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We tested the new Ducati Monster: the monster of naked sports cars now has 110 hp and is more agile than ever
We tested the new Ducati Monster: the monster of naked sports cars now has 110 hp and is more agile than ever

Video: We tested the new Ducati Monster: the monster of naked sports cars now has 110 hp and is more agile than ever

Video: We tested the new Ducati Monster: the monster of naked sports cars now has 110 hp and is more agile than ever
Video: The New Ducati Monster is the Best Bike I've Ever Ridden - One Take 2024, March
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A new Ducati Monster has arrived, and some say it is not a Monster. Everyone there with their opinions, but the fact that Ducati has changed the concept of the Ducati Monster does not mean that it has put aside its philosophy, quite the contrary.

Be that as it may, the new Monster is here and we can assure you that the changes have done it wonderfully well. It is a Monster more modern than ever, but it is also a Monster that has lost 18 kg along the way and that can only bring good things.

Ducati Monster: the reinterpretation of the monster

Ducati Monster 2021 002
Ducati Monster 2021 002

There has been a stir with the arrival of the new Ducati Monster. The controversy comes from the Ducatists most akin to the Italian monster's conceptor, because they don't see these fundamental values on which the Monster has been based for decades. Yes, your claims may be true, but they are really wrong. We will explain why.

When the first Ducati Monster appeared in 1992, the purpose of the Borgo Panigale factory was to create a naked road by joining the cycle part of their sport bikes of the time (the Ducati 851/888) with the Most reputed and balanced street engine, wrapping the whole in a suit with a very marked personality.

Ducati Monster 2021 026
Ducati Monster 2021 026

Until now, the Monster series has maintained the same technical arguments, combining steel tube Trellis chassis with twin-cylinder engines in multiple variants to give life to the extensive Monster family. In 2021, the Monster changes completely and abandons the tubular chassis in favor of an aluminum Front Frame inspired by those used by the Panigale, coupled with the same twin engine that powers the Multistrada 950, Hypermotard 950 and SuperSport 950.

Is it a breaking point? Yes Stop being a Monster? No. She is still a Monster as she takes the initial recipe and reinterprets it. What's more, the Monster minus Monster in history would be the last Monster 851 and 1200, since they used tubular chassis while the sports cars of the house already used monocoque-type structures.

Leaving the controversy aside, the new Ducati Monster has changed a lot, a lot. Aesthetically it is obvious that this model is a turning point in the saga. It is not only a motorcycle that you have lost 18 kg on the scale, but to the naked eye it also looks considerably lighter.

Ducati Monster 2021 012
Ducati Monster 2021 012

The front part stands out for a ellipsoidal headlamp that now encloses a new LED light all the way around, creating a bright ring for daytime running lights that is complemented by dynamic turn indicators as standard, the front ones integrated into the shapes of the tank and a taillight that is as minimalist as it is sharp. Full LED lighting, by the way.

But the changes go beyond the lights. The entire body has been redesigned. The Deposit It has always been the fundamental piece in the design of the Monster and although it still has nods to its origins, it has changed a lot. Too much maybe. It maintains that bison back shape (depending on the brand) with a downward front part that points to the front wheel and the ribbed side forms in a C shape.

Tank now holds 14 liters and it also happens to be divided into two halves separated by a central black strip and is made entirely of plastic, also losing the fastening clasp that the Monster 821 did have in a nod to the first generation.

Ducati Monster 2021 019
Ducati Monster 2021 019

At the rear, the changes continue with a remarkably slim two-piece seat for a central part narrower than ever and that gives way to a set of fiberglass reinforced plastic tail that ends in a more pointed pilot than it seems. Also notable in the side view is the use of a new, much more aggressive exhaust line, with a double upward outlet on the right side.

Despite the increase in plastic parts in the set, we have been struck by the honeycomb pattern used to texturize various elements such as the engine side covers or the subframe, leaving an overall impression of very good quality.

A compact, lightweight and essential monster

Ducati Monster 2021 Test 005
Ducati Monster 2021 Test 005

When we got on the new Ducati Monster we immediately noticed the changes that caught our attention at first glance. With a height of 170 cm we can support both feet on the ground perfectly, stepping with total confidence and improving the feeling of security for the newest. The height of the seat is 820mm but they seem much less thanks to an exaggeratedly narrow arch of the legs.

