       Home > Moto Parts > SRmoto Project Bikes Home > Moto Parts > Ducati Hypermotard 698 Parts > SRmoto Ducati Hypermotard 698 Project Bike We've had our 2024 Ducati Hypermotard 698 Project Bike since February 2024 and have been using it to test out new parts and accessories. See below for latest updates and a full mod list... SCROLL DOWN FOR SEMI-MONTHLY UPDATES LIGHTING: COCKPIT: ENGINE / PERFORMANCE: PROTECTION: JULY 2024 UPDATES: Current Mileage: 625
Finally got the break in mileage done on our Hyper 698 and have scheduled the first service. Still really really enjoying the bike. We've added a few more aftermarket parts like the Shift Tech carbon/titanium slip on, integrated mirrors in our PRO Handguard package, and a few other things. The Shift Tech exhaust sounds great, and adds a nice deep soundtrack to the bike. It was too loud for me without the db killers, so we've installed those in ours... still loud, but much better. We're trying out the new handguard integrated mirrors now and so far I'm liking them. They look great on the bike too! You can find all of these parts in our Ducati Hypermotard 698 Parts section. JUNE 2024 UPDATES: Current Mileage: 500
Finally getting to ride the bike more now that the weather has been nicer, and we're getting closer to the official Ducati break-in mileage. Recently we installed the NRC Fender Eliminator kit and also replaced the stock front turn signals with new LED's that are integrated into our PRO handguard package. Those two things really cleaned up the look of the bike and it looks so much better now! NRC did a great job with the fender eliminator, which features LED turn signals and a license plate mount with LED light. You can find all of these parts in our Ducati Hypermotard 698 Parts section. MAY 2024 UPDATES: Current Mileage: 450
I've managed to get a few more miles on our Hypermotard 698 project bike over the past month and we're up to about 450 miles now. Really starting to gel with the bike, and as mentioned in our last post, I can really see the potential this bike has. It pulls really nicely once you get the revs up, and it's only at the lower RPM's where it suffers from all the emissions and sound restrictions. An ECU flash and exhaust will fix all of that and make the bike a complete joy to ride. We have installed a few new aftermarket parts, including our Zeta Racing PRO handguard package. I wanted to get rid of the cheap plastic stock handguards and replace them with something nicer looking, AND actually functional. We sell a lot of the Zeta PRO Armor handguards for many other bikes, and have them installed on several of our project bikes, so we managed to get a set configured for the Hyper and they worked out very nicely. Later we will be adding the optional LED flashers to handguards, as well as the integrated mirrors. You can find all of these parts in our Ducati Hypermotard 698 Parts section. APRIL 2024 UPDATES: Current Mileage: 300
Its spring here in Ohio so we're finally getting some good riding weather. Sadly though, we're only up to 300 miles on the bike so far. Thoroughly enjoying it so far though... this bike has so much potential. An exhaust and ECU flash will completely transform this bike, and I can't wait to do those two things!! This month we've added some protective bits from Evotech Performance to the Hyper 698, including front and rear axle sliders, as well as a radiator guard. The Evotech stuff is really nice and fits without any hassles. The radiator guard is a must on these bikes, since the bike comes stock with just a cheap plastic guard to protect that expensive radiator from stuff flying up off that front tire. We also installed a Ducati Performance Sump Guard to protect the bottom of the engine. You can find all of these parts in our Ducati Hypermotard 698 Parts section. MARCH 2024 UPDATES - INITIAL THOUGHTS / IMPRESSIONS: Current Mileage: 200
Keep in mind, we only have about 200 miles on this bike and are still trying to break it in like we do all of our bikes (not babying it, but not redlining it constantly either, somewhere in the middle, and varying the speed/rpm as much as possible). That being said, it's somewhat hard to get a feel for a bike until you can really start riding it normally. I do have some initial impressions that I'll discuss below, and you will likely see some comparisons to our KTM 690 SMCR Project Bike a few times since these bikes are so similar and will likely be cross-shopped. LIKES: After about 200 miles of riding, here are some of my initial likes for the bike... DIS-LIKES: As for my dis-likes, keep in mind, it's still early, and the bike is still mostly stock except for some protective and aesthetic mods... WISH LIST: The following features would have been nice to see on the bike, but I think Ducati left them out of the current spec, just to keep the price down... and also keep the more expensive Hyper 950 on