FIRST RIDE IMPRESSIONS:
We took delivery of our 2024 Ducati Hypermotard in early February, so it was probably one of the first bikes in the country. Initially we couldn’t ride it, thanks to the Ohio winter weather and a lot of salt on the roads, but by mid/late February we were able to get it out for a few rides. Right away, just out of our shop driveway, I noticed how easy the bike was to ride, very light-weight feeling, nimble and confidence-inspiring. The ergonomics are great for somebody my size (5’10”, 32 inseam, 170 lbs) and it just felt very comfortable overall.
Engine: The Hyper 698 is powered by a single cylinder 659cc engine, putting out around 77hp and 46 lb-ft of torque. The engine is very playful, and has good character to it, but you can tell it’s a little corked up (thanks emissions and sound regulations!). It’s a first year bike, and ours is probably one of the first in the country, so I expected there to be a few hiccups, and figured the low RPM fueling might not be the best. This seems to be common with the increasingly strict emissions and sound restrictions we’re seeing on motorcycles, especially single cylinder bikes. I didn’t have any issues with the bike stalling, but especially in 1st and 2nd gear, I noticed a bit of surging at lower throttle positions, and the bike just didn’t seem smooth. Once in 3rd gear and up, that seemed to go away. On/off throttle is pretty good, and the bike didn’t have a snatchy throttle like some EFI bikes have. It sounds pretty good too, for a bike with a stock exhaust, and it’s a bit louder than I expected it to be.
Transmission: The transmission was excellent, it shifted very smoothly, and I didn’t experience any false neutrals. Finding neutral on the bike, which is sometimes an issue on Ducati’s, was a breeze while moving, but can be a little finicky when you are stopped. The bike has 4 ride modes and lots of electronics to play with, so I’ll be getting into that a little later as I ride the bike more.
Suspension: The Hyper 698’s suspension is fully adjustable. With the factory settings, our bike was setup a little soft for my liking, but it did have a nice plush ride on our rough roads. The owners manual tells you how to adjust the front forks and rear shock, and provides some recommended settings to choose from. After a few rides, I decided to adjust it, and I’ve gone with their “Road Sport” settings, which seems pretty good so far.
Brakes: Brakes seem really really good, nice feel at the front lever and good stopping power. Rear brake is OK, but my brake pedal is adjusted very low and it’s harder to reach than I’d like. Luckily it’s supposed to be adjustable for height, so I will have that changed at the first service.
Tires: Our bike came spec’d with Pirelli Diablo Rosso 4 tires, which so far I’m a fan of. We’ve run the Pirelli Diablo Rosso 3’s on a few of our SM project bikes and I always thought they were one of the better SM tires for street use. This is the first time I’ve ridden on Diablo Rosso 4’s, but so far so good, they seem to work great on the bike.
Looks: For a stock bike, the Hyper 698 looks fantastic. Fit and finish is really good. You’re immediately drawn to things like the engine and swingarm, which have a very high end look. Ducati knows what they’re doing when it comes to designing the look of a bike!
Single cylinder 659cc engine – around 77 hp / 46 lb-ft torque
INITIAL THOUGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS:
Keep in mind, we only have a few hundred miles on this bike and are still trying to break it in, varying the speed/rpm as much as possible and trying to ride it somewhat responsibly. That being said, it’s hard to get a feel for a bike until you can really start riding it normally, and in the case of the Hyper, really revving it out where the meat of the powerband is. I do have some initial impressions that I’ll discuss below, and you will likely see some comparisons to our KTM 690 SMCR Project Bike a few times since these bikes are so similar and will likely be cross-shopped.
LIKES:
After about 400 miles of riding, here are some of my initial likes for the bike…
DIS-LIKES:
As for my dis-likes, keep in mind, it’s still early, and the bike is still mostly stock except for some protective and aesthetic mods…
WISH LIST:
The following features would have been nice to see on the bike, but I think Ducati left them out of the current spec, just to keep the price down… and also keep the more expensive Hyper 950 on peoples shopping list…
HELPFUL LINKS:
• Ducati Hypermotard 698 Aftermarket Parts at SRmoto
No TFT display on the Hyper 698, but the LCD display does give you most of the information you need, like a gear indicator, tachometer across the top, clock, and so on. No fuel gauge though, just a low fuel light that seems to come on with about a gallon of fuel left.
The seat comes off with 2 allen screws, and provides quick and easy access to the air filter and battery. There’s even a USB hookup attached to the air box cover.
For a supermoto, the seat on the Hypermotard 698 is actually pretty comfortable. It’s not designed for adventure touring, but I’ve done a 75-100 mile ride with no issues. It has a grippy texture on top to hold you in place.
The swingarm is a beautiful thing!
HELPFUL LINKS:
• Ducati Hypermotard 698 Aftermarket Parts at SRmoto
srmoto.com 