Soup street-tested the 2009 Monster 696 on the streets of Spain. We enjoyed the "little Monster" and feel it's a big improvement over the old Monster. image: Courtesy of Ducati/Milagro

Almost every writer present (which included Americans, British, and Japanese) in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona (MAC BA for short) last April 4 for the intro/tech briefing of Ducati's Monster 696 had been to more such soirees than they had birthdays of their own children, and were subsequently inured to manufacturers' manufactured big events. Yet, none of us were prepared for the sheer number of sleek civilians present—people for whom Armani wasn't an affectation, who really had the mobile number of the Italian ambassador to Spain (present and accounted for) on speed dial on their mobiles, and who didn't mind slumming a bit at a motorcycle introduction, provided they had reserved seats in front and plenty of free drinks and hors d'oeuvres proffered by appropriately obsequious servants. Even Ducati's General Director Claudio Domenicali himself was there, charming and eager to press the flesh. Few could remember when they'd last seen him at a Ducati introduction, either.

All this—just for a Little Monster? Oh, yes.

'I'll beat him this time!' Test ride fill-in Charles Everitt races his reflection on the 696 Monster. image: Courtesy of Ducati/Milagro

It's almost embarrassing to flog, yet again, the old war-horse about how Ducati has so fewer resources at its command than the Japanese, but it is no less true. So, it was remarkable to see to what lengths and expenses the "little" manufacturer from Borgo Panigale had gone for what was fully acknowledged to be a beginner's bike.

"Why?" you ask? Simple. Ducati's Monsters have long been one of the company's main bread-and-butter motorcycles; bikes that haven't required a great deal of investment, but have sold exceedingly well—up to 60% of Ducati's production at one point. "So?" you might say. Well, let's put it this way: As impressive as Ducati's current 1098R and Desmosedici unquestionably are, and as much swell-chested pride they might create in their riders, Monster owners have a special right to an extra degree of pride and self-satisfaction, if not self-importance, as well. Because it's the Monsters' profits that fund the halo bikes, the MotoGP team, and everything that makes people go ga-ga about Ducatis. Such things do not grow on trees—olive, grape, or otherwise.

How important is the Monster line to Ducati's bottom line? Very. Hence Ducati Boss Claudio Domenicali was on hand at the 696 intro. image: Courtesy of Ducati/Milagro

Beginner's bike though it might be, the Monster 696 is nothing short of a small gem of a motorcycle. It's an agile little beast with superb road manners and just enough horsepower from the venerable 90-degree V-twin to keep riders of most any experience level entertained. Quality ancillaries, such as Showa/Sachs suspension front and rear, front brakes from the 848, and sophisticated Siemens electronic fuel-injection guarantee owners won't feel like distant relations to what would otherwise be true Ducatisti. (Although, as Ducati CEO Gabriele del Torchio pointed out, Monster enthusiasts, or Monsteristi, are a subset of the larger group.) Project leader Giulio Malagoli commented on that aspect repeatedly in our interviews—it was crucial the Monster 696 be, and be considered, "100% Ducati," he said. It could not be anything less. It had to command at least a degree of respect, not snickers or shoe-gazing glances. Other manufacturers might have the luxury of flogging loss leaders; Ducati certainly does not. A cheap, down-market Ducati wouldn't merely create an ugly duckling. It would sully the entire range, perhaps irreparably.

Recently Soup Has Tested: '08 Ducati 1098R '08 Honda CBR1000RR '07 Ducati 1098 '08 Ducati HyperMotard '08 Yamaha YZFR6 '08 Suzuki Hayabusa '07 Honda CBR600RR '07 Kawasaki ZX14

The day after the tech briefing, on a greasy, crowded back road just north of Barcelona, tipping into a semi-tight, second-gear corner—fighting for position with bicycles, sedans, and horseback riders, and trying desperately to make it Look Good for a band of photographers ranging from talented to hopelessly myopic, and even less concerned with the riders' welfare than their American counterparts—the effort Ducati has put into its latest Little Monster becomes as crystal-clear as the hood ornament we appear about to wear.

Of the engine and the chassis, the powerplant received the fewer number of overall changes. For instance, bore and stroke remain at 88.0mm x 57.2mm. Depending on how many decimal places you use for pi, that results in 695cc or 696cc. The heads, however, have been thoroughly revised along the lines of those of the Multistrada/Hypermotard 1100's, with new combustion-chamber shapes resulting in a slightly higher compression ratio of 10.7:1 versus the previous 10.5:1, and plain-bearing surfaces replacing the rolling elements of the previous engine for the single overhead cams, which also contributes to weight savings. Cooling fins have been recast as well for better cooling. Nonetheless, the engine retains the wet APTC (Adler Power Torque Clutch) clutch, with its excellent slipper function and light lever-effort.

