Ducati on Thursday launched its all-new Monster range in India, with Monster priced at Rs 10.99 lakh and Monster Plus priced at Rs 11.24 lakh respectively (ex-showroom India).
Bipul Chandra, Managing Director, Ducati India, said, “The new Monster is a true star for everyone at Borgo Panigale. A brand name that has marked the history of Ducati like few others, by becoming our best-selling model ever as Ducati has sold more than 350,000 motorcycles since the Monster was first introduced in 1993. The new Monster is a completely new bike, designed to be more sporty, light, and easy to ride, to make it accessible to new riders as well as to ones that are more experienced. Globally, we have had a terrific response for the new Monster and I am confident that it will be a hit amongst the riding community in India as it perfectly suits our riding conditions as a naked, light Ducati that is just fun!”
The new Monster gets a new engine, a Testastretta 937 cc L- twin, with Desmodromic distribution. Compared to the previous 821, the new engine increases in displacement, power, torque and decreases in weight (-2.4 kg) to contribute to the lightness of the bike and offers a vastly better riding experience. It now churns 111 hp at 9,250 rpm with maximum torque of 93 Nm delivered at just 6,500 rpm, proving to be efficient and reactive in throttle response.
Thanks to the increased displacement, the torque improves at all revs, particularly in the medium-low range, most used on the road and between corners. There is also a new gearbox and the Ducati Quick Shift Up/ down fitted as standard.
The company said that chassis, accessory elements and structures were redesigned from the ground up to create a compact and lightweight bike.
The aluminium Front Frame replicates the same concept found on the Panigale V4. It is short and attached directly to engine heads. With a weight of only 3 kg, this frame is 4.5 kg lighter (60 per cent less) than the previous trellis, helping to reduce the dry weight of the bike to just 166 kg.
The height of the seat from the ground is 820 mm. This, combined with the narrow sides of the bike, allows the rider to put his/ her feet on the ground easily. A seat is available as an accessory that reduces the seat height to 800 mm, while still maintaining good padding. In addition to the low seat, a suspension kit is available as an accessory, which further lowers the bike by reducing the seat height to 775 mm.
To ensure maximum manoeuvrability at low speeds and facilitate manoeuvring from a standstill, the steering angle has increased to 36° (+7° compared to the 821). The handlebar is now closer to the rider's torso by about 7 cm to have an upright riding position that guarantees greater comfort and control. The position of the feet has also changed, and all this translates into greater riding ease, even in city traffic.
The standard equipment includes ABS Cornering, Traction Control and Wheelie Control, all adjustable to different levels of intervention. The sporty character of the bike is denoted via the Launch Control.
The new Monster is equipped with three Riding Modes (Sport, Urban and Touring). Everything is managed via the handlebar controls and the bike now features a new 4.3-inch colour TFT dashboard featuring racing graphics inspired by the Panigale V4, with a large rev counter that shows the gear position as well.