Motorcycle specifications Ducati1200 Monster 2016 Monster rebirth

A stunning return to the world of blood roadsters! There's no need to kid yourself about the competition: the Monster 1200 is here to hit hard, hard, powerfully, with the same rage that once haloed the sultry S4s. Much more than an evolution, it's practically a new machine in the Monster family. Big liquid twin, new chassis, electronics galore and Mostro spirit right down to the nuts and bolts, this roadster arrives with a bang, a slap in the face.

900, then 1000, now 1100. The big Monster has steadily increased its displacement to give each generation more punch, while retaining air cooling. The hot water-cooled S4s gave way to the Streetfighters to take on the heavyweight roadsters. Today, the Monster wants to get back into the adrenalin arena, while retaining the looks that have made it such a legend. And he needs watts, big watts. So there's no question of increasing the cubic capacity of the finned twin desmo. It's straight from the organ bank of Superbike glories. Le monter shops in the 1198 department, the sporty bike injected with Bayliss serum. With this second-generation Testastretta with 11° twin ignition, there's a lot to get out of the gearbox. No more Bolognese, now it's salsa: we used to play with 100 hp on the Monster 1100, now we're going to dabble with 135 horses on the 1200; and if you stretch a bit of change to buy the S version, the sauce climbs to 145 units. A good ladleful of 12 mkg of torque to lift all that, and you've got some serious road-rage on your hands, and a handful of competitors to contend with.
A few details: the valve angle, 41° on the Superbike for power at high revs, has been reduced to 11° for mid-range and smoothness. In the clutch, there's none of the saucepan noise characteristic of Ducat bikes, as it's bathed in oil. And the interval between major overhauls has been extended to 30,000 kms.

"Say, the frame, did you forget a bit or are we getting excited about the disco in Bologna?!?"
Not exactly. I may have forgotten to mention that the engine has become a carrier on the Monster 1200, like the Superquadro block on the Panigale. Here, only a half-frame remains, anchored to the cylinder heads. Faithful to the multi-tubular steel architecture, it still bears the Ducati hallmark. And although it's increasingly compact, it still boasts double the torsional strength.

a change of scenery once you're in the saddle. The wheelbase has been increased by 60 mm to handle the watts and ensure stability - but we're not so much interested in that as in the evolution of ergonomics. Handlebars? 40 mm higher and just as much closer to the rider. The saddle? Adaptable, my good man: as standard, it peaks at 810 mm; but, and this is new at Ducat ', it's adjustable, and can be lowered to a lower level of 785 mm. With the low seat option, it even drops to 745 mm, almost to the level of a custom. The slimmer fuel tank has lost its gaping air vents and gained 4 liters in capacity, for a total of 17.5 liters.
Just ahead, an all-new TFT instrument panel awaits you. As an added bonus, the display changes according to your chosen driving mode. Depending on whether you're in Urban, Touring or Sport, the size, layout and presence of the information changes. You'll find a big summary at the bottom of this article.

well, with each new Monster, there's less and less frame. Suspension-wise, we're keeping in line with the saga. Kayaba 43 mm upside-down forks and Sachs monoshock. The S version draws as usual from the Swedish catalog, with a 48 mm Öhlins fork and a shock absorber from the same source. In both versions, the latter is attached to an innovative single-swingarm on one side, and works on the other via a link fixed directly to the rear cylinder. New rims also make their appearance, with a distinctive Panigale look. The original tires chosen are Pirelli Diablo Rosso II, 120 / 70 - 17 and 190 / 55 - 17.

an Italian doesn't have much to learn about braking. The Monster 1200 is no exception. The 320 mm discs are mated to 4-piston Brembo M4-32 monobloc radial calipers. They are controlled by a radial master cylinder and 3-stage disconnectable ABS.
A Ducati now comes with a big electronic package. Called DSP (Ducati Safety Pack), it includes the aforementioned Bosch 9MP 3-stage ABS, 8-stage traction control and 3 riding modes. A little LED technology has also been added to the front light cluster, on either side of the halogen headlight.

by going from 1100 to 1200, the Monster recaptures the spirit of the S4, gains a big ladle of horsepower, a busier belly and a few extra kilos. 13 kilos in the saddlebag, bringing it up to 182 kilos. The silhouette remains the eye-catching cannon, and the styling is a little sleeker, but the big Monster is turning a technical page, leaving the air-breathing twin desmo to slowly fall asleep at the manufacturer. The S version, with more power and a better chassis, is also sure to impress.

summary of riding modes and associated displays
urban

this driving mode delivers 100 hp, with a "Low" electronic throttle.lectronic "Low" throttle, more aggressive DTC and Level 3 ABS for maximum braking stability, set to prevent rear-wheel lift.

Riding Mode "Urban" adopts the "Core" information display, revealing only the minimum information for an urban environment. The speed display becomes larger in the center of the screen, with a reminder of the Riding Mode engaged and the time. At the bottom left of the screen is the totalizer, and on the right, the coolant temperature. Each of these displays can be modified using the button next to the left-hand blinker button, to show trip A, trip B, reserve, lap time (if activated) and average fuel consumption.

touring

touring mode delivers 135 hp, with "Medium" electronic throttle, more intrusive traction control, Level 2 ABS and rear-wheel anti-lift activated.

The Touring display mode changes completely to the "Full" setting setting, changing the dashboard background, reducing the size of the speed indication digits and replacing them with data displayed at the top of the screen via a bar graph ranging from 1,000 to 11,000 rpm. During engine warm-up, an additional engine speed display is visible in orange and red sections. This corresponds to the engine speed, with the numbers increasing in size with the value reached. With the driving mode selected, now visible to the left of the speed indication, the entire lower left-to-right section of the instrument panel is dedicated to the clock, engine tempéengine temperature, traction control levels engaged, ABS and, by default in the bottom left-hand corner of the display, the odometer and average fuel consumption. The data readable at bottom left and right are scrolled using the buttons above and below the direction indicator button on the left-hand side of the handlebars. While riding, trip A, trip B, fuel reserve, lap time (if activated), actual fuel consumption, average speed and air temperature are displayed on the right-hand side.

sport

in Sport mode, the twin delivers 135 hp, with a "High" electronic throttle for maximum throttle sensitivity. throttle sensitivity, reduced traction control and ABS intervention without rear-wheel lift protection.

In Sport Driving Mode, the screen adopts a "Track" display, applying an aluminum-colored finish to the dashboard background and featuring essential information that is uniquely sporty. The tachometer is displayed as a bar graph, forming a 90° curve in Superbike style, with a speed indication prominently displayed in the center of the screen, and engine temperature, ABS and traction control displayed at the bottom from left to right. At the bottom, and positioned in the center by default, the speedometer displays trip A, trip B, fuel reserve, clock, trip time and lap time, which can be viewed and scrolled using the buttons above and below the display.buttons above and below the direction indicator on the left (if activated), average fuel consumption, instantaneous fuel consumption, average speed, engine temperature and air temperature.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos