I have fond memories of a certain Monster 1100 Evo with a set of Termi pipes under the tail. Took a demo ride on one of those back when they were still being made in that speck. 2nd gear throttle wheelies perfectly controllable, just roll on. Felt like a compact, well-handling Chevy V8 of grunt and sweet sound. Vibrated and shuttered a lot until you hit the magic RPM and everything smoothed right out. This 937 engine model I'd have to rip off the entire exhaust and find an system with big throated muffler producing deep barking sounds. It wouldn't be Ducati otherwise.
Yep. I have an F900R and it's almost insane that it's also now considered a middle weight. It's wild what we get in "affordable" naked class these days.
Another one great review, thanks for that. I'm now trying to choose which bike to get, Ducati Monster like this or Indian FTR 1200 rally. Any thoughts?
Excellent this incarnation for me is the best lookin Monsters made never really liked the look of the others ( each to their own ) but this one yes I would have one if I had that sort of money for a toy : )
Great review as always, street Triple 765 would have been a more equal comparison than the trident... more power, better adjustable suspension! I guess the rest is down to looks
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, this lad is easily the best man on you tube at reviewing bikes. Aminal. 🙌🏼 he’s one of us, just a lad that fu€king loves bikes, zero show pony rubbish and sends it every time.
Finally, the definitive UK review of the Monster. You're turning into the BBC as your videos always "inform, educate and entertain". Great job as always, Chris!
fickle world with shallow people, so easily you worship someone who is popular for 15 minutes... If he makes one little mistake, you will be ready to tear into his flesh!
@@maldridge7630 Personally, I enjoy this gentleman's style. I find a knowledgable and enthusiastic reviewer with an easy going but grounded attitude towards his/her craft easy to like. As for mistakes, they're much more interesting than some practiced perfection we'll never achieve.. Is finding a rider/reviewer you value worship? I'm not so sure. I've only got a few more years of riding left, I appreciate any "new" voice I find that inspires another day in the saddle. That's enough of a connection for me. Good luck sir.
Probably the best reviewer/presenter of motorcycles... Straight to the point, passionate, humorous and just looks like he’s having a natural conversation with another rider after a ride.
YAY! English test finally! Brilliant review! As a Scrambler owner love the look of this new Monster! Might even consider it in a year or two... Cheers from Ireland
Nice.Informative . But you compared it between trident and Duke 890. Not the street triple, but trident. Does this ride and feel as good as the street triple RS?
I like how the old Monster looked much more, but this is probably better. I like the idea of the low-end shove. Wider service intervals, especially valve checks?
Nothing boring about a parallel twin with a 120 degree crank. It is effectively the same thing, just in a more compact, easier to make and maintain package.
@@onecookieboy mmmm it’s not the at all. Yes the firing order is the same. Yes parallel twins are cheaper to make and more compact. Although I don’t think they are naturally balanced. I get it why the manufacturers are doing it. Just not as cool. That’s my opinion anyways.
@@f1hotrod527 I had a Monster, an S2R 800, while I enjoyed owning it, I didn't enjoy having to change cambelts every 20k kms. There is no mechanical reason that a parallel twin with a 120 degree firing order would be any less balanced than a 90 degree twin. Each to their own though.
@@onecookieboy the crank angle would be 90°, with a 270° firing order. The only cranks you'll see with 120° (and a 240° firing order) would be in a triple.
@@lordgibbness Yes, sorry, you are right, a 270 degree crankshaft which would imitate a 90 degree V2. I believe that is what Yamaha call a cross plane crank on the Tenere and other twins in the range, as well as the likes of Royal Enfield, Triumph, Honda and BMW. So many advantages of making a parallel twin instead of a 90 degree V twin.
This guy is just exactly what this channel needs! Please more reviews from this guy. Perhaps a comparison of the Monster with the Duke R and Street Triple RS?
The content and quality of Bike World put you all in the top league.Up there with Carfection.The photography the scenery and the noises and hooligan antics really do test a bike way beyond most of our wildest dreams.Very enjoyable .Thanks John.
I didn’t like the look at first. But when I went to Ducati dealer it looks way better than on pictures and it feels amazing. It actually make more sense to make the bike lighter and faster.
