Supermotos were born to entertain. Conceived for a late 70’s US TV-show, the dirt/road mash-up was designed to pitch racers from different disciplines against each other, on mixed surface tracks, to determine the ultimate rider. The French, ever partial to some leftfield lunacy, ran with the idea and the dedicated “Supermotard” race-series was born. The Nineties saw the boom of the genre in Europe, resulting in the first-ever production Supermoto, Gilera’s unfathomably awesome Nordwest, my teenage dream-machine. But despite their flexibility with terrain, the Supermoto is one of the most singular of purpose machines ever created. That purpose, as it was at concept; to entertain.The popularity of the Supermoto has ebbed and flowed in the decades since, the Japanese manufacturers have abandoned the class altogether, while the remaining players; KTM, Husqvarna and GASGAS, offer in all but marque, the same superb machine. But now Ducati have revitalised the category, with typical Italian flair. In truth, they have long had a toe dipped in the Supermoto paddling pool, their Hypermotard range taking many of its cues from the form. But with its L-twin engine, it has always sat somewhat out-of-category, like a big-brother, graduated to the big pool. A supermoto in its truest form, should (Aprilia SXV excepted) have one cylinder. Enter the Superqaudro Mono. 

Before we delve into the motor, has there ever been a finer example of the English language taking a seductive phrase from its mother-tongue, and translating it into an ugly, uninspiring tumble of words? Super-Square just doesn’t hit the heart in quite the same way, and this is an engine that hits the heart.Essentially half of a 1299 Panigale motor, with the same, mighty 116mm piston stomping up and down the super-short stroke of 62.4mm to deliver a capacity of 659cc, not the 698 moniker adorning the panels. Desmodronic valves, an aluminium cylinder liner and magnesium engine cases combine to create a thumping 77.5 horsepower unit. A far cry from Ducati’s last production single, the 450cc bevel-head unit of their original 70’s Scrambler, the Superquadro is instead the most powerful single-cylinder production engine ever made. Quite the brag. A two-part steel trellis frame, cast aluminium swingarm, 45mm Marzocchi forks, Sachs shock and lightweight, cast rims connect the welly to the rubber, via a full-suite of electrickery.Bosch cornering ABS allows for four levels of “slide by brake” control, while the Ducati wheelie control also offers four levels of height tailoring, along with a track-only “off” mode. Traction control, engine-brake control, and launch controls complete the circuitry CV. Ducati conveniently arrange the many settings into 4 pre-ascribed riding modes; Sport, Road, Urban and Wet. The first three unleash full power via a dynamic (Sport mode) or smooth-action (Road and Urban mode) ride-by-wire throttle set-up, while Wet mode leaves 19.5 horses in the paddock.

Before we embark on the day's ride, I stand back to give my steed the once-over. I am riding the RVE model which along with a graffiti inspired, yoof-baiting livery, boasts Ducati’s Quickshift as standard. Aesthetically, it hits all the Supermoto notes, yet elevates their implied simplicity with the quality you would expect of the brand. The side panels reveal glimpses of the intricate subframe, while the tail and beak / mudguard plastics reference its twin-cylinder Hypermotard brethren. The engine is a predictably complicated object visually, but the magnesium casings are pleasing and the radiator well incorporated by the limited bodywork. A few empty bolt-holes hint at an aftermarket bash-plate whilst the symmetrical silencers confirm the same catalogue will see a few paychecks dedicated to the fine folk at Termignoni.The bark of the stock cans is gratifying enough as we pull out of the car-park, the bike immediately showcasing its lithe 151kg weight (wet, without fuel) and subsequent low-speed maneuverability. A towering 904mm seat-height and wide bars immediately bring a smile to my face... At 6’4 I have ridden too many miles on motorcycles that are too small for me to feel sorry for anyone for whom the Mono is too tall. But fear not the vertically challenged, a low seat option and even a suspension lowering kit will bring the Mono down to earth. 

From my lofty perch I admire what little of the Hyper remains in view. The simple LCD dash appeals to my Casio tendencies and captures the critical information, whilst the looping arch of the front brake cable rising and falling with every dab of the brakes or snap of the throttle is hugely satisfying. Splendid.The engine provides the first surprise of the day. Anticipating the low-down punch for which a single pot is renowned, I am instead met with a silky smooth, polite power delivery. Don’t get me wrong, acceleration is instant but it lacks the donkey-kick I anticipated from a motor carrying “The World’s Most Powerful Single” mantle. It takes a mile or two before I realise my mistake. Unlike every other single I have ever ridden, the Superquadro is a rev-craving, redline chasing beast. The Dyno declares peak torque at 8000rpm but the motor will gladly whip the road beneath you all the way into double digits. It requires a mind shift to stop shifting early in pursuit of stomp, but once you realise its modus-operandi and hang on to your gears, it is a wildly entertaining engine.If I was limited to two words for this piece, wildly entertaining would be hard to beat. The route for our ride-out takes in the best of English country roads, tight bends, sweepers, whoops and crests, flanked by fields of green. The Mono, determined to turn each stretch of tarmac into its own dedicated roller coaster track. Not that it would contemplate being tethered to anything… Mono by name, Mono by nature. When on terra-firma, the front-end gives staggering confidence. The additional suspension travel inherent in a Supermoto may surprise the uninitiated, but the forks are silkily progressive as illustrated by that hypnotic brake-line arch. The single 330mm front disc gripped by a Brembo radial caliper is anchor-drop effective, delivering stoppies on demand to those so inclined. My club-footed attempts to lock and drift the rear yield limited success, but as the rider in-front of me ably demonstrates, those are my shortcomings and not the Monos. It is a machine that encourages you to play, to experiment with how you ride. The rev-hungry engine calls you to hunker down and hang off, sports-style, while the high-bars and composed front entice you to push them down and thrust out a foot. The Ducati doesn’t care which you prefer, as long as you want to play. The Quickshift is a joy, perfectly timed blips accompany downshifts followed by evocative pops from the exhaust on the overrun. On the way up, the ratio change is dispatched in micro-moments as the machine charges toward the horizon. It is a bike I would love to take on track. The confidence it gives is a compelling call to learn, reinforced by the rider aids working in the background to kerb any chaos. At a brief coffee stop helmets reveal broad smiles and engaged exchanges. The feeling that little else would have been as entertaining over the morning’s ride, unanimous. Of course, as easy as it is to expel the virtues of the bike, it is just as simple to list its shortcomings. But it is a list about which the bike couldn’t care less. Comfort? Luggage capacity? Pillion practicality? If any of the above are at the forefront of your mind, the Hypermotard isn’t interested in you. That said, I was surprised with how politely the bike could dispatch a sleepy village. Sticking to the lower half of the rev-range the Mono was happy to drop its Hyper tag and play nicely. We even elicited a respectful wave from a labrador lady. How would it commute? I’d have to test it to be sure (nudge nudge, wink wink Ducati) but I am sure it could pull double-duty as a committed city scalpel. Just be sure to bring all the locks - surely few machines would be as tempting to a joy-seeking scumbag.But if you are the seeker of joy, truly little else comes close. The Supermoto was born to entertain, and Ducati have more than honoured that heritage, while infusing the 698 with their own. You can tell it doesn’t have a direct link to a dirtbike, where perhaps more bottom-end would be preferred. You can tell it comes from a company that specialise in sportsbikes, such is its front-end feel and track tempting traits. And most importantly, you can tell it was born from passion. If you ride a bike for fun, ride this one.

Jacket - Fuel Endurage
Boots - Alpinestars J-6
Jeans - Alpinestars Copper Pro Tech
Helmet - Bell Eliminator