When you’ve sold as many Monsters as Ducati have – more than 350,000 – you know you’re onto a winner. But whilst the Monster 1200 always seemed to be exactly what it said on the tin (a Monster), its smaller sibling, the Monster 900 never seemed quite as monstrous as I’d have liked. However, the unveiling of this new ‘Monster’ (it’s just Monster now, no numerical suffix), sounds like we might finally see the little Monster’s teeth, and here’s why…
In Ducati’s official press release, the first subheading is ‘Sporty and Fun.’ It’s in big, bold letters and looking at the numbers alone is enough to see exactly what they’re getting at. The 937cc Testastretta L-Twin engine has an extra 116cc over its predecessor, and is 2.4kg lighter (that’s just the engine). You get 111bhp at 9,250rpm and 95Nm of torque at 6,500rpm, with better throttle response and more torque all the way through the rev range, especially at the bottom end.
And it’s not just the engine that’s lighter, either, with almost everything on the bike being redesigned to try to create a ‘lightweight and compact bike’. The Panigale V4-esque frame, which fixes directly to the cylinder heads, is a slender 3kg; that’s less than half the weight of the 7.5kg steel trellis jobby on the previous model. The wheels, subframe and swingarm are all substantially lighter, resulting in a dry weight of 166kg – that’s 18kg lighter than the Monster 821. How’d ya’ like those onions, Weight Watchers?
If more power and less weight aren’t enough to give you a mild Casey, then let’s have a dive into the bike’s electronics and see if we can induce a bit of penis-bound blood flow. On second thoughts, that might not actually do the trick. I am pleased to report that the new Monster does come with an up and down quickshifter, which is always going to get my vote, but aside from that, it’s really just the basics. Cornering ABS, traction and wheelie control and three riding modes (Sport, Urban and Touring) are about your lot. If it’s any consolation, the TFT dash looks quite nice and it does come with LED lights and Launch Control as standard.
You can buy a 2021 Ducati Monster in Ducati Red, Dark Stealth or Aviator Grey, and there is a slightly tricker version available too, which comes with a windscreen and a rear seat cover. You can even order one to ride on your A2 license, if you want. If you fancy one, get yourself to a Ducati dealership – they should be available there from April 2021.
6 Responses
It looks more mainstream but nevertheless very sexy beast oooosh!
Not much of a naked bike fan. But this gives me the horn.
I seemed to have some doubts at the launch of each new monster, like a bit of fear to commit to the “new” but ended up loving each one more as time went on, I think this will be the same….
Are they working with MV Agusta?
Nice bike. But it has been too modified in the design to have the raw classic Monster look. I would never change my 1200R for this bike. It looks as a A2 bike. You want it to look powerful and mean. It looks sadly like a fusion of a beautiful MV Augusta and a Yamaha MT07.
I am not against design development, but there are two elements that, for me, is the hallmark for the Monster; the Trellis and the headlight. Go ahead and modify, but don’t take them away. And why, just why did they scrap the single swing arm?
And why don’t they at least offer a few engine alternatives. I want a large torquey engine with a heavy grunt. Not a fine tuned sowing machine.
For me. It’s a disappointment. I don’t believe this will be a huge sales success. But maybe Ducati will rethink the design choices and take one step back for the next iteration?
For the price, it’s gotta have fully adjustable suspension. At least offer an S version and keep the increased price way down.