Great review as usual. This is not a Monster. It's a weird Yamaha - MV Agusta hybrid abomination. Audi, erm, sorry, Ducati has managed to ungraciously kill an icon, a legend under the guise of "moving forward/evolution" bla bla all that empty marketing crap. Move forward with your sports bikes. People buy Monsters because they want to own a classic piece of history, not a pointless design masturbation 🙏🏻💟
@@exothermal.sprocket This competes directly with the 2021 MT-09, 890 Duke (not R), and 765 Street Triple (not RS)... The GSX-S weighs at least 50 pounds more (like the old Monster 821).
@@rjwz28 It's about the horsepower to weight ratio, not just numbers. Why do I say this? Because a 1970's Cadillac weighs a ton, but could be just as fast as one of these bikes with enough horsepower. For instance, the Indian FTR1200 would not be able to compete with a tuned MT-09 and belongs in a lower naked sports bracket, such as the one named (between 690cc and 900cc).
@@exothermal.sprocket Cool story... The GSX-S 750 makes less power and weighs 50 pounds more, while the MT-09/890 Duke/765 STriple all weigh within 10 pounds and make within 5hp. They also all include or offer QS/IMU/TFT/etc, while the GSX-S doesn't. The FTR is irrelevant.
Call me old fashioned, but modern bikes are just getting uglier and uglier. I'm a huge air cooled Monster fan, from the first 900 to the last, even the 797. I even dig the early first water cooled models the S4R and S4RS. At least i could see what was going on behind the plumbing and lack of plastic. It was still simple. But this? WTF? Is it a previous gen MT09? Is it a Z900? Even an.older Z1000? Well to me, it dont even look like a Monster, let alone a Ducati. Ok, i can see it has 2 exhausts, so it must be a twin... But honestly, what a mess in the engine dept. Big fail in the looks dept Ducati, could never lift my garage door in the morning, looking fwd to seeing this monstrosity. Its a stylistic disaster.
Should be mentioned Desmo valve maintenance is $$$$$$ and PIA. I dont understand why Ducati insists putting this complex tech on their bikes then have few techs within 200mile radius who can work on them...This reminds me of second gen and forward VFR series by Honda.The valve inspection alone is over 1200 dollars and most riders just dont do it....For this reasons I prefer Moto Guzzi BMW and some Japanese bikes easier to work on them.
It looks 0% like a Monster, but whatever, it's probably a nice bike anyways. Plus, with that much clearence under the engine you could take it off roading.
I never liked the classic monster. It was an ugly bike, still is, loved by people who don’t understand bikes at all (and hated by “proper” Ducati enthusiasts). This one is a different beast altogether. It’s definitely the first Monster I considered buying for myself. M
Suspension is SO FUCKING IMPORTANT. I could never buy another bike without fully adjustable suspension. Riding a motorcycle without adjustable suspension is like wearing someone else's pants.
@@rjwz28 price dictates competition. And the price point puts it in the class of the 890r and rs. The silly part is that next year Ducati will release a version of this bike with and adjustable suspension and real rear sets. Call it the monster s and then price it 3 grand more.
@@gonzo221 Price is only one determining factor... Equipment is another. The equipment of the new Monster is comparable to that of the base 890 Duke, which costs $896 less but requires a $700 package to have the quickshifter and adjustable traction control the Monster comes with standard. Are you seriously going to argue that a $196 price difference puts these two in different classes? That's ridiculous. The Monster is a base model middleweight naked and competes with the other base model middleweight nakeds. I'd expect an S version to cost about $2k more than the base for its Ohlins, based on past pricing... That's a pretty good deal for factory Ohlins, IMHO, and consistent with the market. The Brutale 1000 RR competes with the Streetfighter V4S, by the way, despite being $8k more.
I own one, I can confirm that it is indeed not a monster anymore. Let's forget about the trellis frame because it is what it is. This monster feels very cheaply made, the fit and finish is garbage, its got a plastic shell around the tank. You sit noticeably higher which is not the way monsters have been. It sounds like garbage with the OEM exhaust which is partially due to exhaust laws in the US and the UK but even with those laws having been around for a while the 821 still sounded good with factory exhaust. The only thing that this thing has in common with previous monsters is the badging and the fact that it feels like it wants to kill you, but then again cheaper bikes from yamaha, kawasaki, and honda offer that same feeling with much cheaper maintenance.
