The Ducati Monster will forever be one of the most iconic motorcycles to come from Italy, and today it just got a rebirthing.
Replacing the Monster 821 and Monster 797 in the Italian brand’s lineup, the simply named Ducati Monster is the next evolution of the original naked bike’s design, and it is coming to dealerships in April 2021.
We have been waiting for Ducati to use its 937cc Testastretta 11° engine in the Monster lineup, which makes today’s news a little predictable. But then again, the 2021 Ducati Monster is unlike anything you would expect from the Ducati brand.
The styling gets a very modern facelift for this new generation of Monster, along with a peppier engine, and a substantial weight reduction.
The aesthetics take many cues from the original Monster look, though the oval headlight, double-tipped exhaust, and naked fairing design have us thinking about another Italian brand as well.
In our book, the new Monster look is a step forward for this icon, and Ducati is making no shortage of customization options for the machine, including decal packages and replaceable designer plastic covers. Why this isn’t a concept on all motorcycles is beyond us.
The motor is of course Euro5 compliant, with 110hp (82 kW) on tap. That is only a modest gain over the Monster 821, but the new Ducati Monster makes up for it with plenty more torque – 69 lbs•ft (93 Nm) of it to be precise, which kicks in at a lower rpm.
Perhaps most impressive about the 2021 Ducati Monster though is the weight savings it brings to the market. At 414 lbs wet (188 kg), the new Ducati Monster is whopping 40 lbs lighter than its predecessor.
This is thanks in part to the new front frame design, which is copied from the Ducati Panigale V4 superbike. The Italians say this change alone helped shave 10 lbs off the Monster’s weight.
Another 4.5 lbs came from the use of a glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) subframe, while the wheels and swingarm are good for a combined 9 lbs reduction. Additionally, the 937cc version of the Testastretta 11° motor is 5.5 lbs lighter than the 821cc version too.
The standard seat height is just over 32″ (820mm), but Ducati offers both a lower seat and lower suspension springs for the Monster, which can make that seat height figure as low as 30.5″ (775mm).
This makes the 2021 Ducati Monster extremely accessible to riders of all shapes and sizes – a critical feature in this bike segment.
Designed to be one of the most affordable motorcycles in Ducati’s lineup, the Italians however are not skimping on features. As such, a full and robust electronics package is included.
This means cornering ABS, IMU-assisted traction control, wheelie control, and launch control. There is a color TFT dash, as well as an up/down quickshifter. Ducati also uses a three riding map ride-by-wire throttle.
The clutch is hydraulic and, along with the front master cylinder, uses a radial pump. Brakes are Brembo all around, though more of the budget spec pieces. The suspension is even more basic though, with only preload adjustment available on the rear shock.
Still, priced at $11,895 for the base model, and $12,195 for the Monster+ model, Ducati is shooting straight at bikes like the KTM 790 Duke in terms of features and affordability.
We’d say they hit the nail on the head. Of course, it will be interesting to see what Ducatisti think about losing their trellis frame, and single-sided swingarm design elements.
Source: Ducati
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