Introduced in 1992, the Ducati M900 – which became more commonly known as the Ducati Monster – is the bike that many consider to be the establishing shot of the naked bike story.
The Monster has seen numerous iterations over the years, and Ducati says its newest addition to the lineup, the Ducati Monster SP, is “designed to enhance fun, thanks to technical equipment perfect for those who love sporty riding and embellish style with the Moto GP-inspired livery.”
EU-spec 2023 Ducati Monster SP
The Monster SP shares the same 937cc 11-degree V-Twin as its stablemates, the Monster and Monster Plus, with all three claiming 111 hp at 9,250 rpm and 69 lb-ft of torque at 6,500 rpm. The Monster SP also shares the throttle-by-wire system, a 6-speed gearbox with a quickshifter, and an assist/slip clutch.
Also standard is Ducati Power Launch, traction control, wheelie control, and cornering ABS. Stopping power for the Monster SP has been upgraded up front to Brembo Stylema monoblock 4-piston calipers on two 320mm semi-floating discs. Braking in the rear comes from a 245mm disc and a Brembo 2-piston floating caliper. While the existing Monster models feature Pirelli Diablo Rosso III, the Monster SP wheels are shod in Pirelli Diablo Rosso IVs.
EU-spec 2023 Ducati Monster SP
The 2023 Ducati Monster SP also adds on Öhlins NIX30 fork and Termignoni homologated silencer, steering damper, dynamic turn indicators, and a lithium-ion battery. The curb weight of the Monster SP also comes in at 410 lb, 4 pounds lighter than its stablemates. The SP also offers a slightly higher seat option, with the high seat accessory raising the height to 33.5 inches, as compared to the 32.3-inch top height of the Monster and Monster Plus.
EU-spec 2023 Ducati Monster SP
The 2023 Ducati Monster SP starts and $15,595 and takes the 2022 colors of the official team’s Desmosedici GP.
The new Ducati Monster ‘937’ is now available in both Australia and New Zealand from $18,200 ride-away and if you’re not in lockdown, you can head to your local Ducati dealer for a test ride.
The new Monster is fitted with a 111 hp Testastretta 11° engine, which it shares with the latest Supersport 950.
2021 Ducati Monster+
Ducati are calling this the lightest, most compact Monster yet, representing the epitome of the Monster line, even if it does feature a double-sided swingarm. Hence the name, just Ducati Monster, or Monster+ if you’re after the extras, with no number designation.
Euro5 homologated, the engine boosts capacity over the outgoing 821, offering more power and torque while slimming down weight by 2.4 kg. The main gain is in torque which is up to 93 Nm from 85.4, while power is bumped up a couple of ponies and their should be some instant urge thanks to a high 13.3:1 compression ratio. A slip and assist clutch is also fitted.
The new Monster runs the same powerplant as the SuperSport 950
The frame is based on the design of the Panigale V4, with an aluminium front frame attached directly to the heads, weighing only 3 kg, or 60 per cent less than the previous traditional trellis style unit.
The rims likewise have been shaved down to save 1.7 kg, while the swingarm loses 1.6 kg. The subframe uses Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer technology to save a further 1.9 kg, with a total of 18 kg saved over the Monster 821, bringing the 2021 Ducati Monster to just 166 kg dry.
Weight savings are seen in the new frame, rims, swingarm and sub-frame
The new Monster is suspended by 43 mm USD forks, while a progressive linkage and preload adjustable monoshock handle the rear of the bike via an aluminium double-sided swingarm.
Brakes are Brembo M4.32 monoblock four-piston units, with semi-floating 320 mm rotors, and a radial master cylinder. At the rear you’ll find a 245 mm rotor with Brembo two-piston floating caliper.
Brakes are Brembo M4.32 calipers
Seat height is now 820 mm with a narrow design between the legs, ensuring an easy reach to the ground. A lower 800 mm accessory seat is also available. For those who need the bike lower still Ducati offer a lowered suspension kit which can further lower the seat height to 775 mm in conjunction with the low seat, but that will of course have trade offs in suspension travel and compliance.
