Days after teasing its new supermoto, Ducati has finally launched the Hypermotard 698 Mono in India at Rs 16.50 lakh (ex-showroom India). Interestingly, the bigger, more powerful Hypermotard 950 RVE is priced at Rs 16.05 lakh.
The Ducati Hypermotard 698 Mono is powered by a new 659cc Superqaudro Mono engine that pumps out 76.4 bhp and 6.5 kgm. Yes, this is the most powerful single-cylinder motorcycle in the market currently, if you already didn’t know about it. To keep it right-side-up, there are four riding modes, three power modes, engine braking control, traction control, ABS, launch control and wheelie control (optional extra). This electronic suite is backed by 45 mm fully-adjustable Marzocchi USD forks, a link-type fully-adjustable Sachs monoshock. Dropping the anchor is a 330 mm disc at the front paired with Brembo M4.32 calliper and a 245 mm disc at the rear.
Ducati intends to launch the ‘RVE’ variant later this year, but the standard version isn’t any sane, either. From its sinister-looking headlight, raised front fender, twin underseat exhausts and the tall 889 mm seat height, it is pretty evident that it belongs to the Hypermotard family.
Yes, the above mentioned details don’t justify the Rs 16.50 lakh price tag, especially when bikes like the Monster SP and Hypermotard 950 are in the market. However, with the Mono coming in as a CBU (Completely Built Unit) from Italy and Thailand, and being under 800cc it doesn’t qualify for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Thailand.
