ADHD - Attention-Demanding Hyperactivity Disorder – that's what you'll develop if you live with the Ducati Hypermotard 698 Mono long enough. Here's why it's so dangerously addictive...

There are a few things the world didn’t know it needed – until they arrived.

- KARAN MATHUR

Artificial Intelligence is one. Just a few years ago, many dismissed it; today, the same sceptics rely on it for even the tiniest daily tasks. A high-performance single-cylinder supermoto from Ducati, in India's multi-cylinder-obsessed market, is another.

We already had the mad Hypermotard 950, but Ducati decided we needed another reminder of what it's capable of. Enter the Hypermotard 698 Mono. This motorcycle isn't about sensible choices like the Kawasaki Z650, the refined inline-four charm of the Honda CBR650R, or even the brilliantly balanced Triumph Trident 660 (which, full disclosure, I own – so yes, there might be some bias). No, the Hypermono is the wild card – the bike that scoffs at practicality, lives with one wheel always in the air and thrives on sheer madness. It's built to thrill, to scare, and to leave you with a grin stretching wide beneath your helmet.

But here's the kicker – at ₹16.5 lakh (ex-showroom), can this distilled dose of lunacy justify its steep price tag, especially when the larger Hypermotard 950 costs less?

WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT?

Forget the conventional superbike design; the Hypermono is pure, unfiltered supermotard – tall, lean, and unapologetically aggressive. It may be an acquired taste for Indian buyers used to lower, fully-faired machines, but its Ducati DNA is unmistakable, even within its stripped-down, utilitarian aesthetic. It has presence, no doubt – it turns heads wherever it goes – even if most people don't immediately recognise it as a Ducati. That striking Rosso Ducati Red adds to the appeal; however, it's the only colour option available in India.