Ducati Monster Archives — Bikernet Blog

Ducati Multistrada V4 Outshines Competition at Alpen-Masters Contest

by Benny Kirk from https://www.autoevolution.com Engineers and designers from Ducati must be riding high lately as their Multistrada V4 S took an overall victory in its class at the Alpen Masters competition, winning over a slew of competition from different manufacturers. For those unfamiliar with Alpen Masters, it is an annual competition sanctioned by Motorrad, a German motoring magazine. In this comparison motorbikes for a wide range of segments gather to be put through a rigorous and demanding series of tests to determine which bike is the best manufactured that year. This year’s test came from the Grossglockner Pass, one of the most famous alpine passes in the world, especially for motorcycles. These tests range from the mundane, like basic acceleration, braking, and handling tests, but also a couple of challenges meant to see what the bikes tested can do under adverse conditions. The Multistrada V4’s clever new 1,158 cc (1.1 liter) V4 engine performed admirably throughout the battery of tests presented. The engine was lauded for its smooth power delivery and efficient operation under adverse load conditions. As was the in-house developed six-speed quick shift gearbox. The engine elasticity test, for example, monitors a bike’s acceleration from 25kph (15.5 miles per hour) to 75 kph (46 miles per hour) going up a steep incline with a passenger on board. Against strong competition from brands like BMW, Kawasaki, KTM, and even another bike from Ducati, the Monster. The Multistrada V4 performed better than all other competitions and placing first overall. It marked the first time such a competition was won by a manufacturer based outside of Germany or Austria. Ducati announced in May of this year that the Multistrada V4 family has already sold 5,000 units worldwide. If it continues to win high-profile comparisons like the Alpen Masters, that publicity […]

Ducati Multistrada V4 Outshines Competition at Alpen-Masters Contest Read More »

Ducati Monster 2021 First Ride Review

by Dustin Wheelen from https://www.rideapart.com Take the edge off. In 1992, Ducati designer Miguel Galluzzi shoehorned a 900SS engine into an 888 superbike frame. He then bolted on a 750 Supersport fork and the Ducati Monster was born. Galluzzi’s Frankenstein experiment was well-loved though, driving sales at the Bologna brand for years. The parts bin special saved Ducati, in fact, and the Monster has remained in Ducati’s stable ever since. That hasn’t stopped the Monster from evolving through the years, though. Ducati frequently tweaked the ingredients, but the recipe remained the same: one part air-cooled L-twin, one part trellis frame. However, technology and design move on, and the model has changed with the times. By 2015, all Monster engines switched to liquid-cooling, and the latest iteration finally sheds its trellis frame—and the weight that comes with it. That prompted traditionalists and ardent Ducatisi to click their tongues, lamenting over Ducati’s heresy. To many fans, the trellis frame was the Monster’s pièce de résistance. The quality that separated the muscular streetfighter from its “soulless” competitors. The trellis frame was the Monster’s greatest strength, but it was also its greatest weakness, imprisoning the naked bike to a bygone era as its counterparts forged ahead. That’s no longer the case in 2021. Sure, the Monster is still “borrowing” from its counterparts by plucking the 937cc L-twin from the Supersport 950 and wedging it into a Panigale V4-inspried monocoque aluminum frame. Even the model’s 4.3-inch TFT dash sports a Panigale V4-derived interface. Despite those old habits, the question remains: is it still a Monster without the trellis frame? Did it trade in its panache for pastiche? Did it lose its character, its “soul”? These questions loomed large when Ducati invited us to San Francisco, California, to ride the 2021 Monster. After spending a full