Apart from those alterations, the 90-degree V-twin remains much the same as it has since its origins in Ducati's Pantah almost a generation ago. Internal gear ratios are the same as the 695's—which are simply too tall given the 15/45 final drive gearing. If you happen to purchase a 696, do not even ride it off the dealer's lot without a smaller front sprocket. The tall stock gearing gets the Monster 696 past Euro III emissions tests, but you'll be much happier with a shorter final-drive ratio.

A great way to maybe use the Monster 696 is to blast out of baggage claim on it. image: Courtesy of Ducati/Milagro

Regardless of gearing, the powerplant's alterations yield a claimed 9% horsepower boost to 80 bhp at 9000 rpm, and 11% more torque to 51 lb.-ft. at 7750 rpm—the best horsepower-per-liter ratio of all of Ducati's air-cooled engines, or so the firm says. The exquisitely, finely tuned Soup seat-of-the-pants dyno suggests those numbers aren't far off. More importantly, though, is how well the horsepower and torque are spread throughout the 696's rev range. There's always thrust available when you stretch the wire.

Part of the credit for the V-twin's responsiveness has to go to the new Siemens fuel-injection system. That's correct-Siemens, not Magneti Marelli. Project leader Malagoli told us the Siemens system offered more sophistication and allowed the use of more sensors than its Italian counterpart—particularly the sensors that read the pressure right by the throttle butterflies. Small, off-idle movements of the butterflies create much greater pressure differences than you might think, and the Siemens fuel injection permits extraordinary precision in the ability to meter small amounts of throttle/torque in mid-turn. Few modern motorcycles do this as well as the Monster 696, as was demonstrated repeatedly in trying to dodge other vehicles while still trying to make it Look Good for the Milagro shooters. Ducati was just as adept at programming the fuel injection for the remainder of the powerband, and in creating separate maps for each cylinder.

Ducati CEO Gabriele Del Torchio looks over the new little Monster and gives it a thumbs-up. image: Courtesy of Ducati/Milagro

By comparison, the Monster's chassis received far more attention. Indeed, it is virtually all new. Ducati, of course, kept its hallmark trellis-style space-frame construction. But, as Malagoli pointed out to further illustrate the Little Monster's 100% Ducati-ness, the 696 uses the same tubing (OD, ID, and wall thickness) as on the 1098, and it's welded up at the same Verlicchi facility just up the road from Borgo Panigale.

Designers then turned to cast-aluminum pieces to form the bike's subframe, as well as the structure for the footpegs, which also includes the swingarm pivot and the swingarm itself. Indeed, you can look at the 696's basic structure and get a pretty clear idea of what future Monsters will look like. Of course, Ducati would neither confirm nor deny it, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure a successful roll-out of the Monster 696 will all but guarantee it'll serve as a template for larger-displacement variants.

Still, designers have nothing even approaching carte blanche when it comes to creating a new bike, and that goes double for a motorcycle with as recognizable a profile as a Ducati Monster's. For instance, the 696's fuel-tank shape had to echo that of previous Monsters. And while it does, what you see isn't a fuel tank at all, really. It's a pair of panels that cover the airbox in front and the fuel cell behind it. Ducati made a grand case for owners' ability to change the color of their bikes by changing those panels, but that seems unlikely at best. More probable is that custom builders will make use of that feature. Tellingly, Malagoli said the panels made it possible to cover all the unsightly "non-technical wiring" while also creating the classic Monster shape. Indeed, the detailing of the Monster 696 is vastly superior to that of any current Ducati.

For most riders, though, and especially for the bike's target audience, the Monster 696 feels complete as a road bike, as it should—and as it must for Ducati. It's also vastly improved over the previous Little Monster and, most importantly, it upholds the Monster tradition of being an excellent road bike, regardless of whether the roads are urban or far from city limits.

Ducati also used the new "tank" shape to shorten the distance from the handlebars to the saddle by some 20mm—a change many will welcome. Previous Monsters' ergos felt as if someone had grabbed the rider by his lapels and dragged him across the tank. Otherwise, the 696 feels pretty compact. Ducati says the saddle has more padding, but its deeply scooped-out shape (to create a low, 30.3-inch seat height) short-changes comfort for taller and/or more experienced riders. The instrument panel is a smaller version than that used on Ducati's stellar 1098, with the same degree of info on offer, as is capability for Ducati's data-logger system, DDA (Ducati Data Analyzer). The low saddle height and extreme narrowness at the seat/"tank" junction should make it easy for all but the most severely inseam-challenged to get both boots flat on the deck.

