If you want a Ducati on a budget, the cheapest option you have is the Scrambler Icon, which costs a little over $10,000. However, it would hardly look like a modern Ducati. It is a throwback retro model that is more of a lifestyle product and less of a focused Ducati machine. But stretch your budget by a few thousand dollars, and you can get your hands on one of the most exciting motorcycles on the market. And it feels like a proper Ducati should, with a super-modern powerhouse and high-end components everywhere.
Updated: 2026/07/20
This article has been updated with more information about how the bike performs in the real world.
The cheapest Ducati ever felt like a Ducati
Ducati is an overall premium European manufacturer. You have top-tier models like the Multistrada V4 Rallye, Panigale V4 S, or Diavel V4 RS, which represent the best the segment has to offer. These Are Also Expensive Motorcycles At the lower end of the Ducati spectrum, you have bikes like the Scrambler, with prices starting at $10,295, and the Monster V2, starting at $13,995. However, these bikes lack the Ducati flair that the company is known for.
Take the Scrambler, for example. It is a retro bike powered by an L-twin engine with desmodromic valves. For Scrambler fans, this alone makes the bike a more genuine Ducati than most new Ducati models, which have abandoned the desmo tradition. However, the Scrambler is a throwback bike and lacks the high-tension, uncompromising DNA that Ducati is known for. Instead, it’s more mellow and comfortable, and Ducati knows this, which is why the Scrambler is more of a sub-brand than just a lineup for the Italian manufacturer.
On the other hand, there’s the Monster V2, which doesn’t feel like a Monster, at least to fans of this nude. The original Monster was a parts-bin special, with an emphasis on special; It features a mesh frame, a muscular design, and a single-sided swingarm. It was raw and pure, whereas the new Monster is none of those things. Yes, it’s an evolution, but it feels too sophisticated for its own good. After all, it wasn’t refinement that made the original Monster so popular. However, there is an affordable Ducati that actually feels like a Ducati, with desmo valves and aggressive character.
The Hypermotard 698 Mono is the cheapest true Ducati
The Hypermotard 698 Mono might seem an odd choice here, given that it’s a single-cylinder supermoto from an Italian manufacturer known for performance bikes powered by V2 and V4 engines. However, hear us out. The Hypermotard 698 is just as focused as any other Ducati, here the focus is solely on entertainment, not lap times or cross-country comfort. It’s a simple, lightweight motorcycle designed to be agile, and Ducati assures that it comes with the unique racing DNA you’ll find on any other high-end Ducati model.
The Hypermotard 698 is powered by the most powerful single-cylinder engine (with racing kit), which is essentially a chopped half of the 1299 Panigale’s Superquadro V-twin. And this also includes desmo valves. The engine hangs in a trellis frame, paired with a high-end suspension and braking setup. There are plenty of rider aids, too. All this is wrapped up in an aggressive yet simple design that gives the bike a compact, sharp look. It feels as exciting as a supermoto should be, while maintaining the Ducati charm.
Price starts at $13,995
We call it the cheapest Ducati that still feels like a Ducati, but it’s still a little expensive, starting at $13,995 for the standard version. This edition features the Rosso Ducati colourway. Ducati also offers the Nera Edition for $14,395, which comes in a striking all-black livery, and the RVE is available for $14,895, which comes in a graffiti livery. Ducati says the livery is made with water-based decals for a clean, sharp look.
The Hypermotard 698 Mono is a fun first motorcycle
An affordable Ducati that still feels like a Ducati should have many buyers, but that’s not the case with the Hypermotard 698 Mono. For beginners, the bike may seem practical and easy to use, given the single-cylinder engine, upright ergonomics and lightweight construction. However, the Hypermotard 698 Mono is something else. It’s a sporty, focused supermoto built for fun, not practicality. And it’s best suited for intermediate to experienced riders looking for a hooligan bike.
What does fun mean here? Think of the Hypermotard as a bike that can be exciting to ride wherever you take it. In the city, it can spice up your commute by letting you zip through traffic and do a wheelie every other block. Take it to the track, and the bike has everything, including slide-by-brake, to help you get into corners and get the wheel out of them. Essentially, the Hypermotard is designed to put a smile on your face every time you ride it.
Of course, this focused, fun-loving nature means the Hypermotard isn’t a sensible motorcycle for most people. It lacks comfort and space to sit for long periods of time, so long rides will test your patience. Meanwhile, the high-revving engine will tempt you to do things your local cop won’t appreciate, and it won’t feel at home during a comfortable urban ride. This is a bike designed for popping wheels and carving corners, not practicality.
