Beast on Wheels

European two wheeler manufacturers are known for creating iconic and powerful street machines, and one of the brands that have a top of the mind recall is the Ducati Monster. We have long been fans of the bike since the 696 came out, and it won us over with an impressive combination of agility and performance. The naked look with its visible trellis frame gave the bike its own unique look, but that has now been substituted with a monocoque, inspired from Ducati’s own Panigale. The design however will leave you in no doubt about the bike’s origins and the new 937cc motor promises a lot. But does it deliver? That is what we are trying to find out.

In terms of design, the front oval shaped headlight stands out. There is a LED DRL ring running around its entirety, which gives it a cat eye look. The fuel tank design is also new and more muscular than before, and the rear tapers off with a minimalist tail, all encompassing a beefy monoshock and a floating rear number-plate holder. The twin exhausts also look the part. The instrument pod is a 4.3-inch display with all essential info including speed, revs, lap times and individual parameters. The switchgear is of very high quality with a good tactile feel that you can use even with gloves. The seat is also fairly comfortable.

Riding a liquid-cooled 937cc engine with 111 bhp and 93 Nm of torque has never felt so good. It is an extremely refined motor, much more linear and smoother than its predessor and with this kind of power on tap, 150 km/h comes up in no time. The factory tuning is spot on and you can go from 40-140 km/h in the same gear. Service intervals have been increased as well as this motor is so much better. Both the exhaust and intake noise sounds heavenly to the ears – that typical Ducati throaty sound is there to entertain you, though it may not be to everyone’s taste. The handling is also brilliant and this is one machine which feels confident and stable. This is a lot due to the Ohlins at both ends. Agility is great too, but there are times when you feel that the wheelbase is a wee bit more for our road conditions.

Naturally with an engine this strong, you would not expect stellar fuel economy but the Monster surprised us with 15 km/l in the city and 25 km/l on the highway. The combination of brakes with adjustable ABS, wheelie control and a host of other electronic aids make riding a lot of fun, whilst the Pirellis provide solid grip. All in all this is a motorcycle that would prove to be a reliable and fun addition to any bike aficionado’s garage.

 Priced at INR 12.95 lakh onwards, ex-showroom

Story by Mohit Soni