As a curious note, this bike has become so narrow that even the engine seems wide, and the V2 engine that it equips seems to stick out, especially on the left side where the water pump is located.

Ergonomics has changed a lot too. The handlebar is 65mm further back, and the 35 mm rear and 10 mm lower footrests. These changes accompany the new, more dynamic attitude, but at the same time more comfortable. In the first few meters we already realize that the body is placed in a relaxed way and allows us to vary between an upright position for urban driving and more inclined on the front end to roll on the attack.

Ducati Monster 2021 001
Ducati Monster 2021 001

A fully digital dashboard is placed in front of the handlebar, with a 4.3 inch TFT screen. The screen looks similar to that of the Monster 821, but its software has changed to use graphics in the style of the Ducati Multistrada V4 that, through pictograms, help us to intuitively control the parameters of each system from the left hand side.

After the greeting in a serious tone when starting the engine (how good these twin-cylinder sounds, by the way), we went out to ride with the Monster and in just a few meters we already noticed that it is a completely new motorcycle. The steering feel is extremely agile, although at the same time precise, she is not nervous and is treading very well on the asphalt.

Ducati Monster 2021 029
Ducati Monster 2021 029

In the city it is especially noticeable that the geometry has changed. The steering angle of rotation adds 7º to the handlebar, which translates into a turning radius 1.14 meters smaller than that of the Ducati Monster 821 in a 180º turn. It is easier to turn with it and it will allow us to maneuver at low speed without making steering stops.

After a bit of the city and a little while on the highway in which the Monster shows us its most naked side, without any aerodynamic protection, we arrive at its favorite terrain: infinite curves. Mousetraps, linked, fast … Whatever less straight sections.

The design of this new Monster has struck an interesting balance between dynamism and poise. Before the Monster 851 was a very stable naked, now the Monster has perhaps sacrificed a point of stability but has gained many integers in agility. It changes trajectory with astonishing simplicity and allows us to effortlessly correct in the middle of a curve. In addition, its wide handlebar allows us to make a good lever by pulling inwards.

Ducati Monster 2021 Test 004
Ducati Monster 2021 Test 004

The Front Frame chassis Aluminum uses the engine as a structural part, holding it by the cylinder heads to create a minimalist but efficient set. We have a large amount of information from the wheels to know what is happening at all times and generate a good sense of control.

Suspensions are anchored to this chassis that use a 43mm inverted front fork and a rear cantilever-type monoshock, without connecting rods. Its operation is very correct, with a well adjusted setting for all uses, precise and without oscillations, although we miss regulation in the fork and a little less dryness in the shock absorber.

Another of the great novelties of the new Ducati Monster is its engine. The previous range of propellants is unified in this twin-cylinder in a vee at 90º Testastretta 11º. And we say unifies because both the Monster 797 and the Monster 1200 disappear to leave a single monster. Hence, there is no displacement in its nomenclature.

A single engine for the only Monster

Ducati Monster 2021 009
Ducati Monster 2021 009

This V2 block with cubic desmodromic distribution 937 cc to generate good figures of 110 hp and 93 Nm of torque, controlled by an electronic throttle and complying with Euro5 regulations. These are more than reasonable figures for a naked media that, in addition, can have a limited version for the A2 card.

Not only is it a more powerful and more torquey engine than the Monster 821, it also offers fuller, more linear corners. Throughout the rev range there is more power and torque, but above all from 4,000 rpm we have available 85% of the engine torque.

Ducati Monster 2021 004
Ducati Monster 2021 004

In practice the Monster is an energetic bike. This engine has a strong feel from very low turns and offers an extremely elastic midrange. It comes up with joy and force when we open our right fist strong and, accompanied by good traction capacity, it translates into intense recoveries.

Despite the arrival of Euro5, we liked that it continues to be an engine with character. It has enough energy to satisfy users with many kilometers behind them but without scaring those who have less experience. A duality that allows it to even be a good set even to make sporadic entries on the circuit.

