Ducati Monster 1200S review, test ride

We take Ducati's new Monster 1200S for a ride in the Canary island of Tenerife. Here's a quick introduction to the most powerful Monster yet.

Published on Feb 22, 2014 05:43:00 AM

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Ride it anyway you want it.

This engine does more than just power the motorcycle, being a stressed member of the chassis. The signature trellis frame is bolted to the cylinder head and joined to the headstock. And the motorcycle swingarm bolts directly to the engine's crankcases.

This Monster comes with Ducati riding modes, like those found on the Diavel and Multistrada, all easily accessible via the indicator button. Sport and Touring modes give you the full complement of 143bhp, while in urban mode the 1200S delivers a maximum of 100bhp. There are eight levels of traction control and three levels of ABS that vary with the modes. Each mode gets its own signature display on the new colour TFT dash. So, if you are riding in Urban mode, it's the speedometer that takes up centre stage. In Touring mode, you get added information including fuel-consumption and ambient temperature. Change to Sports mode and the rev-counter claims prominence. All modes are programmable and the bike remembers your settings.

This big new Monster is surprisingly agile, thanks to its well thought-out steering geometry. The wide and flat handlebars enable you to tuck into a comfortable riding position on the bike. You sit just forward enough to let the wind flow over you and yet upright enough to be able to ride comfortably all day long. The oil-bathed and slipper-enabled clutch is light at the lever, a boon in heavy traffic. This package includes sticky Pirelli Diablo Rosso II radials and a taut yet compliant enough Ohlin suspension system. And to bring all that heft to an eyeball popping stop, the 1200S is armed with the same Brembo radial calipers and master cylinder as the Ducati Panigale.

The 1200S is going to be an expensive motorcycle when it reaches India, upward of Rs 20 lakh. Yes, that's the price you will have to pay for this Ducati’s exclusivity. Sadly, for the moment it’s hard to recommend the Monster wholeheartedly in India, despite how good the bike feels. Ducati’s bugbear in India remains a lack of sufficient back-end support for their bikes here, which the Italian firm is working to set right, setting up an independent official Indian presence. The day Ducati puts its act together on this front, the big new Monster 1200S, despite its price tag will rank amongst the most perfect big bikes for us.