The steering angle has been increased to 36°, up 7° compared to the 821, benefiting low speed maneuvering, with handlebars 70 mm closer to the rider and more upright for better control and comfort. The rider’s feet have also been moved, with Ducati stating ‘the legs are now less curled up’.
Lighting is LED with bars moved back towards the rider
An extensive electronics package includes cornering ABS, traction control and wheelie control as standard, alongside launch control. Ride modes include Sport, Urban and Touring, with electronics controlled via the switchblocks and current settings and speed viewed via a 4.3 TFT display that includes tacho and gear.
Other standard fitment tech includes the Ducati Quick Shift system, full LED lighting, including dynamic indicators and a USB socket for charging personal devices.
On the Monster+ we see a fly screen and passenger seat cover included. Service intervals are 15,000 km or every 12 months, while Desmoservice is every 30,000 km.
2021 Ducati Monster+ in Ducati Red
The 2021 Ducati Monster will be available in Ducati Red and Dark Stealth with black wheels, or in Aviator Grey with GP Red wheels. The Monster+ will be available in the same colours.
The new Monster is available in Australia with a starting price of $18,200 Ride Away.
Ducati Australia has announced pricing for two customisation kits that make personalising a Monster even easier.
The Monster has always been a customisation favourite for owners using either factory accessories or aftermarket accessories from various manufacturers plus custom paint jobs.
Now Ducati has made it easier to personalise the naked bike using their extensive catalogue of factory accessories with an online configurator.
It allows you to preview what your bike will look like before you commit to buying the accessories.
Many motorcycle manufactures now use these convenient online configurators; a feature you can’t get that from aftermarket accessories providers.
Ducati’s Monster configurator goes even further, including Ducati-approved accessories from premium Italian company Rizoma.
Rizoma accessories
Their billet aluminium accessories include handlebar balancing weights, footpegs, brake fluid and clutch fluid reservoirs.
The configurator will also let you see what the two new accessories kits and two decal sets will look like.
The Pixel kit costs $A1132.56 and consists of a tank cover, seat side panels, seat cover, headlight fairing and front mudguard.
Pixel kit
As the name suggests, the $A762.30 GP kit gives it a more race or Ducati Corse look with a special tank cover and seat side panels.
GP kit
Both kits are available for all three colours of the Monster and Monster Plus: Ducati Red, Dark Stealth and Aviator Grey.
These are complemented by two sticker kits, Corse and Logo, also available for all colours of the bike.
The new Monster and Ducati Performance accessories can now be ordered from all Ducati dealerships.
The new Monster has ditched the steel trellis frame for a much lighter alloy frame to improve power-to-weight ratio, performance, fuel economy and emissions.
But the move seems to have upset some Ducatisti, causing concern that the iconic trellis frame may be destined for the scrap heap.
Some fans even go so far as to say the new Monster is ugly and have ridiculed it on internet chat forums.
The Queensland Italian Bike Addicts facebook page is even running a poll asking fans whether they prefer the design of the new Monster or a garbage truck … so far the garbage truck is winning!
Monster poll
The 2021 Ducati Monster has a 937cc L-twin engine, up from the 821cc, so it has a few extra ponies.
But the biggest performance boost is in the power-to-weight ratio thanks to a 188kg wet weight which is a whopping 18kg lighter than the 821.
The new hybrid monocoque frame with a fibreglass-reinforced polymer subframe saves most of that weight.
But has it spoiled the iconic look of the Monster?
2002 Monster
A quarter of a century ago, the Monster took the motorcycle and design world by storm with its muscular naked looks, making a highlight of the frame and L-twin.
In recent years the full trellis frame has been whittled down to a shorter frame attached to the cylinder head with a separate subframe.
Ducati Monster 1200 with half trellis frame
Now that it has totally ditched the trellis frame, some Ducatisti say it is no longer a true Monster.
The other missing iconic ingredient is the L-twin shape defined by a protruding forward cylinder and the “L” cam covers.
It seems the designers have done all they could to turn the motor into a formless mass of black metal.
And with its sharp edges and origami styling, it now looks more like many Japanese naked bikes, particularly the popular Yamaha MT models.
Yamaha MT-10
If you are really kind, you could say it looks like the MV Agusta Brutale 800 (although it retains a trelllis frame).
