2024 · Supermoto · Buyer's Guide
One Cylinder, Pure Corner
Ducati built the 698 Mono around one idea: a 659 cc liquid-cooled single with a huge bore that wants revs. Peak power is 77 hp at 9,750 rpm and the 46 lb-ft peak lands at 8,000, so the real drive sits high in the range rather than down at the bottom. Around it goes a 355 lb wet chassis, a short 56.8 in wheelbase, wide motard bars, a fully adjustable 45 mm fork and a 330 mm front disc. The rider aids are unusually complete for a road motard: cornering ABS, traction control, ride modes, Ducati Wheelie Control and Ducati Power Launch. The up/down quickshifter is an option, not standard on this bike.
On the road it behaves like a genuinely light bike that got serious hardware. Direction changes cost almost nothing, the front end tells you plainly what it is doing, and there is more lean clearance available than public roads will ever ask for. It fits a confident rider with good canyon roads or tight city streets nearby and no interest in luggage, a passenger, or long interstate stints. The honest caveats: the seat sits at 35.6 in, the single is rough and surgy below about 5,000 rpm in the lower gears, and the 3.2 gal tank keeps stints short even at 49 mpg.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 77 hp (57 kW) @ 9,750 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 46 lb-ft (63 Nm) @ 8,000 rpm |
| Displacement | 659 cc |
| Engine | Single-cylinder |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 330 mm |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 160/60-17 |
| Wheelbase | 56.8 in (1443 mm) |
| Ground clearance | 7.3 in (185 mm) |
| Front travel | 8.5 in (215 mm) |
| Rear travel | 9.4 in (240 mm) |
| Seat height | 35.6 in (904 mm) |
| Wet weight | 355 lb (161 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 3.2 gal (12 L) |
| Fuel economy | 49 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Drivetrain
Safety
The named systems that set this bike apart — and what each one does for you.
Drivetrain
Rider aids
This section comes from years of listening rather than my own ride: paddock talk, owner chats on club nights, and the emails and messages riders send once they've lived with a bike. On the Hypermotard 698 Mono the pattern is clear. Praise gathers around the brakes, the electronics and a refined top end, and the gripes gather around range, seat height and the dash.
Owners consistently single out the front brake for its feel at the lever and its bite when squeezed hard. The electronics earn the same praise, and riders regularly call the package the best in the class. The supermoto ABS setting, with rear ABS off and Slide-by-Brake, comes up again and again because no rival offers it. Riders also note that no competing single makes more peak power, and many are surprised how little it vibrates once past 5,000 rpm. Some owners add the valve service to the plus column: the Desmo clearance check comes every 18,000 mi (30,000 km), with only eight clearances on the single, well below what they expected from a desmodromic Ducati.
Range is the most common gripe. Owners see the low-fuel light with about 1 gal left and get roughly 125 to 150 mi (200 to 240 km) of useful range. Seat height is the other constant: even shorter riders end up on tiptoe, taller ones are fine, and a lower seat is available as an option. Several owners call the 3.8-inch monochrome display small and dated for the money, and some point out that it gives away peak torque to rival singles and makes its performance with revs. For longer days riders list no wind protection, no cruise control and a seat that turns plank-hard, and most treat it as a weekend or second bike rather than a commuter or tourer.
Excess fore-aft play in handlebars on early production
An incorrect rubber damper (and possibly wrong bushing assembly) under the handlebar clamp on a subset of early-production MY2024 bikes causes play at the bar tips. Addressed under a separate Ducati service campaign with revised damper / clamp hardware.
Assembly oversights on early-production bikes
Multiple owner reports of small assembly misses on early MY2024 deliveries: (a) shipping plug left in the gas tank vent hose causing tank pressurisation on hot days, (b) gear shifter binding requiring a spacer washer, (c) rear seat alignment problems with bolt holes, (d) miscellaneous minor finish issues. Reportedly tapering off through 2025. Not a single root cause — a pattern of QC inconsistency on early production.
Rough / surging fuelling below ~5,000 rpm in 1st and 2nd gear
Owners and reviewers consistently report rough, surging, occasionally hesitant low-throttle behaviour in 1st and 2nd gear below approximately 5,000 rpm. Caused by Euro-5-driven lean low-load mapping combined with the low crank inertia. Above approximately 6,000 rpm the engine pulls cleanly. Closed-loop O2 feedback exacerbates the lean condition. Aftermarket workarounds (BoosterPlug, Shift-Tech "Quick Fuel Fix") are commonly discussed in owner forums.
Rear seat grommets pop out — seat lifts at rear
The rubber grommets at the rear seat-mounting brackets are inadequate on early production and pop out from the frame brackets during riding, allowing the seat to lift at the back. Owners describe re-seating the seat as a routine post-ride check. Addressed under Ducati service campaign **CR279** (December 2024) with revised grommets and a battery-cable routing inspection.
Heat on right leg in slow-moving traffic
The 13.1:1 compression single combined with twin under-tail exhaust outlets close to the rider produces noticeable heat on the right leg / inner thigh in slow-moving traffic on warm days. Inherent to the layout, not a fault.
Front swingarm chain guide allows chain to contact swingarm
The chain guide that wraps around the front of the swingarm just behind the front sprocket can allow the drive chain (when slack) to come off the guide and contact the swingarm. Addressed under Ducati service campaign **CR278** with a revised, wider chain guide. Classified non-safety-critical by Ducati / NHTSA.
Vibration below ~4,000 rpm under load
Despite twin counterbalance shafts, reviewers report the single shudders noticeably below approximately 4,000 rpm under load. Above approximately 5,500 rpm vibration is well-managed; bar buzziness is reported between 3,000–5,500 rpm at sustained motorway speed. Inherent to engine architecture, not a fault.
Where this Ducati Hypermotard 698 Mono 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
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Hypermotard 698 Mono is actually built for.
City streets and Skyline runs are its habitat: light, narrow, easy to flick through traffic, with looks and a soundtrack that hold up at the coffee stop. Plan around the small 3.2 gal tank.
Made for Bay Area Ridge Roads · San Francisco / Bay Area · Skyline Boulevard / Alice's Restaurant
On tight canyon roads this is exactly the tool: instant turn-in, clear front-end feel, and more lean angle than you will ever use. Keep it in the upper half of the rev range and it makes sense.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
Brilliant once you reach the twisty stuff, hard work on the flat transits to get there. Firm seat and a 3.2 gal tank mean short legs between stops, so treat it as a fun-first weekend bike.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Twisted Sisters · Austin / Handbuilt Motorcycle Show
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Ducati Hypermotard 698 Mono. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
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