Ducati Monster 2021 Test 008
Ducati Monster 2021 Test 008

This character also has its less positive part. On the one hand, if we drop the engine a lot, around 2,000 rpm, it is easy to meet with kicks although thanks to its muscular torque it manages to get out. It does not stall, but it is difficult for him to ride comfortably at that regime. On the other hand, we have noticed a remarkable amount of vibrations both in the handlebars and in the footpegs. Something that does not happen in the rest of Ducati motorcycles that use this engine.

Taking the tingling out of your hands, the Ducati Monster is a bike that can ride very fast, so you need to brake well. As usual in Ducati they have equipped it very well, equipping a set of 320 mm discs bitten by Brembo M4.32 four-piston radial calipers commanded by a radial pump of the same brand. The clutch master cylinder is also radial now and the standard tires are Pirelli Diablo Rosso III.

Ducati Monster 2021 018
Ducati Monster 2021 018

The feel of the braking is very good and highly dosable. The suspensions work well when we push hard and allow us to prolong braking to brake well into the corner. The rear brake is not very dosable, but what we liked the least was its position, very inwardly. You have to get used to it.

The weight reduction has been more than remarkable, with a reduction of 18 kg that is destined to satisfy both the most expert riders who want to get the most out of their mechanics and for the novice who want an easy and decisive motorcycle in which be able to trust. Less weight always benefits any other parameterBe it dynamism when changing direction, stability or power delivery.

Ducati Monster 2021 005
Ducati Monster 2021 005

The dry figure released by the Ducati Monster is now only 166 kg dry and 188 kg in running order. By pieces, the weight reduction is borne by 1.9 kg on the subframe, 1.6 kg on the swingarm, 2.6 kg on the engine, 1.7 kg on the wheels and 4.5 kg on the chassis. For this new Monster, Ducati has resorted to vacuum cast elements such as the swingarm or the chassis itself. This technique allows removing any bubbles in the structure and reducing the thickness of the metal walls without compromising rigidity.

At the electronics level there are many standard additions, as usual in Borgo Panigale. So the Ducati Monster includes three driving modes, ABS with cornering assistance (three levels) and disconnectable rear wheel, traction control (eight levels), antiwheelie with cornering calibration (three levels), Launch Control or bi-directional semi-automatic transmission.

Ducati Monster 2021 Test 007
Ducati Monster 2021 Test 007

A very complete package that works thanks to the Inertial measurement platform IMU from Bosch that is inherited from other models of the brand. Something that never hurts but that is noticeable in practice, especially the smart driving modes with a power delivery in first adjusted to avoid scares or the antiwheelie that seems to be missing, but keeps everything under control. We give faith, because there was a tricky moment in an unexpected slope change in which the electronics kept everything in order.

The Ducati Monster will be available in two versions: Ducati Monster with red trim with black rims, black with black rims and gray with red rims, and the Ducati Monster + with the same colors but including a seat cowl and dashboard cover.. The price starts from the 11,590 euros for the Monster and 11,990 euros for the Monster +.

Ducati Monster 2021 025
Ducati Monster 2021 025

It is not exactly an affordable naked sock, but it is a very well endowed naked sock. It is called to be measured against other options in the segment of the medium twin-cylinder such as the new Aprilia Tuono 660 (10,850 euros), BMW F 900 R (8,995 euros) or KTM 890 Duke (10,499 euros), but it is also a rival of the Yamaha MT- 09 (9,899 euros) or Triumph Street Triple R (9,900 euros).

It is more expensive than all the available options, but also, but it is also the most complete package between engine, cycle part and electronics, in addition to having a much more extensive tradition and a level of premium finishes that only the Triumph can be at. the height.

Ducati Monster 2021 Test 002
Ducati Monster 2021 Test 002

Ducati Monster 2021 - Assessment

7.1

Motor 8 Vibrations 6 Change 7 Stability 8 Agility 9 Front suspension 7 Rear suspension 6 Front brake 8 Back brake 6 Pilot comfort 6 Passenger comfort N / A Consumption N / A Finishes 8 Esthetic 8

In favor

  • Monster philosophy
  • Blunt engine
  • Precise and agile chassis
  • Good electronics

Against

  • Perceptible vibrations
  • Rear brake pedal position
  • Rear suspension somewhat dry
  • Ducati Monster 2021 - Technical sheet

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    • Naked
    • Testing area
    • Ducati
    • Ducati monster

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