The New Monster Looks Sexy AF! 2021 Ducati Monster Revealed

Today I wanted to cover the all-new 2021 Ducati Monster that was just announced. Yep, I like bikes that aren’t dirt bikes too! Why do I want to talk about this particular bike? Well for one, I think it looks bloody sexy and it’s a BIG change for Ducati. And secondly I think it could be a really good thing. Let’s go over the details that Ducati have given us and why I think it could be a great bike.

Ok the first and most noticeable change is they’ve done away with the trellis frame and moved to an aluminium monocoque frame. You’ll have seen a similar frame to this on the Panigale. This is no doubt going to be the biggest talking point. The trellis frame is kind of synonymous with the Monster name and people are already bitching about the change. Honestly, I don’t care what frame the bike has, as long as performance is good. Sure some people will say its sacrilege, but I think it looks sexy, plus the weight savings on the new frame are huge, 10lbs in fact.

The styling in general has been drastically changed. To me, you can definitely still see the old Monster DNA even though so much has changed. It still has those swooping lines; the fuel tank with the big ‘hump’ and it’s most definitely a naked bike. The headlight has also been changed from the traditional round shape, to an oval shaped LED set up. I’m not sure about you guys, but I don’t think I’m imaging things when I can see some hints of a Brutale 800 here. The seat is still that ‘sit in’ design of the older bikes too.

Another big change is the motor. The old 821cc and 797cc motor has been replaced with the same 937cc L-twin you can find in the Hypermotard, Multistrada and Supersport 950’s. Power and torque specs are the same, 111hp (82kw) and 69ft-lbs (93nm) of torque but there are some minor tweaks. Ducati state there is a redesigned crankshaft and connecting rods, different gear ratios and a new clutch cover and timing belt covers. The new engine is also 5.5lbs less than the old 821 motor. It looks to me that Ducati have really tried to drop the weight of the new Monster wherever they can.

The new subframe is 4.2lbs lighter and new wheels are 3.75lbs lighter. Overall the bike is a whopping 39.6lbs lighter than the older model. That’s decent. The dry weight is 366lbs (166kg) and 414lbs (188kg) ready to ride.

Let’s see what else the Monster has. We’ve got a 6 speed transmission with up and down quick shifter, a wet, hydraulic slipper clutch, Brembo M4 brake callipers (very nice), adjustable suspension, a fancy TFT dash and like lots of bikes releasing now, tons of tech. That includes cornering ABS, traction control, wheelie control and launch control. Why you need launch control on a Ducati Monster I’ll never know, but I’ll try anything!

A couple of interesting things I saw, the bike comes stock with a USB power socket (score), 9000 miles (15000km) service intervals and 18000 miles (30000km) desmo intervals (aka the ones that send you broke). And for all you short asses out there, the bike has a pretty low seat height. On top of that, if you want the bike even lower there is an accessory low seat AND a low suspension kit.  

The price is $11895 USD dollars for the base model, then there is a Plus model for $12195. In Australia the starting price is $18200 AUD and in Europe 11290 EUR. Now, I have no idea why the plus model exists, it’s exactly the same as the base model but with a flyscreen and passenger cover. The release date is April 2021.

So I think this could be a really fun bike to ride. I find about a 100hp great on the street, plus this has tons of torque and its light. My MV Agusta Brutale 675 had similar power and it was an absolute blast. What’s weird is Ducati seem to be marketing it as a bit more of a hooligan bike than the old Monster. I mean their announcement video is Michael Ruben Rinaldi doing wheelies and burnt outs on it on the track and in industrial areas. Don’t get me wrong, that suits me to a tee, but I thought the Hypermotard was their lunatic bike? What I will say is, looking at its pictures and rider triangle; the Monster should still make a great town/weekend bike.

What does everything think about the new Ducati Monster overall? Do you hate that I’ve done away with the trellis frame? Keep it OnTheBackWheel people.