Agreed, normally he's skidding around, riding on one wheel, hitting jumps, etc. I'm sure its a great bike, just probably a little too vanilla and boring for Chris.
@@Mr_fried I think they're waiting to sell off the leftover 1200/1200S models first... Streetfighter makes almost double the power, so that doesn't matter.
Lovely roads you test your bikes in Chris. Re this Monster, whether we like it or not, Ducatis are all about the looks and unfortunately this one does not impress at all, it genuinely looks like a CF Moto or any lambda Chinese manufacturer's copy of a Monster. Riding wise I haven't had the pleasure yet but it can't possibly be better than the competition (890, Striple RS etc), so where does this bike trump the others now ? Cause at least before it looked hella good. Am I an old moany fart now ?
Oddly, the Tuono 660 especially with the imu & quickshifter ticked, is also just over 10 grand. This Monster seems a better bet if only for an engine with 'character' (?). And the original Monster got the trellis because that was what the best Ducati sports bike of the day had, it wasn't designed as a retro, just became a bit of one by getting old. This reinvigorates the Monster.
Nah, the new monster is what a Japanese Ducati Monster would be. The Indian Ftr with high mount akro exhaust is the Ducati Monster Italy should have made.
Honest review that cuts through the noise. If it feels, sounds and runs like a Monster then I forgive the rest. Full disclosure; I own a dark stealth ‘02 M750 so I can afford to be less critical about aesthetic evolution-I’d call this new design, function over form. How very dare I say, un Italian 😳 This clip is Designer approved ✅
Love the reviews, Chris is great... but that just isn't a Monster, honestly I couldn't care less about the trellis frame, things move on. But, just look at it, way too much plastic, way too generic, just looks like it's been built to a budget and dare I say it an Asian market where Ducati (and other brands) are trying their hardest to tap into.
An interesting point about the styling and definitely something that it’s easy to forget - more and more manufacturers have to consider a wider market than just the Americas, Australia and Europe and maybe that’s starting to drive styling more in the direction of bikes like this. And of course Ducati has the Scrambler range to cover their Retro angle.
Valid point - we try to make the distinction between slight wheel lifts over a bumpy road and big deliberate stunts and wheelies; the latter being kept for track and private roads. It’s something I agree we still need to improve, but there’s nothing wrong with stunts in the right environment. As for the relevance in a road test, can I get away with claiming it’s a good way to prove good fuelling and a nice punchy engine!?
Honestly, starting with the 696 I thought Monsters had lost the retro look anyway. The trellis frame looked more and more out of place with the rest of the styling changes... glad to see a proper refresh of the Monster.
Sum up his review It's pretty Performance is ok but nothing special Suspension works but nothing special There are better bikes in this class out there and also some not as good. How can I tell he didn't really care for this bike? It's in his tone and listening between the lines. Remember when he rode the ktm890 and his face was smiling and he said wow this is the best bike I ever rode. Now that's a positive review and this bike did not get that tone from him Overall you can tell he was careful to not bash it but he couldn't really find anything good about the bike except it's good looking which I agree. It is a pretty bike.
MT09, never the Duke 890. I test rode the 890 Duke and was instantly disappointed because it has only one indicator bulb on instrument panel for both right and left turn signals...that is so 1989 Ninja 250!!
@@maldridge7630 oh I didn't know that. That's surprising because KTM usually always ahead of everyone else when it comes to trying new tech. Thanks for the heads up I'm going to keep that in mind while I make my decision between the 2.
Chris: “Don’t get hung up that it doesn’t have a trellis frame” Me: *eye twitching* Btw awesome review, love the content and the fact you compared it to the unique Ducati feel and character to the older air cooled models. That’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.
they've lost the plot completely..they should have called this bike something else. suzuki did brilliantly when they brought back the katana when they too screwed up the original with versions after
Do the new Monsters sound like the older models? I remember as a kid the Ducati Monster was what I always wanted because of that deep and loud sound of thunder that came from them when riding down the road. It's hard to tell how these sound in the video.
