The Ride
Accessibility seems to have been one of the primary concerns of the folks at Ducati while locking in the rider’s triangle on the bike. This particular test bike has a seat height of 795mm, and that’ll make it easier for short riders to place their feet down. I love the placement of the lightweight handlebar and how it puts you in that “attack” position. Some tall riders, say around 6ft, might find the rider’s perch to be too cramped. We’d advise getting a proper test ride before deciding. Or you could just put up with it in favour of the entertaining performance of the new engine.
Wet and Urban ride modes temper the power delivery to very friendly levels. It is not lumpy-grumpy like the Testastretta at low speeds, so riding it in city traffic won’t make it grumble. There is, however, some amount of warm air to contend with in crawling traffic.
What’s more important, though, is that one could be inexperienced with a big bike, but the electronics hold your hand every step of the way. There are no sudden surges of power; the traction control intervened seamlessly over Mumbai’s stupidly slippery mastic asphalt, and you could be as ham-fisted as you’d dare and the Monster handles everything well.
Sport and Race modes really livened up the throttle response, to the point that I was having a great time on the highway, revelling in the bike’s performance. The sound from the exhaust and the feeling of banging up the gears while keeping the throttle pinned are great reminders of why the Ducati Monster has been a fan favourite for decades.
The non-adjustable suspension that some people may have scoffed at by now is actually remarkably well tuned. The initial stroke of the suspension, especially, is on the softer side, and that allows it to iron out bumps and undulations easily. I was quite surprised by the ride and how liveable it was over Mumbai and Navi Mumbai’s roads.
The handling, however, is astonishingly good. Given how well one is seated on the bike, you establish a beautiful sense of connection with it. The Monster is light on its feet, changes direction effortlessly, and darting my way through traffic had become my favourite part of the day for as long as I was commuting on it. Out on the highway, the Monster is planted at high speeds and while riding around sweeping corners. Not to mention the sticky Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tyres that add that layer of confidence.
Speaking of which, the Brembo M4.32 calipers on this bike offer good stopping power, and there are no complaints, but I do feel Ducati could have offered stronger brakes considering how quickly this bike gets to unmentionable speeds.