2021 Monster
Brutale 800 RR LH44
I can understand the need to meet tough new emissions and economy targets without jeopardising performance, but when they take away iconic design elements and make it look like many other naked bikes, it loses its identity and its appeal.
I would still love to ride the new Monster, but as the above FB admin says, this is a bike that is as much about style as it is function.
Let’s hope that when it comes to updating the Monster 1200, Ducati retains their iconic design elements.
* What do you think of the new Monster? Leave your comments in the box below.
In the final Web reveal of the year for Ducati, the company showcased the new 950 Monster. This bike shares its engine with the latest Supersport 950 and should be one heck of a motorcycle.
The bike’s Testaretta 11-degree engine makes 111 hp and 69 lb-ft of torque, and Ducati did its best to make the most of that by making the Monster lightweight. The company said this is the lightest Monster yet. It managed to lose 40 pounds when compared to the outgoing 821 Monster.
The 2021 950 Monster gets a full-color TFT display, ABS, TC, launch control, wheelie control, three riding modes, and a quickshifter. There’s also a lighter and easier to use clutch.
Suspension on this motorcycle is 43mm USD forks and a rear mono-shock. Stopping power comes by way of Brembo M4.32 monoblock 4-piston calipers and 320mm discs up front and 2-piston Brembo calipers in the rear with a 245mm disc.
Service intervals are every 15,000 km or every 12 months and you can get this bike with either a Ducati Red or a Dark Stealth paint job. The price of this model in Australia is $18,200 ride away.
Ducati have unveiled the final new model for 2021 in their last web world premiere, with the new Monster breaking cover, fitted with a 111 hp Testastretta 11° engine, which it shares with the latest Supersport 950.
2021 Ducati Monster+
Ducati are calling this the lightest, most compact Monster yet, representing the epitome of the Monster line, even if it does feature a double-sided swingarm. Hence the name, just Ducati Monster, or Monster+ if you’re after the extras, with no number designation.
Euro5 homologated the engine boosts capacity over the outgoing 821, offering more power and torque while slimming down weight by 2.4 kg. The main gain is in torque which is up to 93 Nm from 85.4, while power is bumped up a couple of ponies and their should be some instant urge thanks to a high 13.3:1 compression ratio. A slip and assist clutch is also fitted.
The new Monster runs the same powerplant as the SuperSport 950
The frame is based on the design of the Panigale V4, with an aluminium front frame attached directly to the heads, weighing only 3 kg, or 60 per cent less than the previous traditional trellis style unit.
The rims likewise have been shaved down to save 1.7 kg, while the swingarm loses 1.6 kg. The subframe uses Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer technology to save a further 1.9 kg, with a total of 18 kg saved over the Monster 821, bringing the 2021 Ducati Monster to just 166 kg dry.
Weight savings are seen in the new frame, rims, swingarm and sub-frame
The new Monster is suspended by 43 mm USD forks, while a progressive linkage and preload adjustable monoshock handle the rear of the bike via an aluminium double-sided swingarm.
Brakes are Brembo M4.32 monoblock four-piston units, with semi-floating 320 mm rotors, and a radial master cylinder. At the rear you’ll find a 245 mm rotor with Brembo two-piston floating caliper.
Brakes are Brembo M4.32 calipers
Seat height is now 820 mm with a narrow design between the legs, ensuring an easy reach to the ground. A lower 800 mm accessory seat is also available. For those who need the bike lower still Ducati offer a lowered suspension kit which can further lower the seat height to 775 mm in conjunction with the low seat, but that will of course have trade offs in suspension travel and compliance.
Standard seat height is 820 mm and narrow between the legs for the reach to the ground
The steering angle has been increased to 36°, up 7° compared to the 821, benefiting low speed maneuvering, with handlebars 70 mm closer to the rider and more upright for better control and comfort. The rider’s feet have also been moved, with Ducati stating ‘the legs are now less curled up’.
Lighting is LED with bars moved back towards the rider
An extensive electronics package includes cornering ABS, traction control and wheelie control as standard, alongside launch control. Ride modes include Sport, Urban and Touring, with electronics controlled via the switchblocks and current settings and speed viewed via a 4.3 TFT display that includes tacho and gear.