I am not a huge fan of trellis frames, most are ugly. But the monster always looked awesome with the trellis frame. I don’t think they should have ditched it for this model. This bike is not an all out sports competitor. And the monster made the trellis frame iconic.
I've seen it up close and I must say it's not very pleasing to the eye: plastic plastic and more plastic. Considering the aspect of attention to detail this Monster gets owned by a Street Triple R/RS PS: I'm Italian
Its horrid, its like an old friend who's lost an eye in an accident. You just can't help staring at the empty socket and try and remember what they used to look like.
They should have reworked the trellis frame to something lighter, and made two Monsters for 2022. The Monster would be a 1400CC Superduke beater, and then they could have the Monster Junior, which would be this bike.
thank you, sir. Which is more fun between this Monster Plus, Triumph Speed Twin and the Kawaski Z900rs for driving just a few hours each week? Thank you very much!
@@RicardoSilva-qp4bb ah ah ah... nice one! NO WAY man! I'm a "T"rue believer, not a "T"raitor! LOL I can't live without those Bonneville Parallel Twins' crackle&rumble !!! Italians never seduced me... can't afford them (garage bills, that is...lol) although nowadays technology has evolved greatly and every top quality manufacturer has evolved beyond the point of questionable reliability ( Heck, even R.E. is loosing it's old cloth of blame and shame for poor components parts and materials... ) But no, no, no, no, no, no, no... I'm a fan boy, no doubt and no shame to ASSUME IT! On my book, "T" stands for True love and devotion, beyond reasonable rationality... Bonnies suit me. Period. Said&done. Cheers mate, see you around the corner... ✌🏼😎 🇵🇹 PS - nonetheless, ... quality never passes unnoticed ... and my monogamous devotion doesn't stop me from appreciating what crosses my line of sight, especially if t's wrapped around a superbly well done VIDEO and COMMENTS like BIKE WORLD's and Chris' ! But concerning Bikes, you know the Portuguese saying: " HE WHO HAS LOBSTER AT HOME, DOESN'T WASTE TIME EATING LUPINES ELSEWHERE " 😉😅😜
@@luisribeiro4267 Nice mate. Well said. 👍 Regarding Chris from the video. Judging by the way he rides these "test" bikes I bet he really does not hate ANY bike. He just rides the heck out of ALL of them (as we all should) and enjoys each one of them to bits (as we all should). 😁 Be seeing you around. ✊👍
Good review.. really poor conclusion.. now do a comparo of the Streetfighter vs Monster.. the M"s lost its character with its cluttered appearance.. Chris you're not a Monster fan or you'd have one yourself..a big 👎
1:53 “Still looks like a monster” Sorry mate, you need your eyes checked... if this bike looks like a monster, paint an mt07 red and it looks like a monster... And no, you can’t compare this to the trident, this bike’s triumph competitor is the street triple. You like the styling, fine, no problem, but don’t spit out rubbish like that, this is a great motorcycle channel and doesn’t deserve this bad journalism like this
No no no, this doesn't look at all like a Ducati especially a Monster. That trelis frame was a signature hard to beat. If I would have done a blind test to guess which manufacturer is by the looks of the bike, would have lost big time. For me now it looks like a mainstream Japanese midweight naked.
Bro, you said date night. How does your partner not constantly ask you to groom like in the vid where you rode the hp4 against the Atom???? Need help, please advise. I like my beard.
Doesn't look distinctive anymore ,you normally don't need to see the Ducati logo to know its a Ducati. You could easily mistake that for any Japanese naked not a bad thing but i want exotic looking if I'm buying Ducati.
great review as always mate . but will stick with my 796 ... i do think though if and when they get round to making a baby street fighter that could kill off the monster . keep up the good work and i hope date night was fun !
I like the looks and i really like the blinker placement. More manufacturers should do this, and maybe also on the rear to not have dangly bits hanging around
I do like the look of the 821 more and have wanted one for a long time but I believe this is about 40lbs lighter. Definitely gotta take that into consideration
