A childhood dream, that’s what the Ducati Monster has been for the most of us 90s kids. I personally had collected a ton of magazines and had Monster posters all over my bedroom walls. Adding to that, Enrique Iglesias zooming on one in the video of his song ‘Escape’ made me wish to have one, along with Anna Kournikova, of course. After nearly 3 decades of being one of the highest selling bikes made by Ducati, they decided to give it a makeover. The iconic trellis frame is replaced by the aluminum front-frame chassis. The red tubular frame under the fuel tank has been iconic for Ducati fans. Are they ready to accept these changes? Does the Ducati Monster Plus live up to its legendary status? Let’s take a look.
Ducati Monster Plus Design
The first thing that you will notice is that the Monster has become much smaller as compared to the older versions. The previous editions used to be quite bulky and muscular, unlike this one. The particular one I rode had bright red alloys and was stunning to look at. Though the bike is small, it does grab a lot of attention on the road and when parked. The bike has beautiful lines and the side profile, especially the tail and the twin upswept exhausts lead to all the “wowwws!!” on the road. The quality of parts used is top notch. The finishing overall is perfect. I personally loved the Monster logo on the seat and the Ducati logo behind the small visor. The 4.3” TFT colour display is similar to the Panigale with the backlight turning black at night and white in the day, automatically. The Brembo Master cylinders and floating callipers, Dynamic Indicators, the DRL, the well-designed mirrors etc. make it stand out and very special. The motorcycle comes in Red and Aviator Grey/Stealth Black. There are two versions of the Ducati Monster available: Monster and Monster +, the difference being a Flyscreen and a rear seat cowl in the Plus version.
Ducati Monster Plus Ride, Handling, Comfort
I rode the Monster in Mumbai city for a period of 4 days, in traffic situations and early mornings. The seat height for the rider is low and it will be perfect for slightly short riders who have a difficult time when they are at a standstill. Personally for me, it was a tad bit uncomfortable. The seat by itself is well cushioned and did not give me a sore backside. The wide handle bar makes you feel confident and makes the bike maneuver easily in traffic. The bike being smaller than before, is lighter and very agile, making it very easy to ride in the city and the highway. The fuel tank capacity is 14 liters and it showed me a range of 275kms once tanked up. The suspension setup is done up pretty well and does not require any tweaking. It took in the occasional bumps very well and that is very important to me while riding a motorcycle. The front forks are non-adjustable and the rear shock has a preload adjustment. The twin Brembo callipers provide great stopping power and are impressive. The rear brake was weak and had no bite. Perhaps a small service would do the trick. The clutch didn’t feel so heavy and it was comfortable to be pulled in, held, during traffic situations. The Headlamp is bright and gave great visibility at night. The Pirelli Diablo Rosso 3 tires grip well and give you that extra assurance to throw it into a corner.
