2020 Ducati Monster Ditches Signature Style for the Better

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The 2021 Ducati Monster Plus. (Ducati /)

Arguably more than any other model in Ducati’s lineup, the Monster has been a victim of its own success. In order to be a Monster, it had to have the signature style: trellis frame, sculpted metal tank, round headlight (never mind desmodromic valves and 90-degree twin layout). It’s meant the Monster’s evolution over the years has been marked by conservatism. For 2021, rather than rehash a revered—but near 30-year-old formula—Ducati’s designers have created a new Monster that’s all about moving forward.

For 2021, the midsize Monster 821 will be replaced by the Monster (just “Monster,” thank you very much), and at first glance it’s barely recognizable as a Monster. Here’s where it gets interesting: the 2021 Monster weighs 40(!) pounds less than the 821, makes a couple more horsepower with its larger engine, and uses an aluminum monocoque chassis similar to that of the Panigale superbikes.

Down to fighting weight, how will the Monster perform against its middleweight rivals? (Ducati /)

The Monster uses an updated Euro 5 version of the 937cc Testastretta 11° engine as found in the Hypermotard 950, Multistrada 950, and SuperSport 950. For the Monster, Ducati redesigned the crankshaft and connecting rods, revised the transmission gears and final drive, and added new timing belt covers and a clutch cover. The engine is more than 5 pounds lighter than the 821 mill. Ducati quotes 111 hp at 9,250 rpm and 68.7 pound-feet of torque at 6,500 rpm, which isn’t a huge boost over the outgoing model, but we know the 937cc package is one spicy meatball. Like the Hypermotard 950, the Monster has magnesium cylinder head covers and a higher compression ratio (13.3:1) than the other 950 models.

Ducati concentrated on weight savings across the board. The aluminum front frame weighs just 6.6 pounds—that’s 10 pounds lighter than the 821′s trellis frame. The subframe, built from glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP), is lighter by 4.2 pounds; the rims by 3.75 pounds; and the swingarm by 3.5 pounds. Ducati claims a 366-pound dry weight/414-pound wet weight, which compares favorably to the competition. With a 32-inch seat height and narrow waist the Monster should be pretty unintimidating to swing a leg over for most riders, even without available accessory low seats.

The Monster has three ride modes (Sport, Tour, Urban) and features cornering ABS, traction control, wheelie control, and launch control—all customizable through the 4.3-inch TFT display. An up/down quickshifter is standard. It also features full LED lighting. Check out that not-exactly round headlight and the front turn indicators mounted beneath the tank covers. The indicators have a Knight Rider-esque sweeping illumination pattern.

The new front frame and GFRP subframe. (Ducati /)

Brembo M4.32 calipers grab 320mm discs up front and a 245mm disc in the rear. The 43mm fork is nonadjustable, while the rear shock is adjustable for preload only. Given the price and competitiveness of the category, we’d like to see the Monster equipped with higher-spec, fully adjustable units, but Ducati intends the bike for a broader, price-conscious audience.

Pricing starts at $11,895 for Ducati Red (that’s $100 less than the outgoing 821). Aviator Grey and Dark Stealth colorways cost $200 extra. The Monster is available in Plus trim for $300 on top of the base prices, and includes a fly screen and tail shroud.

DRL perimeter light emphasizes the new-look headlight. (Ducati /)

Anecdotally, when I attended the press launch for the 2018 Monster 821, Ducati reps went to great lengths to describe how the 821 was truer to the original M900 than even the previous generation (2015–2017). Its tank shape, headlight, and classic Ducati Yellow were pure Monster. In retrospect, we should have seen it for what it was: a fond farewell, a love letter to 1993. The 2021 Monster is a love letter to, well, 2021.

Make no mistake, Ducati hung on to the trellis frame for so long because it really works. Heck, it took the engineers in Borgo Panigale several decades to come up with something they truly considered superior. But using a given technology for any reason other than because it’s better from a functional standpoint transforms it into a design element and a fashion statement. That path becomes a slippery slope. Moving on from the trellis frame means Ducati is planting its feet on terra firma.

It’s also worth remembering that the original Monster was a reflection of Ducati superbikes of the time—its trellis frame was a modified version of the 851/888 superbike’s. A trellis-framed Monster is no longer representative of Ducati’s current technical thinking, given that it has developed aluminum chassis for its production superbikes since 2012, starting with the Monoscocca frame of the 1199 Panigale.

The Monster’s aluminum frame joins that of the Panigale V4 and V2, and the Multistrada V4. (Ducati /)

With the 2021 Monster, Ducati is insisting that the truest Monster is the one that displays its most current technologies, just like the original M900 did in 1993. In that respect, the new Monster is more philosophically akin to the original than the 821 ever was.

A Monster for 2021. (Ducati /)

By ditching the trellis frame, Ducati designers were free to redefine the Monster, even in terms of its styling. Ducati is saying " technology is moving on, so we’re moving on too.”

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