The Ducati Hypermotard 698 Mono is the most extreme single-cylinder bike around

The Ducati Hypermotard 698 Mono is the first single-cylinder model from Bologna in three decades, and promises class-leading supermoto performance.

Powered by the Superquadro Mono engine Ducati revealed last week, the heart of the new Hypermotard 698 is one of the most extreme single-cylinder motors ever put in a production motorcycle.

It uses MotoGP-derived tech borrowed from the Ducati Panigale V4 R and applies it to a single 659cc cylinder of the ‘old’ Superquadro engine used in the Panigale 1299. 

The result is 77.5bhp as standard, meaning it is only 2.5bhp down on the similarly-sized Triumph Trident 660, despite the Trident’s additional two cylinders. A racing exhaust from Termignoni can pump that figure up even further to 85bhp. Handling such power of course requires some decent chassis specs.

For that, Ducati relies on a steel trellis frame for the Hypermotard 698 Mono. Its variable thickness helps it to achieve a weight of 7.2kg, while cast wheels, a two-sided aluminium swingarm, and an aluminium flange on the brake discs also help to keep the weight down. In total, the bike weighs in at 151kg before you add fuel.

A fully adjustable 45mm inverted front fork arrives courtesy of Marzocchi (also fairly lightweight at 8.1kg), while Pirelli provides Diablo Rossi IV tyres in 120/70 ZR 17 at the front and 160/60 ZR 17 at the rear. Brembo gets the bike stopped with an M4.32 calliper operating on a 330mm single front disc. At the rear, there is a single 240mm disc.

More performance has been found with electronics. Ducati says the electronics on the Hypermotard 698 Mono allow “less experienced riders to learn to ride like a Supermotard rider,” thanks to Ducati Traction Control, Ducati Wheelie Control, Engine Brake Control, Ducati  Power Launch and Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) Up/Down. DQS is only available as an option on the standard bike, but the higher-spec RVE version gets the quickshifter as standard. Cornering ABS is also featured, and the ABS itself has four levels of intervention, two of which implement ‘Slide by Brake’ which helps to control rear slides initiated by rear brake use. The wheelie control also comes in four levels, and there is the option of Ducati Performance software which includes the ‘Wheelie Assist’ setting.

Four riding modes are available - Sport, Road, Urban and Wet - as well as three engine mode settings. Selecting and managing the modes is done through the bike’s 3.8-inch LCD display.

Ergonomically, the bike has been designed with performance in mind. For example, the upper part of the bike is narrow to maximise rider movement, while the rubber inserts of the footpegs can be removed “to obtain maximum grip with racing boots,” Ducati says.

Accessories include the aforementioned Termignoni exhaust, a racing seat, motard footpegs, and sliders and covers for the engine. It wouldn’t be a Ducati without a slew of carbon options; these include a heat shield for the exhaust manifold and a silencer. There are also billet aluminium pieces such as brake and clutch levers, brake and clutch reservoirs, and dynamic indicators.

There will also be a version of the Hypermotard 698 Mono limited to 35kW (47bhp) for younger riders with an A2 motorcycle licence.

The 2024 Ducati Hypermotard 698 Mono will be available in two colours. The first is ‘Ducati Red’, and the second is ‘RVE’ which comes with the Ducati Quick Shift and dedicated delivery. Of course, the RVE - at £11,895 - costs slightly more than the standard version at £10,995.