Other chassis changes include a 10mm (0.4 inch) longer wheelbase, which Malagoli said helped achieve the correct chain tension given the 696's three-tooth-larger rear sprocket. The Showa USD forks also have 10mm less travel than the 695's Marzocchi units—the reduction helping contribute to the low seat height. Other changes keep the 696's chassis level, rather than adapting a nose-down attitude from the loss of front-end travel, and retain the 24-degree steering head angle from the 695. The front brake is a near-direct lift from the 848, with radial-mount Brembo calipers, and specially chosen brake pad material for reassuring action and stopping power for novices. Rear brake--and wheel and tire sizes—remain the same as the 695. Overall, Ducati claims the 696 weighs 15 pounds less than the 695, at 355 pounds. That's only 10 pounds heavier than Honda's claimed dry weight for its CBR600RR—a remarkable figure for a pukka road bike, compared to the heart-attack seriousness of Honda's front-line middleweight sport bike.

That feathery weight—plus the Monster 696's relatively small size—yield a lithe, flickable motorcycle, whether sparring with inner-city traffic or just following your nose on an unfamiliar back road. Such traits also contribute to the Little Monster's steering, which is quick, responsive, and neutral—but never novice-alarmingly nervous. Like some other Ducatis, the 696 manages to combine a thoroughly engaging agility that encourages a rider to try harder, with a reassuring, near-magic-carpet stability that lets them do so with confidence.

Mulling David Gross' book, perhaps? image: Courtesy of Ducati/Milagro

If you're looking for reasons for such impeccable road manners, you can start with the suspension. Spring and damping rates feel particularly well-chosen, especially for a rider of average size and weight (170 pounds). Those rates are decidedly biased toward the firm/sporting side of things, which sacrifices a bit of ride quality for pure composure over mid-corner paving imperfections; it's a tradeoff most anyone shopping for a Ducati should be happy to make.

Malagoli made it clear what else contributes to the Little Monster's confidence-inspiring handling: the engine's broad spread of torque; the sheer, simple rigidity of the frame, swingarm, triple clamps, and Showa forks; and how hard Ducati had worked to achieve that end, so the Monster 696 could be just as reassuring to a beginning rider as it could be encouraging to a more experienced one. That's a combination that illuminates a crucial point with 1000-watt floodlamps: The qualities that endear a motorcycle to a novice—predictable handling, agility, and a broad powerband—are the very same ones an expert can equally appreciate. As Malagoli pointed out, it's easy to make a very aggressive-feeling motorcycle—full of steep angles, super-stiff suspension, instant-on brakes and spiky powerband. What you end up with can be a supremely engaging motorcycle to ride, but only if you're up for it every single time you climb aboard. Not everyone is.

In fact, the one area where it seems Ducati might have gone a touch too far in accommodating novices is in the front brake's stopping power. Certainly, there's ample power to be had, but a novice-friendly pad compound means the radial-mount calipers lack the clean, sharp initial bite many (yes, more experienced) riders favor. Fortunately, a pad-swap should be all it takes to make a significant difference.

For its target audience, the Ducati Monster 696 fits like a glove and works just as well. For those who like to tinker, a swap to better brake pads and a minor gearing change will make the bike even more fun to ride. image: Courtesy of Ducati/Milagro

For most riders, though, and especially for the bike's target audience, the Monster 696 feels complete as a road bike, as it should—and as it must for Ducati. It's also vastly improved over the previous Little Monster and, most importantly, it upholds the Monster tradition of being an excellent road bike, regardless of whether the roads are urban or far from city limits.

Final details? For the North American market, Ducati will sell what's called the "Monster 696+" in other parts of the world. The plus suffix indicates the addition of a tiny bikini fairing and a cover over the passenger's portion of the saddle. For now, the suggested retail price appears to be $8,495. Typically, Ducati's accessory catalog will offer the usual suspects for owners who want to stamp their own imprint on the bike: carbon-fiber front fender and rear hugger, various other carbon bits and pieces, lighter five-spoke Marchesini wheels, carbon-finish Termignoni silencers and recalibrated ECU, a touring seat that's flatter than stock and features a gel pad, and so on and so on.

Whether the 696 has a plus symbol in its name or not, it looks as if its role of securing Ducati's near future will be successful. That's simply because the Monster 696 is a superb little road bike, far more than up to the task of satisfying neophytes and experts alike. It is, as Malagoli so worried over the point, a 100% Ducati--and 100% Monster. For now, it seems that all of Ducati's horizons look bright. And it's all because of a Little Monster.