Other standard fitment tech includes the Ducati Quick Shift system, full LED lighting, including dynamic indicators and a USB socket for charging personal devices.
Electronics include rider modes, cornering ABS, TC, Launch Control and Wheelie Control
On the Monster+ we see a fly screen and passenger seat cover included.
Service intervals are 15,000 km or every 12 months, while Desmoservice is every 30,000 km.
2021 Ducati Monster+ in Ducati Red
The 2021 Ducati Monster will be available in Ducati Red and Dark Stealth with black wheels, or in Aviator Grey with GP Red wheels. The Monster+ will be available in the same colours.
The new Monster will be available in Australia from June with a starting price of $18,200 Ride Away.
Alessandro, who is a designer at exotic car company Pagani Automobili, says his “desire would be to work for Ducati”.
After reading that Ducati wants to make an electric motorcycle, I thought the Monster project could be ideal,” the Panigale 959 rider says.
“Monster is the Ducati icon, so it could be a new beginning. I hope Ducati can see my idea and be inspired by it.”
An electric Monster also makes a lot of sense as most electric motorcycling in the near future is expected to be short distance and commuting, because of the limited range and long recharge times.
“Given the rumour of a Ducati interest in making an electric motorcycle, I wanted to imagine how this could appear if it became a reality,” Alessandro says.
Noticeably, he has retained chain drive, but it must be one gear as there is no clutch.
Electric Ducati Monster
Here is Alessandro’s video and his electric concept in his own words:
Mixing the vintage style of the Cafe Racer, the beauty of the Ducati brand and the architecture of an electric motorcycle, I designed the Ducati Monster Electric Concept.
Aesthetically appealing; to give the sensation of speed, most of the volumes fall on the front.
This means that the tank is very low and almost invades the front wheel and the rear has no tail, so as to give greater optical lightness and make the tire appear even larger.
This presents the typical trellis frame fixed no longer to the engine but to the battery which, placed inside a carbon cover, becomes structural.
The tank, of considerable size, no longer has the traditional fuel reserve function. This becomes a convenient trunk to store the helmet and various objects. In addition, the “fake” tank is composed of two easily interchangeable side covers to update the style.
The bike, with the combination of materials such as ABS, brushed aluminum and carbon, creates distinct “zones” that at the same time form part of the same assembly.
The meticulous research of the details (like the components milled from full with angles of 45 ° and brushed) must give the perception of “premium”. A luxury that is now present in cars but not in motorcycles.
The cycling odds are more like a sport bike than a naked one, to make the most of a powertrain with lots of torque.
Ducati amps up
At a student event in Spain this year, the Ducati boss told the crowd: “The future is electric, we’re not far from starting series production.”
It’s no news that Ducati has been considering an electric model since about 2017 when a Ducati executive revealed they had electric plans for a motorcycle and a scooter by 2021.
In the same year, VW Group Chairman Matthias Mueller upped the ante saying Ducati would have an electric motorcycle “by 2020”.
By “black on black” they mean alternating gloss black and matt black parts, offset by flashes of red on the rims.
Ducati Australia has not yet advised when the bike will arrive or pricing, but we expect it will be here in the next month with a slight premium over the base price.
Current Monster rideaway pricing:
Monster 1200 $22,990
Monster 1200 S Red $ 26,990
Monster 1200 S Liquid Concrete Grey $ 27,190
Monster 1200 R Red $ 30,190
All Monster 1200 models are powered by the Testastretta 11° DS engine with 109kW.
They feature Ride by Wire system and inertial platform, which provide ABS Cornering, Traction Control and Wheelie Control functions.
Monster S
The S versions provide a sports boost with fully adjustable 48mm Öhlins forks and rear Öhlins monoshock, dual 330mm Brembo discs and Brembo M50 monobloc calipers and an up & down quickshifter.
Cosmetically they have three Y-spoke wheels, a carbon fibre front mudguard, daytime running lights and LED indicators.
Ducati certainly needs the stimulus of new models as its sales have stalled in 2019, down 0.6%.
The biggest drops were in Asia and Latin America where Ducati has invested heavily including a factory in Thailand to make Scramblers and assemble bikes for the local market.
