Ducati Monster 696 (2008-2014, inc. ABS) Maintenance

This is the Ducati Monster 696 maintenance schedule and service intervals — sourced from the owner’s manual.

The Ducati Monster 696 is one of the entry-level Ducati Monsters, but its air-cooled V-twin still packs quite a punch.

The Ducati Monster 696 is a significant upgrade from the Ducati Monster 695. It’s still based on an air-cooled 2-valve-per-cylinder Desmodromic L-twin with modest displacement of 696cc, but power is up about 10% to 59 kW (80 hp), which is quite a lot given the bikes small size and low weight.

The Ducati Monster 696 gets a TFT display, similar to those on the Superbikes of the time, an upgrade (though not according to all) from the old twin dials on the 695.

Like the old 695, the Monster 696 lacks an oil cooler. That said, many owners add oil coolers to bring operating temperatures down — something commonly discussed on Ducati Monster forums. (e.g. here).

Here are all our Ducati Monster maintenance schedules:

Air/oil-cooled Ducati Monsters

Liquid-cooled Ducati Monsters

Ducati Monster S4
Ducati Monster S4R
Ducati Monster S4Rs
Ducati Monster 821
Ducati Monster 797
Ducati Monster 1200 (2014-2016), and Monster 1200 S 2014-2016
Ducati Monster 1200 (2017+), and Monster 1200 S 2017+
Ducati Monster 1200 R
Ducati Monster 937 (including +)
Ducati Monster SP

The maintenance and parts are the same for all years of Ducati Monster 696, 2008-2014, including the ABS versions available from 2010 (other than the ABS parts of course).

The service intervals are very similar to those of the Ducati Monster 796, which was the same engine but with a longer stroke, giving it 803cc displacement.

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What you need to maintain the Ducati Monster 696

Don’t be intimidated about maintaining your Monster 696. It’s just a two-cylinder naked bike — everything’s there for you to do!

So aside from some basic motorcycle maintenance tools, here’s what you need to maintain your Monster 696.

Part	Ducati Monster 696 spec
Engine oil	Ducati recommends Shell Advance motorcycle oil. It’s hard to find, expensive, and not necessary, so most users suggest other JASO MA-rated 15W-50 or 10W-40 high-grade oils, e.g. Mobil 1 15W-50, or even Shell Rotella T6 — controversial as it’s a “diesel oil”, but it’s JASO MA rated… used by a lot of Ducati fans — check the forums.
Oil filter	Genuine Ducati part is 44440038A the Ducati Monster 696, as with many other air-cooled Ducati motorcycles. I’d suggest removing that and using a Hiflofiltro HF153RC oil filter which can be changed with a normal wrench.
Brake & Clutch fluid	Ducati recommends Shell Advance DOT 4, but that’s quite hard to find, so Castrol DOT 4 Synthetic is a good and very high-quality alternative.
Coolant	The 696 is air-cooled so doesn’t need coolant.
Timing belt	Is it time to change the timing belt? Don’t put it off… a broken timing belt will cost you a lot (bent valves)! You need part number 73740211A.
Front brake pads	Use EBC FA244HH double-hardened pads, a popular upgrade for more bite and less fade as you apply pressure.
Rear brake pads	Use EBC FA266HH double-hardened pads, matching the front pads, for more bite and less fade as you apply pressure.
Air filter	OEM part for the air filter is 42610191A. You can also use K&N air filter part DU-6908.
Spark plugs	NGK code DCPR8E. Note they’re sold individually.
Grease	Use lithium soap-based grease for external pivot points and bearings.

Consumables for Ducati Monster 696 Maintenance

Regular maintenance for the Ducati Monster 696

Maintaining your Ducati Monster 696 is similar to maintaining other air-cooled Monsters. You have valve service every 7.5K mi (12K km), and expect to have to make some changes to the shims.

Aside from that, keep the bolts tightened, the chain lubed, the liquids fresh, and a Monster 696 will last a long time… until some noob crashes it.

Below is maintenance that you can do yourself (though the manual says you need a dealer to do it).

Every 1 000 km / 600 miles OR 6 months (whichever comes earlier), perform the following maintenance:

Ducati Monster 696 regular maintenance
Checking the engine oil level (use a high-grade synthetic oil, e.g. Mobil 1 15W-50)
Check the brake and clutch fluid levels (use Castrol DOT 4)
Check tyre pressure and wear
Check the drive chain tension and lubrication (maintain with a Motul chainc are kit)
Check the brake pads. If necessary, contact your dealer to renew pads

Ducati Monster 696 regular maintenance

Ducati Monster 696 Maintenance Schedule Table

The following is the list of maintenance operations and to be done on this motorcycle with a distance or time interval — whichever comes earlier.

