Naked Motorcycles

1998Ducati 600 Monster Dark

30 fields on record

The 1998 Ducati 600 Monster Dark is a lightweight naked bike designed for beginner and intermediate riders seeking accessible performance. Its 583cc air-cooled V-twin engine delivers 51 horsepower with a manageable power delivery, making it ideal for learning fundamental riding skills. Known for its minimalist styling, nimble handling, and affordability, the Monster 600 established the affordable middleweight segment and remains a popular entry point to Ducati ownership.

Capacity: 583.0 ccm
Engine: V-Twin, four-stroke
Gearbox: 5-speed
Dry weight: 174.0 kg
Seat height: 770 mm
Power: 51.0 HP (37.5 kW)

⇄ Compare with another bike ＋ Add to garage All model years

Other years 1998 1999

How it rides

Editorial estimate from the spec sheet - not lab tested

Off-road & trail10%

Cornering70%

City riding80%

Daily riding70%

Touring35%

Two-up40%

Track35%

Best for: Built as a light, stripped-down urban naked bike for weekend fun and everyday commuting rather than outright speed.
Built for: Delivers the classic air-cooled Ducati V-twin charm with modest power, a raw exhaust note, and simple, engaging handling.
Not ideal for: Not the right choice for riders wanting serious highway touring comfort, passenger-friendly ergonomics, or track-level performance.

Scores are derived from the spec sheet using the same model across every bike, so they compare like for like.

Will it fit you?

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Your height

Inseam (optional)

Units

At 770mm, a rider of 68.9" with a 31" (estimated) inseam will reach the ground with both feet flat on the 1998 Ducati 600 Monster Dark, with a moderate knee angle of around 105 degrees and a forward-leaning riding position.

Assumes about 30mm of suspension sag once seated. This is an approximation from category-typical geometry, not a measurement of this bike or of you - sit on one before you buy.

More bikes at 751-820 mm — Middle Ground →

Find bikes that fit your height →

Reliability & safety

Bike Reliability score, safety recalls and owner complaints

Bike Reliability

How the score works →

out of 100Good

The Ducati 600 Monster Dark passed its annual roadworthiness test first time 87.7% of the time, 5.3 points above expected for bikes of the same age and mileage. That beats 72% of models.

Bikes first registered in 1998 have 45 tests, too few for their own score, so this covers every year.

87.7%Passed first time

8.0%Failed outright

4.2%Fixed during test

13,000Typical miles

522Tests

Pass rate by miles ridden

0-10k

90.9%

10-20k

88.3%

20-30k

82.7%

All years of this model.

Score by year first registered

19971999

Against its rivals · ranks 1 of 6

#	Model (all years)	Score	Tests
1	Ducati 600 Monster Dark	72 Good	522
2	Ducati 750 Sport	59 Average	2,600
3	Honda CB 750 Seven-Fifty	59 Average	2,841
4	Yamaha XJ 600 N	31 Below average	1,444
5	Ducati Monster 600	28 Below average	1,565
6	Suzuki GSF 600 N Bandit	18 Poor	221

Rivals are the most-viewed bikes on MotorcycleDB in the same category and engine size, from within three years of this model.

From British annual roadworthiness tests, 2005-2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA MOT test data, Great Britain). How Bike Reliability works.