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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128144
(Right) The Monster 620 I.e. is In Its element in urban settings, with agile handling and plenty of power. (Left) A 620cc twin may not sound like much, but the Monster 620 I.e. was a lot of fun to ride. the quick turn-in make the bike a lot of fun to ride. After lunch, we tried to stay on the route that Ducati had planned for us, but - sorry, Ducati - our little group of journalists knows Southern California pretty well, and we took off on our own. A group of five of us went our own way after we discovered that the planned route was a bumper-tobumper, 45-mph affair. We proceed- (Right) A look at the redesigned cockpit· everything you really need. ed onto a series of roads that we knew would be desolate and twisty, and that allowed me to finally open the bike up to the degree I wanted to. I was impressed with the performance of the 618cc, two-valve-percylinder, desmo L-twin - it's really a great little motor. Let's face it, this bike is an entry-level bike, but don't let that fool you - the motor performs very well for its size. The fuel-injection system, like all modern Ducatis, is perfect. The Marelli system is truly that problem came to the fore. The flawless without a hint of jerkiness. One of the major payoffs of the exhaust cans would drag on occasion, and the kickstand also took a redesigned cylinder head is the additional revs that the bike has at the top, with the redline being raised from 8700 rpm to 10,200 rpm. The baby Monster can be revved to the moon you can just wring its neck, which will reward you with a nice top-end rush of power. As for the handling of the bike, I beating from the hard cornering, but none of this should be a problem for entry-level model in the Ducati range, the very basic suspension is completely acceptable. The suspension is key to stop the mayhem. a little on the soft side for aggressive sport riding, causing the bike to wallow a little in some of the fast stuff. cheap when compared with some of the Japanese entry-level bikes, but But it took some hard riding before I realize that the $6495 price isn't for a Ducati it's a bargain. And also remember that Ducati didn't cut too many corners on this bike. This bike is a perfect first bike for new riders or women who would like a smaller, more manageable machine, but it's an entry-level model in this price also a bike that won't be quickly out- range. grown. The Monster 620 i.e. is available in so many colors there has to be something One of my only complaints about the bike was a weird event that happened after we had pulled over to check our directions. I had turned the think that the setup works really well, bike off while we were stopped, and when I tried to restart the bike the especially when you consider the price point of the bike. As a truly not firing the engine up. I hit the kill $t8m~'-=-e (Below) Believe it or not, the brakes are almost overkill on this bike. The Monster Dark only comes with a single front disc, and everyone thought they felt just as good as the dual setup on the other version. switch but it just kept spinning without firing. I finally had to turn off the starter kept turning on its own, but _ The biggest single change to the baby Monster's engine is the use of fuel injection for the first time. For 2002, Ducati added the Marelli electronic fuel-injection system to their entry-level bike. Ducllti claims that the 620 Le. is the only bike in the under 750cc naked/standard market segment to feature EFl. The system features a single 45mm throttle body, which is fed information from the Marelli 5.9 ECU (electronic control unit), the same unit as the '02 998 Superbike uses. The cylinder head has also been redesigned in an effort to Increase the engine's ability to rev. Valve diameter has been increase as well in an effort to improve the bikes ability to breathe, while the compression ratio has been increased to 10.7:1. The bore dimension on the 620 I.e. is the same as it was last year at 80mrn, but the displacement increase comes from the longer stroke, which was increased 3.5mm to 61.5mm from last year. The new motor now redlines at 10.200 rpm, which is significantly higher than the previous bikes more tractor-like 8700. Another component that was redesigned to help improve the bike's power was the new airbox, which is very similar to its big brother's - the 54. Ducati claims 60-horsepower from the new engine, which is up nine horsepower from last year's model. The 620 i.e. also features a new exhaust system with catalytic converters, and redesigned aluminum mufflers, to help reduce emissions. for everybody - red, yellow, blue, silver, black, metallic black, metallic blue, and the matte black "Dark" version. eN (~Dl'SSIS The new baby Monster has an all-new chassis to hamess the Improved performance of the redesigned motor. Most important is the new tubular-steel trellis frame, which is derived directly from its larger sibling, the Monster 54, and Is said to be 30-percent more torsionally rigid than it's predecessor. The wheelbase measures in at 1440mm, a dimension that will provide plenty of stability in the comers and under braking. Up front is a new 43mm upside-down front fork, which doesn't have any provisions for adjustability. The front aluminum-alloy rim measures 3.5 x 17 inches, and carries a 120/70ZR17 tire on its back. Braking up front is handled by a pair of 320mm Brembo discs, with twin four-piston calipers (except for the Monster "Dark", which features a single disc of the same size). Out back is a redesigned rear-suspension system, with a new Sachs damper, featuring provisions for rebound and spring preload adjustability. It also has a new linkage that is derived directly from Ducati's Superbike range of bikes. The rear rim measures in at 4.5 x 17 inches and is also made from a light aluminum alloy. The rear tire measures in at 160/60ZR17. The rear brake features a 245mm disc with a twin-piston Brembo caliper. Ergonomics have been improved to offer more comfort on long or short journeys. The handlebars have a new bend to help keep your wrists from cramping, and the relationships between the handlebar, footpegs and seat have been revised for more comfort. The entire cockpit has also been redesigned for 2002, with new gauges that feature a combination of analog and digital LCD displays. Another change that will make life on the user easier is the redesigned handlebar-mounted switches and controls - both of which are now more ergonomically practical. Due I • n _ _ os • MARCH 6, 2002 19