peoples shopping list... FIRST RIDE IMPRESSIONS: Overall I'm pretty pleased with the bike after a couple rides. Right away I noticed how easy the bike was to ride, very light-weight feeling, nimble and confidence-inspiring. The ergo's are great for somebody my size (5'10", 32 inseam, 170 lbs) and it just felt very comfortable overall. It's a first year bike, and ours is probably one of the first in the country, so I expected there to be a few hiccups, and figured the low RPM fueling might not be the best. This seems to be common with the increasingly strict emissions restrictions we're seeing on motorcycles. I didn't have any issues with the bike stalling, but especially in 1st and 2nd gear, I noticed a bit of surging at lower throttle positions, and the bike just didn't seem smooth. Once in 3rd gear and up, that seemed to go away. On/off throttle is pretty good, and the bike didn't have a snatchy throttle like some EFI bikes have. It sounds pretty good for a bike with the stock exhaust, and is a bit louder than I expected it to be. The transmission was excellent, it shifted very smoothly, and I didn't experience any false neutrals. Finding neutral on the bike, which is sometimes an issue on Ducati's, was a breeze while moving, but can be a little finicky when you are stopped. The bike has 4 ride modes and lots of electronics to play with, so I'll be getting into that a little later as I ride the bike more. Suspension is fully adjustable. With the factory settings, our bike was setup a little soft for my liking but it did have a nice plush ride on our rough roads. The owners manual tells you how to adjust the front forks and rear shock, and provides some recommended settings to choose from. I've gone with their "Road Sport" settings and that seems pretty good so far. Brakes seem really really good but I haven't really tested them out much. For a stock bike, it looks fantastic. Fit and finish is also really good. You're immediately drawn to things like the engine and swingarm, which have a very high end look. COMPARING THE HYPER 698 TO OUR KTM 690 SMCR:
Since the Hyper 698 and KTM 690 SMCR are such similar bikes, and very likely to be cross-shopped, I really wanted to do some comparisons between the two bikes. I did manage to ride the Hyper back-to-back with our 2021 KTM 690 SMCR Project Bike, and I'll say right up front, this really isn't a fair fight. Our Hyper is still bone stock, while our KTM is very well sorted, and has quite an extensive list of performance modifications. I took the Hyper on a quick 25 mile loop, then got off, and right onto the KTM to do that same loop. The KTM was better, frankly, but that was to be expected because, as with most motorcycles, the difference between stock and modified can be very substantial. Our modified KTM 690 has more low end grunt, better low RPM fueling, and sounds alot better (thanks to the Leo Vince full exhaust and Rottweiler intake). Once we do a few things to the Hyper though, especially performance mods like exhaust, ECU flash, etc, I expect it to be pretty damn close to the KTM, as their spec sheets sort of indicate. From a handling perspective, both bikes felt similar. I think I like the cockpit and ergos slightly better on the Hyper... it just seems to fit me a little better. I was surprised how tall the Ducati is though, for a supermoto, the seat height is up there. Our KTM was a little tall too, but we've added a Kouba 1" lowering link and now it's the perfect seat height for me. Both bikes are VERY confidence-inspiring to ride, and feel very nimble out on the road. I have our KTM suspension set to their recommended "Sport" settings and it can be a little harsh on rougher roads. The Ducati has fully adjustable suspension as well, and I'm currently using their "Road Sport" settings. It feels a little more plush than the KTM on our rough roads, without feeling too soft. Looks are subjective, but the Ducati looks great even in stock form. My only minor gripe is that they covered up much of the trellis frame, which was more exposed on some of the older Hypers like our 1100 S. And the swingarm of all things, looks really high end on the Duc. Our KTM looks great now that we've done the graphics kit, tail tidy and so on, but when it was stock, it wasn't nearly as attractive as the Ducati. The standout feature for me on the KTM is that orange trellis frame! I cannot wait to get a few upgrades done on the Ducati, and see how it compares to the KTM... I have a feeling they will be very very similar, with the KTM maybe having a bit more low end torque than the Ducati, which probably prefers to be ridden at higher RPM. I don't think you can go wrong with either bike though, IMHO these are the BEST types of bikes on the market for back road riding... there is no substitute for a supermoto! Shop for Ducati Hypermotard 698 Parts ! |
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