DUCATI MONSTER 695 (2006 - 2008) Review

The junior Monster is revitalised with more capacity, better equipment and brakes and all-new paintjobs. Cheeky handling, verve and novice-friendliness are unchanged, however. The Ducati Monster 695 is the cheapest way into Ducati style.

Watch the Ducati Monster 695 take on the Triumph Street Triple, Yamaha's FZ6 Fazer, the Honda Hornet, Suzuki's GSR600 and Kawasaki's Z750

Around town the Ducati Monster 695 is light, lithe and easy, and all the better for the improved responsiveness and smooth flexibility of the bigger engines. While out on the open road, although the suspension is a tad soft, corners could still be tackled briskly and confidently on the Ducati Monster 695.

The Ducati Monster 695 has bigger bores but shorter strokes than the Ducati M620 Monster that combine to deliver 10bhp more and the highest output per cc of any Ducati air-cooled V-twin before.  But the 695 is no breathless, rev-happy psycho. It’s meaty yet free revving and flexible with glitch-free throttle response.

Ducati’s standards have notably improved over the years and the Ducati Monster 695 is the perfect example of this. Paint is mouthwateringly deep and glossy for example. It’s not perfect, of course. Some areas around the engine still look a little unfinished with too much exposed wiring and the like, but the Ducati Monster 695 is better than older Ducatis.

The Ducati Monster 695 succeeds in being both novice-friendly and genuinely versatile and practical, having both style and usable performance. Most of all it's something of a bargain that unlike previous models, isn't the poor relation of the Monster range. Find a Ducati Monster 695 for sale.

The Ducati Monster 695 is not the budget motorcycle the smallest Monsters once were. Although suspension is fairly basic the Ducati Monster 695 has ‘proper’ twin front discs, the same dual dial instrument pod of its bigger brothers and plenty of decent detailing. On the black version, for example, there are black bar clamps, mirrors, levers and even footrest hangers.