A personality that is extroverted,responsive, and charismatic, that is a combination you want in a motorcycle and the Ducati Monster 696 delivers it. I suppose that might come as a surprise to people who consider the Ducati Monster just an entry-level Ducati for those riders not financially able to meet the requirements of the machine’s more exotic stable mates. But if you want to get riders hooked on the quintessential character of Ducati’s motorcycle line, there has to be a decent-sized serving of mechanical allure in the base model.
In any event, the Ducati Monster 696 rear suspension takes the edge off bump impacts nicely, and maintains a pretty flat ride with a minimum of unnecessary motion. The front wheel is controlled by an inverted Showa fork of visibly sturdy construction, and although this unit is firm and well damped, its relationship to the flat tubular handlebar is such that rippled surfaces transmit some mild jack-hammer vibrations.
