2008 Ducati Monster 696: MD First Ride

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The highly advanced tubular trellis frame comes with Desmosedici technology and it is not only strong, it is very light, as well. The front suspension is a 43mm USD Showa fork, while Ducati has used a Sachs rear monoshock. One aspect of the Monster 696 that I could benefit from instantly is the great feedback given back to the rider. I could push much earlier than I had anticipated. Then you have the radial Brembo set-up. It's probably pure overkill on this lightweight bike, but very reassuring as the chassis and tires easily cope with the stopping power.

Grab a bit of clutch in first and up the front wheel comes, too. Out on the motorway heading back into Barcelona, the mirrors worked in a very un-Ducati-like fashion. I could actually use them without seeing too much of my elbows or the blur of vibration.

Going up the six-speed gearbox there's sometimes a hesitation between first and second gear. No doubt these bikes were brand new, and other than that the gearbox was fine. One of the huge positive surprises was the light clutch action. The clutch is so light that frequent use in the city doesn't put much strain on my left hand.

The new instruments are very advanced with a host of features such as clock and temperature. Center to it all is the digital Desmosedici style rev counter.

Conclusion: At the end of the day I was left with an impression that Ducati has taken care of every possible issue and that the 696 in effect is the new Monster. I am pretty sure that parts of this design will soon make their way to the other Monster models, as well. If Ducati is clever, they'll leave the S2R alone and add it to the Sports Classic range, though. The M696 is very light, very easy to ride and more powerful than the predecessors. Guess all that is left for me then is to say well done Ducati. Mission accomplished.

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