For the 60-something passer-by who was checking out the Monster 695 in front of my chiropractor’s office, it didn’t seem to matter much that this was Ducati’s entry-level bike. He spent at least 20 minutes examining the baby Duc, even dropping to his knees at one point to get a multifaceted gander at this Italian beauty.
That’s a lot of ogling for a bike that retails for just $7795, and it’s one of the key factors that makes the littlest Monster so desirable. The “695” decals on its sidecovers are nearly the only clue that divulges its bargain MSRP, as it has many of the typical Ducati accoutrements such as its V-Twin motor, an inverted fork, the handsome trellis frame and the iconic visage of the Monster’s timeless styling that helped kick off the naked sportbike genre in 1993. The fact that the 695 boasts the lowest seat height and price tag of any Ducati matters little to the countless heads that frequently swiveled in its direction.
The first small-bore Monster on North American shores was the carbureted 600, followed in 2002 with the fuel-injected 620 version. Both are fun and reasonably affordable, but the output from the docile air-cooled motors can be diplomatically best described as modest. The original 583cc version pumped out a limp 51 horsepower. A new cylinder head and a 3.5mm increase in the stroke of the ’02 version bumped displacement from 583cc to 618cc, combining with larger intake and exhaust valves to boost claimed horsepower to 60 at 9500 rpm. Importantly, its rev limit was bumped from 8700 rpm to 10,200 revs.
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2007 Ducati Monster 695 on Motorcycle.com
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