Motorcycle specifications DucatiMonster 2023 The shock

Ducati's flagship roadster took a big risk in 2021, completely reinventing itself. The boldness of the design was different from that of the very first Monster, and the figures show that this model still holds a strategic place in the range. After the Multistrada V4, it's Bologna's best-selling motorcycle. Confusing or not?

When I saw Ducati's latest Monster, I thought Pierre Terreblanche had returned to the manufacturer's design department. Touching the styling of one of the world's most famous roadsters is bound to result in a volley of criticism.

And that's not going to happen with this one. But behind this bike, Ducati is taking things to the next level. After forging its name in steel and twin, Ducati now wants to take its name to the absolute. For the first time, there's no number to identify it. It's called MONSTER, and that's that.

We'll still call it 937. If only to know its displacement, to bring it a little closer to the original model, the 900 Mostro.
So, the 937 replaces the 821. With its disconcerting design, it has no intention of building on the achievements of its predecessor. Confusing... for a monster. Many will cry "scandal": the disappearance of the trellis frame, no return of the single-arm, and an "international", not to say Asian, design. The delicacy and character of Italian curves has given way to a sharp, angular pencil stroke, drawing muscles without skin. Everyone will see similarities to a greater or lesser extent, with a headlamp that's typical of MV-Agusta or Honda 700 Transalp, as the case may be; or a silhouette that reflects the Japanese products in its segment.
The Italian is faithful to its two exhaust pipes. They've gained in style, bevelling and compactness. Just like the whole motorcycle, which is imperatively more athletic. There's no doubt that its new look will be the talk of the town.

but let's be clear about two things:
1 - When Ducati "dared" to revisit the Monster for the first time in 2008 with the 696, many fans' stomachs turned... and the lineage continued with multiple versions.
2 - This Monster is set to gain market share, new fans, a little (a lot?) of its soul in favor of modernity, efficiency, audience and possibilities.
So yes, it's weird to lose the steel tubes, to have polymer under the buttocks and a swingarm as sexy as that of an MT-07. But the numbers are there. The 937 Monster loses 18 kilos!

A real performance. Nothing less than the equivalent of an office chair that Ducat has wrested from the bike. The result of a desire for lightness and essentiality. Just like the old days?
Would you believe it if you knew that the recipe for this Monster 2021 was the same as the first one from 1993? Explanation and comparison. The original was built around the frame of an 888, the Superbike of the time, and its engine was taken from the 900 SS, a famous sports bike but less radical and violent than the SBKs. Almost 30 years later, the pot is still hot. The Monster gets a frame of the same type as the Panigale V4, while its twin comes from the 950 SuperSport. Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.

So, 18 kilos. The technology and slimming cure are effective. The frame no longer has the charm of the tubular trellis, but it saves 4.5 kilos. The rear buckle is 1.9 kilos lighter. It's like that everywhere. 1.7 kilos less on the rims, 1.6 on the swingarm, 2.4 on the engine, a few grapples in the smallest nooks and crannies, for a dry weight of just 166 kilos. The same figure as the Street Triple RS, considered the benchmark in its segment.
There's a slight nuance: the kilos lost were on the full weight, which dropped from 208 to 188 kilos. Smaller gains are also made, such as the fuel tank, which loses 2.5 liters (1.9 kg).
With this weight reduction and a slightly shorter wheelbase (6 mm), liveliness will gain ground. To turn the corner, wake up the 4-piston Brembo M4.32 calipers, let them bite the 320 mm discs, engage the front with its 43 mm upside-down fork without adjustment, correct if necessary with the 245 mm rear disc gniaked by two pistons, then weld.

the Monster retains two fundamentals: the 90° L-twin architecture and the desmodromic system (for how long?). It was also time to leave the 821 cm3 behind and move on to something else. More displacement, more watts, and easier passage to Euro5. The cubic capacity has been increased to 937 cm3. It's not so much an increase in volume as a transplant of the Sport-GT block from Bologna. A graft that benefits the Monster in every way, with a little less mass in the belly, a little more horsepower (+2) and some extra torque (+0.7 mkg). The gain in watts is rather small, given the increase in displacement. The gain in torque will be much more noticeable. As well as being strengthened, its maximum output is available earlier, from 1250 rpm. All good for the mid-range. The Monster range starts with 111 hp at 9250 rpm, 9.5 mkg at 6500 rpm and a hefty dose of riding aids.

Logically, it features all the power of the 821, plus the latest power assistants in the sector. The Up&Down shifter (formerly optional), curve-active ABS and stop-start assist have been added. The graphics on the 4.3" TFT screen change to those of the Panigale V4, as is gradually being done throughout the manufacturer's range. Then there are the 3 riding modes (Sport - Urban - Touring), traction control and anti-wheeling, all of which can be set to multiple positions.
The electronics are also flashier and more fun. The all-LED headlamp features a luminous ring to show off its new daytime signature, while the turn signals are more subtle, inaugurating a sweeping system to great effect. Just like on top-of-the-range Audis. No, not the motorcycles of '77, the cars.

once the visual uppercut has passed, you're in for another shock when you climb aboard. Poof... your foot has just bumped into the saddle. Normal, it's a good handful of centimetres higher. Today's Monster raises its saddle 820 mm off the ground. At 785 mm (in the lowered position), the 821 was more accessible; the best-positioned seat since the 750 Monster. The foam thickness of the 937 is 7 cm.
It's not over yet. By moving the handlebars back 70 mm towards the driver, the roadster straightens the driving position. It will be straighter, more comfortable, less in that distinctive attacking position. The footrests have been lowered by 10 mm and moved forward by 35 mm to reduce leg bending. When I tell you that the Monster wants to open up to as many people as possible...
But... It gets worse. Another consequence of the new frame type is that the steering angle has been increased by 7°, for a total of 36°. Even better than a Kawa Z 650. It's mind-blowing! A monster that turns well??? But it's all gone. Why not heated grips too?

Oh yes, they're there, as an option. A place where you'll also find Termignoni mufflers, carbon parts, adhesive customization kits, a low seat to lower the seat to 800 mm, a spring kit to lower the seat even further (775 mm), etc. The Monster takes advantage of this renewal to reintroduce the 'Plus' designation: an extra look with a color-matched seat cover and a small windscreen.

what 's also surprising is the official communication surrounding the Monster. Burn, wheeling, tricks of all kinds - the parent company is showing users a sago face. Urban stunt in the specification!?!! This is new for the Monster. This role is normally assigned to Hypermotards. Urban trends are clearly having an influence on this roadster; or on those who created it.

The Monster is changing. This is perhaps its most important evolution since its birth. Its history will begin with the cries, the questioning, the confrontation between the fans of the golden age and the bikers of the millennium. It will have to prove two things: that it is a monster before it is the 937; and that it is a Ducati. After that, it will show its true face, with a technique and use that promise astonishing moments on the handlebars, if not more.
The arrival of an SP version in the range will allow this bugger to transcend itself. With Öhlins suspension, Stylema brakes, appropriate electronics and a Termignoni dual muffler, the bike's sporty feel promises to be as taut as you could wish for.

For a segment of the community, including wam, we're all nostalgic for the cassette tapes on which we recorded the hits played on the radio. MP3 and streaming don't have the same charm, but what a change in life and possibilities!

M.B - Manufacturer's photos