Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1379564
P116 RIDE REVIEW I 2021 DUCATI MONSTER Good chassis composure, matched by the Jenny Craig weight loss program and a happy little 111 horsepower Testastretta be- neath him makes Rennie a happy man. The new ride position makes it easier to really rail corners on your favorite backroad, and the motorcycle changes direction quicker and with more stability that before. And given there's good braking power and feel via the Brembo master-cylinder and four-piston monobloc caliper setup fitted with Bosch Cornering ABS, the new Monster is an abso- lute delight in the twisties. Ducati's done well to make the Monster's ride engaging for experienced riders while catering to the real market of new riders. Newbies will love how easy this thing is to maneuver at low speed—Ducati has increased the lock-to-lock steering angle 11 degrees to help out in this regard—while riders with more miles under the wheels will take a few jollies out of how peppy the motor is once 5000 rpm is reached and the wheelie control has been switched off. I seem to be one of the few riders I've spo- ken to that liked the look of the new Monster, so many of my colleagues comparing its looks to a Yamaha MT-09. Given the massive LED headlight and Daytime Running Light (DRL), the sharp tail and redesigned tank, I think it looks nothing of the sort and still retains the Monster look, albeit modernized. There's a lot of plastic on the Monster and Ducati could have done better to hide the masses of wires/lines that come with a new bike, especially the exposed lines leading to the rear brake. It's a small price to pay, but I've got to be picky, especially given this bike will cost you more than $12K out the door. Still, the ride on the 2021 Ducti Monster is a very good one, better than you'd think given the spec of the suspension, which is just as well because if it wasn't, there'd be all hell to pay from the throngs of Ducatisti across the globe. CN 2021 DUCATI MONSTER ($11,895 BASE) ENGINE Testastretta 11° L-twin, 4-stroke DRIVETRAIN 4-valves per cylinder, Desmodromic DISPLACEMENT 937cc BORE X STROKE 94 x 67.5mm COOLING SYSTEM Liquid FUELING SYSTEM EFI, 53mm throttle bodies, ride-by- wire throttle, fixed length intake COMPRESSION RATIO 13.3:1 POWER (CLAIMED) 111 hp at 9250 rpm TORQUE (CLAIMED) 69 lb-ft at 6500 rpm EXHAUST 2-2 TRANSMISSION 6-speed with bi-directional Quick Shift System CLUTCH Wet, multi-plate, slipper type ELECTRONICS Riding Modes, Power Modes, Cornering ABS, Ducati Traction Control, Ducati Wheelie Control, Daytime Running Light, Ducati Quick Shift, Ducati Power Launch, 4.3" TFT color display, Full LED headlight and lighting system, self-canceling turn indicators, USB power socket CHASSIS Aluminum front frame FRONT SUSPENSION 43mm KYB fork, non-adjustable fork REAR SUSPENSION KYB Monoshock, preload adjustable FRONT BRAKE Dual 320mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted Brembo M4.32 monobloc 4-piston calipers, radial master-cylinder' Cornering ABS REAR BRAKE 245mm disc, single-piston caliper, Cornering ABS FRONT TIRE Pirelli Diablo Rosso III 120/70 ZR17 in. REAR TIRE Pirelli Diablo Rosso III 180/55 ZR17 in. WHEELBASE 58 in. SEAT HEIGHT 32.3 in. FUEL CAPACITY 3.7 gal. WEIGHT (CURB, CLAIMED) 414 lbs. SPECIFICATIONS