Quick Test Ducati Monster

It's been 20 years, maybe a little longer, since I last swung a leg over a Ducati. Funny enough, that was also a Monster. The M900, i.e., I believe, is what it was. That opportunity happened when I was in Daytona, covering Bike Week in the early 2000s. Unfortunately, in that area, all the roads are flat and straight not saying that it's much better in southeast Michigan, but at least some of the roads here do have curves.

The last bike I had the opportunity to ride was the Royal Enfield Continental GT650. That was a pretty bike, well put together, well priced, but it lacked some horsepower and not enough fizz for me.

I've had the need to ride a bike again for a while. Circumstances at the moment dictate that I can't buy one, however, I did take the opportunity to take the latest Ducati Monster out for a test ride during demo days at the local Ducati dealership.

The demo bike I rode had a set of Termi exhausts, and you always wonder if they're worth the extraordinary cost. I will get to that in a minute, but TL;DR, the answer is hell yes.

Our test route was a mixture of highway and back roads. The first part of the ride was on the highway, where I was surprised, and maybe, even delighted, to see that the wind buffeting was minimal to nonexistent at well above the posted speed limits. And at 90 miles an hour, the bike was very comfortable. The wind didn't buffet off my helmet, and there is just enough forward rake in the seating position so that it takes the weight off your wrists without feeling like you need to hang on for dear life.

Even just rolling on the throttle at, say 70 miles an hour, it was effortless to get your daily triple in.

As an example of how few modern bikes I've written lately, I forgot the bike had a quick shifter, so I went old school with clutch shifts. Once I remembered this Monster had one, it was nice, and I saw how easily you could get used to it.

The power of the Monster is good in the best possible way of describing good. Maybe a better way of expressing it is that it's more than plenty for me at this point in time of my life, and with his little writing as I've done lately.

Roll on the throttle a little aggressively in first gear, and the front wheel rotates up in the air effortlessly. It caught me slightly off guard but did begin several Zach Courts giggle moments with the bike.

While this is just on the standard suspension, not the upgraded Öhilns on the SP version, the roads in the metro Detroit area aren't amazing, and this Ducati had no problems dealing with pavement irregularities, cracks in the road, and various other "niceties" that the roads in Southeast Michigan throw at you.

We did get to go through a short section of twisties, and the bike just flat-out railed. Given my lack of riding lately, I was cautious. And while the suggested limit was 25 around the corners, I was doing 60, and the bike could've easily gone 20 miles an hour faster and not even noticed.

Now let's get to the sound. Ducati twins have that character and that feeling. Hear one, and you know exactly what it is. You throw a set of Termi's at it, and it becomes damn near erotic. If the bike wasn't quick, or didn't handle well (not really possible, given that it's a Ducati), the sound alone would give you the feels and keep you entertained for a long time.

At speed, the bike isn't thrilled being below 3500 RPMs. It doesn't chug, it doesn't bog, but it just doesn't feel happy there. Get the bike to about five grand, and it feels ready to play all the way to the red line. The power comes on in a nice linear wave and just keeps pulling. It's incredibly predictable. It will shuffle along at four or 5000 rpm very comfortably but really does come alive when you get into it. 

If you strictly rode on the roads and didn't do track days, it would take a while to become bored with the power and the power delivery. It's all about the character. The vibration of the V-twin, the sound of the V twin, the power delivery and the overall character of this V-twin.

While we were mostly able to keep going throughout the 40-minute ride, we did get stuck at one stoplight. That cliché of the heat from the pipes roasting your right leg is true. While it didn't roast my leg because today's temperature was in the mid to high 70s, I could see how it could become uncomfortable on a very hot summer day in stop-and-go traffic or stopped for a significant amount of time. That really was the only fault I found with the bike. Check that two minor gripes. The first would be the vibrations in the right handlebar were not bad, but I could see how my right hand would start to numb on an hour plus a ride. I will say, for whatever reason, I am very susceptible to that, but your mileage may vary. A different bar end weight would probably solve that problem. The other issue is the lack of cruise control. While this is not a touring bike, it would be nice to set the cruise control on any extended run and take your hand off the throttle to relax and flex it as needed.

For a one-bike solution, I'd be incredibly happy with this Ducati Monster, especially with the Termi exhaust, because it takes it to a whole other level. 95-100 horsepower at the rear wheel and about 420-ish pounds full of fluids. If you can't be entertained with that, I can't help you.

Will I be buying this bike? Not today, not tomorrow, but let's say it's on an incredibly short list, and if the dealership will make me a hell of a deal on this demo bike, I'm willing to sell a number of other things to fund it. How's that for an endorsement?