Ducati Monster 696 coming in India for Rs 5L?

Harley Davidson, Honda and now Ducati... international biking giants are bringing their premium bikes to Indian markets despite hike in taxes

Hike in taxes in certain segments may be seen as a regressive step by many. But when it comes to the premium bike segment, hike in excise duty in bikes of 800cc or less has had quite a lot of positive effects.

For instance, companies like Harley Davidson and Honda has decided to assemble premium bikes in India rather than importing CBUs into the country.

While Harley Davidson has decided to assemble its Softail range of motorcycles locally, Honda, on the other hand, has decided to assemble its whole range of premium bikes in India which includes the likes of CBR1000RR Fireblade, CB1000R, VT1300CX and VFR1200F.

But if you thought that was all you are mistaken.

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Reports are coming in now that Italian bike giant Ducati has decided to introduce its entry-level Monster 696 in India soon. It is not clear though when this bike will be launched in India, but reports indicate that the launch may happen sometime by the end of this year or early next year.

It is also estimated that the Monster 696 will be priced somewhere around Rs 5 lakh. But reports in this regard point out that the sales of this Ducati baby will be limited to certain areas only since Ducati enjoys a niche following in the sub-continent.

The Monster 696 is in fact the smallest member of the Monster family of bikes that Ducati makes. It shares some components and design features with the bigger Monster 795.

The common features of the Monster 696 and the 795 include the 770mm saddle height, the 1450mm wheelbase, capacity of the fuel tanks, tires and rims. Weight of both the bikes is almost equal since the Monster 696 weighs only 2 kgs lesser than the 795.

Powered by a 696cc, L-twin, air-cooled, Desmodromic valve train engine, the Ducati Monster 696 churns out a massive output of 80bhp and a peak torque of 69Nm which gives it the power and performance this bikes is known for. The engine has been mated to a 6-speed transmission.