Ducati Monster 821 - 5 Things a buyer should know

The Ducati Monster 821 is the famous V-twin naked sports bike that’s probably a hot choice for a lot of locals here in Malaysia. With performance at its back, drop-dead looks and powerful character to show off, the Monster 821 has a lot to discuss.

The Ducati Monster 821 is an all-new machine with new chassis, engine, suspension, swingarm and a lot of aids assisting riders while on the move. As Ducati says, the Monster 821 is a perfect combination of performance and ease of riding. Does it really is? Or is there anything that’s more to it? So, putting it together we discuss the top five things a buyer should know before buying the new Monster 821. Read on.

Design

Undoubtedly, the Monster 821 is a typical member of the Monster family following trademark muscular vibe, round headlight and fat front forks. And how could you miss the exposed steel trellis frame for an ideal naked look? Adding to the deadly looks are attributes like a narrow waistline, sculpted 16.5 litres fuel tank and the minimal handlebar section. The Monster’s looks are enough to impress a passer-by, it's simple, sporty and sophisticated.

Ergonomics

Next up are the ergonomics, which are quite friendly and made-to-suit the rider as well as the pillion. A pulled back and a raised handlebar, a long wheelbase of 1480mm, an upright seating position and a well-padded seat makes up for a comfortable ride. Additionally, it comes with an adjustable seat that makes riders of different heights and sizes comfortable and jolly. The lowest point a seat can be taken to is 785mm while the highest adjustment level is 810mm.

If this doesn’t go very well with you, there are accessory seats available with lowest and highest seat levels of 745mm and 835mm respectively. Being a dual-seat bike, the designers at Ducati have paid extra attention to the passenger comfort as well. The pillion rider gets a wider surface area to sit and the footrests are designed keeping rear occupant’s comfort in mind.

Chassis, suspension and brakes

The Monster 821 uses a lightweight steel trellis frame which is very compact. Ducati says that its torsional stiffness has also been doubled due to the apt placement of tubes, reduction in weight and compact architecture. At the front, the Monster 821 gets a 43mm front fork which in combination with the spring preloaded rear monoshock suspension gives it the much-needed control.

Braking on the Monster 821 is courtesy of twin Brembo 320mm discs mounted radially on the four-piston Monobloc M4-32 callipers at the front and a single 245mm disc at the back with the only Brembo calliper. Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) is offered as standard. However, there is an option to disable the ABS via the instrumentation.

Safety Aids

One of the most important aspects to look forward to is the safety. It gets Ducati’s Riding Mode technology with three-level ABS and eight-level Ducati Traction Control (DTC). There are three pre-set riding modes: Sport, Touring and Urban.

The selection of the riding mode will dictate the bike’s engine character, ABS and Ducati traction control intervention. In the Sport mode power delivered is full 110.5PS, throttle response is high, level-one ABS is enabled and traction control intervention is set to minimum.

When you ride the bike in the Touring mode, the power delivered is maximum (110.5PS), throttle response is medium, level-three ABS is enabled and DTC intervention is increased. When in the Urban mode 75PS of power is transferred to the wheels, throttle response is low, level-three ABS is enabled with maximum stability and the DTC intervention gets further increased.

Engine

The Monster 821 draws power from an 821cc liquid-cooled, twin-cylinder Desmodromic Testastretta 11 degree engine that is governed by Ride-by-Wire technology. Power and torque outputs are rated at 110.5 PS at 9,250 rpm and 86 Nm at 7,750 rpm respectively. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox with an anti-hop wet clutch which is cable-driven, requires little effort and offers comfort even when gears are switched very frequently.

Offered in three different colour shades- red, yellow and black, the Monster 821 retails at RM66,999.