Ducati Monster 821 review, test ride

It isn’t very difficult to see the importance of the Monster family for Ducati. Seductively stylish, with red-blooded performance and all that Italian allure wrapped around a machine that can be enjoyed more often and by a lot more people than Ducati’s superbike flagships. Ever since it was created in the 1990s, the Monster family has been Ducati’s chart-buster. In the ’90s the Monster revitalised Ducati’s fortunes by drawing new riders into the Ducati family very rapidly. In 2015 the Monster family’s task is no different in India, as Ducati rebuilds its relationship with India. To seduce the young – and the young at heart – Ducati has brought an eight-strong Monster line-up to India. While Rs 20 lakh and above for a Monster 1200 might be a no-brainer for some, it is the more affordable range that will be of interest to a majority of riders. The Rs 9.6 lakh Monster 821 will soon become the entry level offering, as the 795 and 796 are no longer in production and will be available only till stocks last. But the 821 is ready to take the family forward, as we found out on our 230km ride in Thailand.

This Ducati Monster 821 is the new, third-generation motorcycle, and as can be expected, it is loaded with tech. No, I don’t mean the liquid cooling for the engine, which is a bold new step for the family. I mean the ride-by-wire system, which gives you different rider modes to choose from. These are bundled with presets for the eight-stage traction control and the three-stage ABS, although the rider can customise this. Of course, there’s power too – 110.5bhp, which is capped to 75bhp in Urban mode. The torque is greater too, but like the horsepower, it is built a litter higher up in the rev range. No worries though; the new 53mm throttle body and the injection system are optimised to boost low and mid-range torque. And the gearing has been revised too. But would any true Ducatisti sign a Monster off the drawing boards at Borgo Panigale without manic top end? I doubt it. We’ll find out shortly.