Notes:

The break-in maintenance is omitted as that time has passed.
General maintenance intervals are every 7500 miles/1200 km OR every year. Whenever that period has passed, check to see what needs to be done.
For most items, follow the earlier of the distance or time-based interval.
(1) For these items, follow the distance only — i.e. don’t worry if the time interval has passed, you don’t need to adjust the valve clearances every year if it isn’t ridden enough in that period.

km x1000	12	24	36	48	60
miles x1000	7.5	15	22.5	30	37.5
Months	12	24	36	48	60
Change the engine oil (Mobil 1 15W-50)	•	•	•	•	•
Change the engine oil filter (HF153RC)	•	•	•	•	•
Clean the engine oil pick-up filter			•
Check the engine oil pressure		•		•
Check/adjust the valve clearances (1)	•	•	•	•	•
Check the tension of the timing belts (1)	•		•		•
Renew the timing belts (73740242A)		•		•
Check and clean the spark plugs. Renew if necessary (NGK DCPR8E)		•		•
Check and clean the air filter (1)	•		•		•
Change the air filter (DU-6908)		•		•
Check throttle body synchronisation and idle speed setting (1)	•	•	•	•	•
Check the brake and clutch fluid levels	•	•	•	•	•
Change the clutch and brake fluid (Castrol DOT 4)			•
Check and adjust the brake and clutch control cables	•	•	•	•	•
Check/lubricate the throttle/choke cables (Protect all cable life)	•	•	•	•	•
Check tyre pressure and wear	•	•	•	•	•
Check the brake pads. Renew if necessary (2 x FA244HH, 1 x FA266HH)	•	•	•	•	•
Check the steering head bearings		•		•
Check the drive chain tension, alignment and lubrication (maintain with a Motul chain care kit)	•	•	•	•	•
Check the clutch disc pack. Renew if necessary (1)	•	•	•	•	•
Check the rear wheel cush drive		•		•
Check the wheel hub bearings		•		•
Check the indicators and lighting	•	•	•	•	•
Check tightness of nuts and bolts securing the engine to the frame	•	•	•	•	•
Check the sidestand	•	•	•	•	•
Check tightness of the front wheel axle nut	•	•	•	•	•
Check tightness of the rear wheel axle nut	•	•	•	•	•
Check the external fuel hoses	•	•	•	•	•
Change the front fork oil			•
Check the forks and rear shock absorber for oil leaks		•	•	•	•
Check the front sprocket retaining bolts		•	•	•	•
General lubrication and greasing (use lithium soap-based grease)		•	•	•	•
Check and recharge the battery		•	•	•	•
Road test the motorcycle	•	•	•	•	•
General cleaning		•	•	•	•

Ducati Monster 696 — Maintenance schedule

About the Ducati Monster 696

2009 Ducati Monster 696 Studio 9 — 2009 Ducati Monster 696

The name pretty much says it all. The Ducati Monster 696 is a “mid-size” incarnation of the Ducati Monster, sold alongside the Monster 1100.

Even though it’s the smaller of the two Ducati Monsters, the diminutive (but not small) 696 makes as much power as the Monster 900 that started it all. It has a lot of spark to it, which means that the 696 is not really an entry-level motorcycle!

In fact, with twin Termignoni cans on it, it can sound and feel wonderful to ride. Don’t think of this as a competitor to the Suzuki SV650; this is its own beast.

A truly entry-level motorcycle is the Ducati Monster 659 1st gen — which is the same as the 696 but with reduced stroke and lower-power timing.

The Ducati Monster 696’s engine is a 696 cc (don’t laugh! the numbers don’t always correspond to the size… just look at the Ducati Monster 796 with its 803cc engine) L-twin with 2 valves per cylinder — proper old-school Monster, designed for low-end torque, not necessarily top-end power.

The 696 retains a lot of the styling characteristics that the old Monsters have. It still has a prominent trellis frame. But it has a few modern touches, including the LCD dash, the more “streetfighter” headlight (not just a round circle like on the vintage bikes), and high exhausts. It also lacks the single-sided swingarm of its bigger siblings.

Ducati Monster 696 front view with different headliht, swingarm, and exhausts

Probably the biggest threat to the Monster 696 came not from the same stable but from Suzuki’s SV650. They had been the “poor person’s Monster” for so long that they provide a viable alternative with a similarly attractive chassis, modest (but ample) power delivery, and a lot higher reliability with much wider service intervals. It’s water-cooled, but that’s also a benefit for many.

The Monster 696 is easy to ride. It has a low seat height, comfortable handlebars, and more upright ergos than Monsters of the past with a bit of a reach to get to the controls. The main downsides are that the mirrors are almost unusable.

This is quite common to the point of Ducatis to the point that many of the faithful consider it part of the ownership experience! (But then we try a bike with smooth mirrors and we think… how did I live without this??)

Like most air/oil-cooled Ducati Monsters, maintaining the Monster 696 is a little more involved than modern liquid-cooled Japanese motorcycles.

Basic service intervals for the Monster 696 are every 7500 miles or 12000 km at which you have to change the oil and filter. But also you have to check the valves at every one of those inspections.

Every two services, you’re recommended to replace the timing belts. And don’t forget to replace the belt every 2 years even if you don’t meet the distance minimum — a broken belt can mean an expensive teardown of the engine to replace bent valves. Some owners go 5 years, based on guidance from more recent manuals, but that’s your call.