The Hypermotard 698 Mono RVE is a graphics package on a canvas that is the right shape for it.
A supermoto is mostly flat plastic. There is no fairing to wrap, no tank shoulder to break up a design, and nothing hiding the frame. Ducati's own description of the RVE's finish is "Graffiti" livery using water-based decals inspired by street art — and on a bike built from broad, uninterrupted panels, that is a design brief with somewhere to go.
What the RVE actually is
Mechanically, the RVE is a Hypermotard 698 Mono. Same engine, same chassis, same suspension, same brakes, same dash, same weight. On Ducati's spec sheet, the RVE's standard equipment differs from the standard bike's only by the RVE livery.
That runs against what the SP badge buys on the Hypermotard V2: Öhlins, forged wheels and M50 calipers. The RVE badge does not. It buys the way the motorcycle looks, and nothing else changes.
Whether that is worth the money is a genuine question rather than a rhetorical one, and the answer depends entirely on how much the appearance of your motorcycle matters to you. For a lot of riders, it matters a great deal.
Pricing across the three versions
| Version | Color / finish | MSRP |
|---|---|---|
| Hypermotard 698 Mono | Ducati Red | $13,995 |
| Hypermotard 698 Mono Nera | All-black livery | $14,395 |
| Hypermotard 698 Mono RVE | Graffiti | $15,495 |
A $995 destination charge applies.
The RVE sits $1,500 above the standard Ducati Red version and $1,100 above the all-black Nera. One practical note on the standard bike by way of comparison: Ducati specifies mass-colored Rosso Ducati plastic components on that version, which it describes as typical of the supermotard world. The RVE's decal-based Graffiti finish is a different proposition — it is the more striking of the two, and the one you will be more careful with.
The machine underneath
Because riders arriving at the RVE are usually arriving at the Hypermotard 698 Mono for the first time, here is what the badge is attached to.
The engine is the Superquadro Mono — a 659 cc short-stroke single-cylinder with desmodromic valve actuation, derived by Ducati from the 1285 cc Superquadro engine in the 1299 Panigale. It produces 77.5 hp at 9,750 rpm and 46.5 lb-ft of torque at 8,000 rpm, with the limiter set at 10,250 rpm.
That last figure is the one to pay attention to. The engine is engineered — short stroke, desmodromic valve control — to rev, which changes how you ride it.
Ducati lists a curb weight without fuel of 333 lb.
Chassis hardware
The fork is a fully adjustable Marzocchi upside-down unit with 1.77-inch aluminum stanchions, and Ducati publishes its weight: 17.9 lb complete. Aluminum stanchions and a published fork weight are both signals of where the engineering effort went. On a motorcycle this light, mass at the steered front end dominates how willingly it changes direction.
The rear uses an off-road-inspired Sachs shock with a progressive link, acting on a simple, straight double-sided swingarm — an off-road damping philosophy on a road bike, which is precisely correct for something meant to be ridden hard over bad pavement.
Five-spoke Y-shaped alloy wheels are fitted, chosen by Ducati for appearance and low weight.
Cockpit and lighting
All functions are managed through a 3.8-inch LCD instrument panel, integrated into the front number plate holder rather than mounted ahead of it. It is small on purpose. On a bike with this much visual honesty, a big screen would be the wrong answer.
The LED headlamp carries a DRL daytime running light in a "double C" design, echoed by the taillight's matching "double C" profile. The stop light includes the Ducati Brake Light function, specified by Ducati as an urban-traffic safety measure. Twin silencers mount high on either side of the tail.
Who this bike is for
The RVE is for the rider who was always going to buy a Hypermotard 698 Mono and wants the version that gets noticed. If you ride in a city, park in front of coffee shops, shoot content, or simply believe that a motorcycle this expressive should look the part, the Graffiti livery is the point and $1,500 is a straightforward trade.
If you are buying a supermoto specifically to use it hard — curbs, gravel driveways, the occasional lie-down — the standard Ducati Red version with mass-colored plastics is the more pragmatic purchase, and nothing about how it rides will be different.
And if the appeal of a supermoto for you is that it is deliberately plain, the Nera exists for exactly that reason.
There is no performance argument to be made here in any direction. Pick the one you want to look at in your garage.
See it at MotoCorsa
The Hypermotard 698 Mono RVE is available through MotoCorsa Ducati in Portland, alongside the standard and Nera versions. Browse our current Ducati inventory to see which liveries are in stock, or contact us to schedule a test ride — the Graffiti finish is considerably better in person than in photographs.
Specifications and pricing sourced from ducati.com and are subject to change. Contact MotoCorsa for current availability and out-the-door pricing.