A rare breed of big-bore supermoto
The Hypermotard 698 is also a very rare type of motorcycle, with its only rival being the KTM 690 SMC R. Yes, there is the Husqvarna 701 Supermoto and the GasGas SM 700, but they are essentially repackaged 690 SMC R. Unlike the high-revving hypermotard, the 690 SMC R focuses on its raw, torque-heavy LC4 engine and dirt-bike heritage. For an exciting riding experience. Pricing for the 690 SMC R starts at $13,399, and it’s a good option for those looking for a more traditional supermoto experience. For those looking for high-revving and sporty nature, there is nothing like the Hypermotard 698 Mono.
Desmo valves mean top-tier performance on tap
Ducati has been selling L-/V-twin powered hypermotards for two decades, but what makes it a true supermoto is an explosive single-cylinder engine. The Hypermotard 698 Mono is exactly that. It features a short-stroke thumper engine derived from the 1285cc Superquadro of the 1299 Panigale. It inherits various components including the thermal part, piston and combustion chamber design. There is also a desmodromic valve system with titanium intake valves, which eliminates valve float that can occur with high-revving spring valves.
A power output that smokes the big parallel-twin
The ultra-short stroke is important here, which allows the engine to reach high rotational speeds. The piston has a diameter of 4.57 inches (116 mm) and a short stroke of just 2.46 inches (62.4 mm), giving it a 1.86 bore-to-stroke ratio. This, along with the high 13.1:1 compression ratio, allows the Ducati to put out 77.5 horsepower at 9,750 rpm and 46.5 pound-feet of torque at 8,000 rpm. Slap on a racing exhaust, and output increases to 84.5 horsepower and 49.4 pound-feet of torque, making the Hypermotard 698 Mono the most powerful single-cylinder production motorcycle ever.
V-twin-like character and long service intervals
For such a big thumper engine, vibration is common, but Ducati reduces it with a pair of balancing countershafts. Ducati says the engine’s vibration is equivalent to that of a 90-degree V-twin. It has a 6-speed manual gearbox, with the same gear ratios as the Panigale V4, with a taller first gear for sharp corner exits. Finally, unlike older engines, desmo systems require less maintenance. Ducati has set an oil change interval of 9,400 miles and a valve clearance interval of 18,600 miles.
Supermotard-ready underpinnings, ergonomics and electronics
Ducati says the Hypermotard 698 Mono embodies everything that makes a supermoto fun to ride, with the precise front-end behavior of a Ducati sports bike. This is made possible by a combination of sharp steering geometry, short wheelbase, low front wheel inertia and weight distribution. With front-biased weight distribution, the bike weighs only 333 pounds without fuel. This will make this Italian supermoto attractive to ride.
High-end underpinnings with Marzocchi/Sachs suspension
The bike uses a steel trellis frame with a lightweight 8.6-pound aluminum double-sided swingarm. Ducati says this combination maximizes stiffness and minimizes weight, and the swingarm length limits the wheelbase to 56.8 inches. This setup sits on a fully adjustable suspension, consisting of a stiff 45mm Marzocchi USD up front and a Sachs monoshock with progressive link at the rear.
The bike also gets five-spoke Y-spoke alloy wheels, which are said to be 1.1 pounds lighter than a similar set of spoke wheels. The wheels are wrapped in Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tyres. Braking power comes from a large 330 mm disc at the front, the same size as the Panigale V4, gripped by Brembo M4.32 calipers operated by a radial master cylinder. Combine everything, and you’ll have a bike that’s built to be hooligan on the road.
Supermoto ergonomics with plenty of technical support
Ducati says the bike also has an upright riding position that is more like a supermoto. The rider’s seat is narrow and flat, allowing the body and legs to move. The seat is 35.6 inches above the ground, but can be lowered 0.6 inches with the optional lowering kit and 1.6 inches with the lower suspension kit. The aluminum handlebar is adjustable in two positions.
It has a rich tech suite, starting with a compact 3.8-inch LCD instrument and LED lights. As for the electronics, the bike has 4 rain modes (Sport, Road, Urban and Wet) and 3 power modes (High, Medium and Low). Safety is covered by Cornering ABS with Slide By Brakes, Ducati Wheelie Control, Ducati Traction Control, Engine Brake Control and Ducati Power Launch. The RVE model also features a bidirectional quickshifter, which is otherwise optional on lower variants.
The unmistakable Ducati design makes things perfect
The Hypermotard 698 Mono is also an unmistakable Ducati by design. The bike is sharp and slim, its clean lines make Ducatis stand out from the crowd. The front is aggressive, with high fenders, and the rear is sleek, with twin silencers adding visual balance to the overall design. So, whether you consider the bike’s engine with desmo valves, the high-end underpinnings, the Panigale V4-inspired electronics, or the great looks, there’s nothing about this bike that doesn’t feel like a Ducati.
Source: Ducati
