My 696 review (long)

[NWapex]

I just took delivery of my red 696.  The bottom line:  amazing bike.

First, I would like to thank everyone on here.  There is a wealth of knowledge from the people on this board and it certainly helped me make the right choice on my next bike.

I put on 125 miles after picking up the bike.  Here are my first impressions:

Color.  I was torn between pearl white and red.  I have seen all three colors in person.  The black frame was appealing because it seems more conducive to color changes of the tank panels.  That said, it is unlikely that I will do any paint modifications.  The quality of the paint and the panels on the tank is great.  The red color is amazing.

Gearing.  As I left the dealership, I thought I was in the wrong gear.  This bike is over geared for EU purposes and the reviews were correct about this issue.  If this was a first bike, this would make starts a bit more difficult.  I ordered the 14T front sprocket to be installed at the 600 mi. service.  I was in sixth gear and thought WTF is this gear for.  My understanding is the 14t sprocket is an easy and cheap mod to alleviate this issue.

Clutch.  The engagement point is at the end of the clutch action.  I wanted to wait to order adjustable levers until I rode the bike and determined whether I wanted short or long levers.  However, after riding the bike, I did not think the engagement was as big of an issue as I thought it would be.  I will still order some pazzos or crgs, but it is not a necessity.  Clutch pull is easy and smooth.

Engine.  I must keep the rpms below 6000.  I must keep the rpms below 6000.  For being over geared, this bike still has some get up and go even at the lower rpms.  I was impressed with the torque of the engine as it would pull through corners nicely even if I was in the wrong gear (and below 6000 rpm).  As I got close to the 6000 rpm mark the engine got even more lively; you could tell it wanted to play.  I am looking forward to exploring the range above 6000 rpms.  The fueling seemed spot on.  The throttle was easy to modulate.  I did not experience any surging.  My temp gauge fluctuated between three and four bars.  The engine quickly revs and I had to keep that clutch going to make sure I shifted before 6000 rpms.  The stock pipes sound great!!

Chassis.  Probably one of the more amazing aspects of the bike thus far.  It is quick and nimble yet stable at speed or in a turn.  I have no idea how they did it.  Please keep in mind I am not pushing the bike hard and was not putting down a knee ☺.   It turns very easily and, in fact, I was turning in too early into curves.  My last bike was a VFR and took some effort to get into a turn (more below).  Fortunately, it is very easy to adjust your line. 

Ergos.  I am 5 9 and weigh about 165.  The suspension seemed perfect out of the box and sporty.  The bike fits my size perfectly.   The reach is a bit sporty, but not uncomfortable.  The foot position is great and I did not feel cramped.  I did 125 miles and felt fine.  I did not have the fly screen installed on the front.  The windblast at speed helps alleviate the weight on your wrists.  I tried to tuck a bit and experienced some buffeting.  After 125 miles I did not feel fatigued and told my wife I was ready to go out for more.   The seat seemed fine and you could move around a bit on it to adjust your position.  I did end up sliding against the tank one time.  Gotta work on that core training!  The foot pegs are small.  I hope there are adjustable pegs that are produced in the aftermarket.  I thought the 696 might feel a bit small on the road.  However, once in the saddle, I did not feel that way at all.   It was nice to be able to flat foot the bike at stops.

Comparo.  I grew up riding dirt bikes before I could drive.  I rode enduro bikes on the street.  After putting a baja kit on a Yamaha WR400 (that was a crazy supermoto machine whose pipes had to be heard in the next county), I decided I should purchase a dedicated street bike.  Thus, the VFR750 (4th gen).  The VFR was a heavy, fast bike.  The gear driven cams and exhaust note of the V4 engine sounded great.  I totaled the VFR about 3 years ago and have not ridden since.

In my opinion, the 696 is much more fun to ride.  It is much easier to turn into corners compared to the VFR.  The speed you can keep in corners and the torque of the 696 leads me to believe you could keep up with bigger bikes in the twisties.  The top end will likely not be there for the 696 (must keep the rpms below 6000) compared to the VFR, but that does not matter to my style of riding.  Speed and response between 0-75 seemed great.  The 696 is also much easier to ride in town compared to the VFR.  The agility almost reminds me of a supermoto type ride.  The ergos on the 696 seemed more livable than the VFR (which in turn is a fairly comfortable ride considering its sporty aspirations).  The VFR wind protection was obviously, much better.   Although it has been a couple of years, I would guess the VFR is slightly more stable at speeds and in a corner.   The VFR fueling and response is comparable to the 696 although straight line acceleration and speed would go to the VFR.  The VFR was bombproof â€" I will get back to you re: the 696.

Sorry for being so wordy.  I will let you know more as I put on the miles.







No, I did not pose for the second shot - my wife was setting horse jumps in the arena and caught me turning into the drive.

[Wanwo]

Gratz!

The stock pipes sound great!!

That's surprising.

[cmorgan47]

good choice on red
agreed on the levers. especialy the clutch.  i'll be ordering adjustables next month.
gearing hasn't bothered me.  i will probably end up switching sprockets--80% of my driving is in city--but it's pretty easy to get used to as is.



good god wait till you can open the engine up.  it's simply amazing how the engine comes alive above 6k.  i have no problems believing what they said about having different engine maps at higher revs. seriously.

[NWapex]

That's surprising.

I too was surprised.  I had heard two demos that already had termis installed, so I did not know what to expect from the stockers.

[IZ]

Gratz!

That's surprising.

The stock pipes on the 696 don't sound anything like the aftermarket..which sound a heck of a lot better.  I've heard both at the Shop in Seattle.   

I don't particularly care for termis..I'd rather hear some SILS on the thing but to each his own.  You'll have pipe envy after you're around a few Ducs with pipe mods. 

Congrats on the bike though. 

[Xiphias]

Good write-up. Thanx.

[mbalmer]

No, I did not pose for the second shot - my wife was setting horse jumps in the arena and caught me turning into the drive.

Let us know how the 696 does on those horse jumps! 

[NWapex]

The stock pipes on the 696 don't sound anything like the aftermarket..which sound a heck of a lot better.  You'll have pipe envy after you're around a few Ducs with pipe mods. 

I bet.  Keep in mind that my last ride was a Honda  The L-twin is like music. 

[IZ]

I bet.  Keep in mind that my last ride was a Honda  The L-twin is like music. 

True.  You'll be happy with the pipes for at most..a year and then you'll HAVE to get new ones!! 

Did you get the bike from ProItalia? 

Lots of good people up that way to hang out with!

[Binary]

Congrats on your new toy! I can't wait to break in my 696 either.

[gearhead]

 I have had to drive my 6th generation VFR for 3 weeks now since my 696 is broken and the 696 handles sooooo much better than the VFR it isn't funny. The Honda is my 2 up bike and touring mount and I drive the Ducati way more when it's working that is.

[NWapex]

Did you get the bike from ProItalia? 

No, I am up in Oregon - Salem Ducati.

[NWapex]

Let us know how the 696 does on those horse jumps! 

I need some info on a long-travel suspension mod