tight stuff you drive out there for, and the sound alone justifies the trip. The 3.7 gal tank is the limit, so plan your stops around those long empty stretches.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Twisted Sisters · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
This is a skill bike. Light steering and an honest midrange reward smooth lines instead of horsepower, and with no traction control to lean on, everything you learn on it is genuinely yours.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Successor · 2008–2014
Light, Loud, Genuinely Italian
Competitor · 2007–2010
Reliable Revver, Light Hands
Competitor · 2007–2012
Triple Soul, Razor Handling
Competitor · 2007–2009
Italian Soul, Accessible Price
Competitor · 2004–2006
R6 Engine, Street Manners
Similar Character · 2004–2006
Superbike DNA, Streetable Package