2014 DUCATI MONSTER 1200/1200S
FIRST RIDE
P62
brands that automatically return
to the functioning mode upon re-
start. A real plus for me.
It was still early in our ride, but
I was starting to get to know the
new Monster intimately. At just
five feet, nine inches I thought
it might be a challenge to fit on-
board a beast like the new 1200
Monster, but I was able to reach
the ground and controls without
strain. The 2014 Monster 1200
is very accommodating in terms
of riding position and use of con-
trols.
Ergonomics are always an im-
portant part of new design and
the designers at Ducati did their
homework and definitely came
up with a solution that seems to
work well for both big and small
riders.
Down the road we continued
and it provided us with a com-
bination of fast flowing corners
and long straightaway sections.
The big Monster performs well
on these kinds of roads with mini-
mal rider input. Even with its long
wheelbase, cornering is easy
and fairly precise. At 401 pounds
(claimed dry weight), you can
throw it around pretty good with
plenty of confidence.
The 2014 Monster 1200 chas-
sis features a new trellis-style up-
per front frame section that bolts
directly to the new engine's cylin-
der heads. The concept comes
straight from the Panigale Super-
bike and brings with it larger di-
ameter steel tubing, which in turn
has doubled the torsional stiff-
ness. And the longer wheelbase,
which has been increased by 2.3
inches, has effectively created a
more spacious cockpit for two-up
riding and the now 1.5 inches tall-
er and 1.5 inches closer handle-
bars are also a big help in overall
riding comfort.
A new reshaped all-metal fuel
tank (4.6 gallons) complements
the new styling of the Monster
1200 quite well, while also help-
ing increase rider comfort and
maneuverability on the bike. As
we headed into some twisty sec-
tions I noticed that entering the
corners is a smooth affair with
very little weight transfer or mov-
ing back and forth on the seat.
And when you're on it coming
out of the corners you will feel
planted – you don't have to strain
to reach the controls as you put
down the power.
Another first for the new Mon-
ster 1200 is its adjustable seat
height. Through the use of a
simple block-and-pin system, the
rider can lower the seat from the
standard height of 31.8 inches
in three different positions to its
lowest level of 30.9 inches. If
you want to go even lower there's
a special accessory low seat
that facilitates a 29.3-inch seat
