First Impressions

NewMon · 24-05-2008, 06:52 PM

On the eve of the '08 UKMOC Rideout, my M600 has developed a pretty serious oil leak. I am not happy to miss the rideout and even less happy about the potential cost of repairs. So, to take the sting out of it, I got a test ride on the 696+. Here's what I thought.

The first impression I had was the familiar riding position was almost there but the bars are lower than the M600. The seat height and controls feel familiar and there is even a 'choke' lever to make me feel at home. The noise is just great - a really lovely burble and plenty of volume. Flip up the pretty substantial looking sidestand, into first and off we go. Low speed throttle control is better than the M600 but I haven't ridden other injected monsters slowly enough to compare with them.

I did a mixture of town riding and fast dual carriageways. Around town, the lower bars weren't completely comfortable and I had a bit of numbness in my left hand. The digital speedo display is a bit too small if you're trying to 'keep it down' but the overall experience is comfortable. Out on the open road, it pulls really well and, apart from the old false neutral problem if you aren't firm enough changing up, the gearbox feels good. Steering was spot on and I felt very confident at all corners. The brakes are superb - even the rear. The (very) little fairing really works - despite the feeling that there is nothing in front of you at all, the wind blast was less than my M600 with fairing.

I returned the bike with a big grin and then watched and listened to some lucky sods Desmosedici RR being warmed up prior to delivery. Ducati seem to go from strength to strength at the moment. Current delivery for the Monster 696 is September!

24-05-2008, 06:52 PM	#1
NewMon Titanium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Rugby Bike: M600 Posts: 401	First Impressions On the eve of the '08 UKMOC Rideout, my M600 has developed a pretty serious oil leak. I am not happy to miss the rideout and even less happy about the potential cost of repairs. So, to take the sting out of it, I got a test ride on the 696+. Here's what I thought. The first impression I had was the familiar riding position was almost there but the bars are lower than the M600. The seat height and controls feel familiar and there is even a 'choke' lever to make me feel at home. The noise is just great - a really lovely burble and plenty of volume. Flip up the pretty substantial looking sidestand, into first and off we go. Low speed throttle control is better than the M600 but I haven't ridden other injected monsters slowly enough to compare with them. I did a mixture of town riding and fast dual carriageways. Around town, the lower bars weren't completely comfortable and I had a bit of numbness in my left hand. The digital speedo display is a bit too small if you're trying to 'keep it down' but the overall experience is comfortable. Out on the open road, it pulls really well and, apart from the old false neutral problem if you aren't firm enough changing up, the gearbox feels good. Steering was spot on and I felt very confident at all corners. The brakes are superb - even the rear. The (very) little fairing really works - despite the feeling that there is nothing in front of you at all, the wind blast was less than my M600 with fairing. I returned the bike with a big grin and then watched and listened to some lucky sods Desmosedici RR being warmed up prior to delivery. Ducati seem to go from strength to strength at the moment. Current delivery for the Monster 696 is September!