[Jason Duerr]

2021 Monster discussion thread.
Et Tu, trellis frame?
Sacrificing the trellis frame was inevitable to save weight - but for the soul of the machine, they should have kept it.
IMHO, Monster people will go for Streetfighter, and Monster will be the new Scrambler (entry level).



A few competitors for comparison.
What are your opinions?

 

[Jason Duerr]

 

[Buhgaboo]

30 lbs lighter....throw out the battery and exhaust...wheels...it could be 50 lbs lighter....that's impressive...it's ugly...lol...but the weight is interesting...

The current version...it wants a 10lb dumbell on the bars to help it turn in so I'm dubious on the the weight reduction...but also why they went with a plastic tail section and gutted the swingarm...

I like the exhaust routing...just not the breadbox...the Achilles heal on the recent monsters is the midpipe scraping...can't get any more lean angle without hitting it with a hammer...but honestly...that's why I bought it...the curves...the lines...the update is for the engineers...it's sterile...it's plastic...but has really attractive numbers

 

[philb]

Looks fine to me. I've been riding Monsters for 27 years, and have put 300K miles on them, and I'm fine if they change the frame design. Once upon a time, all bike frames were welded steel tubes; then in the '80's the Japanese manufacturers all went to extruded aluminum beams for their high performance bikes, because those were better. Ducati couldn't afford the extrusion machines, so they developed a method of triangulating welded steel tubes, combined with a stressed engine design, that was as good at the time, and made that one of their trademark designs.

To me, the thing that makes Ducati special, the reason I ride them, is that I prefer twins over fours, and Ducati was the only real sporting machine that was a 2-cyl design. The desmos are cool, but functionally, they are not a big advantage ; they mainly allow for more aggressive cam timing than valve spring designs.

Other than those 3 things, and Italian design flair, Ducatis aren't much different from other bikes.

So yeah, I'd be fine with an aluminum-framed Monster, with valve springs, and whatever else they wanted to do, as long as it was (a) a naked standard bike, in order to still be a Monster, and (b) a 2-cyl engine, in order to keep what makes Ducati good for what I like. And if they go to a V-4 at some point, I won't claim it isn't a Monster anymore, either. I just won't buy one and would get some other twin -- a KTM or Moto Guzzi or BMW or something.

PhilB

 

[Monster4Lee]

I prefer the look of the trellis in red. Also like the curved exhaust pipe of my 1200.
But you can't see that stuff when riding, so I don't see it as a deal breaker.
However I want to see one in person.
Not in a hurry for a newer bike either, I love the one I'm with.

 

[Jason Duerr]

30 lbs lighter....throw out the battery and exhaust...wheels...it could be 50 lbs lighter....that's impressive...it's ugly...lol...but the weight is interesting...

The low weight was striking for me as well.

Friend, please tell us, how do you like your Woodcraft bars? How long can you comfortably ride? I was thinking about the same setup, but its common for me to take rides in the 4-8 hour range. Thank you.

 

[Buhgaboo]

The low weight was striking for me as well.

Friend, please tell us, how do you like your Woodcraft bars? How long can you comfortably ride? I was thinking about the same setup, but its common for me to take rides in the 4-8 hour range. Thank you.

The bars are a performance upgrade that seemed cheap at the time....but then comes the rearsets...seat...to round out the ergonomics...so be prepared to fall down a rabbit hole

in it's stock form I could ride 10.5hrs on a Saturday and still walk home from the bar...the rearsets probably hurt more than the bars...but you couldn't corner without the clip ons...I would hang on to the axel if the headlight wasn't in the way...the front end needs a lot of weight on it to turn in...well...maybe not that much..but certainly more than the stock bars allowed...so if your chasing corner speed...than you have no choice but to upgrade....if your roads are curvy enough then you will not tire from them either...

I once did 2500 miles in a week in the stock setup...was goddamn torture...never did another trip like that again....I've done 500 mile highway rides since with the clip ons...still miserable...but I can flip the bars up so it's standard...but... it's not worth the pain to do it... lol...I highly recommend them...I do love them...and the posture is comparable to wearing great looking uncomfortable shoes...lol

 

[vampire]

i like all the changes, weight reduction, dash, headlight, except the fuel tank.
when will we see the bigger brother?
and the 937cc motor looks to be very much relaxed in this iteration. euro-5 emissions?

 

[chris900ssie]

If it had a Yamaha Sticker on it, I wouldn't think twice and I'd believe it. Sure progress is important but, to me, it looks like a very homogenized naked bike (which may or may not be a great bike to ride, we'll see).
But when I look at it, I don't think phwooooooaaar, that is SEXY! But I do think that about my 11-year-old and 20-year Monsters.
Part of the Ducati "Mythos", for me at least, is that it is something different, that is something the same.

 

[DarR]

I like the tank and the "Brutalish" exhaust.
It would have benefited from a SSSA.
Not fond of the plastic. However, those parts can always be Carbon Fiberized.

 

[DarR]

About dropping the Trellis:
Unlike the first few generations of Monsters, the Trellis hasn't had that much of a visual impact on the latter iterations.
The trend have been in the making for awhile.
The Trellis was dropped from the first generation of Panigale (i.e. 1199) with much improvement in handling and weight savings and then the frame was changed again with the Panigale V4 and the StreetFighter V4. Personally, I have no issues with that.

 

[TigerGA]

Ducati is about performance. The trellis frame had a good run, but everything has a lifecycle.

 

[speedm]

i think everyone is focusing on the demise of the trellis, it wouldn't be bad or an issue if the styling of the rest of the bike had some soul. it basically looks like every other bike out there now, and i could barely pick it out from the lineup above.

 

[Dvy3178]

When I was younger I always got a kick out of the fact that my dad could spot a old car from the 50s or 60s and say if it was a Buick, a ford, a Mercury, or whatever. Later on I pretty much got to be that way with cars, Jeeps, and motorcycles of my generation. These days it seems you have to get a lot closer to tell what it is. As in close enough to read the nameplate. Japanese bikes crossed that line years ago. Hate to see Ducati reach that level in the design department. Technology, trends, and government mandated standards will always bring about changes. Yeah trellis frames and air cooling are going bye-bye, and visible O2 sensors are a pet peeve of mine. However I don't think all that is a reason or excuse to surrender your artistic design license.

 

[ronski]

However I don't think all that is a reason or excuse to surrender your artistic design license.

absolutely, I agree. why they continue to design bikes that are just plain ugly is a mystery.

Here is an example, Triumph speed triple, come on, the guy who designed those headlights should be lynched.
yes, same as most modern bikes.....ugly.
Why does the exhaust system have to look like something you find underneath a laundry sink?

Now, take similar water cooled Triumph triple and do this to it, while retaining modern electrics, forks etc.
Based on the old Hurricane design of old.....just beautiful.
It can be done.

Then again, I must be getting old.

 

[Buhgaboo]

Took another look....I think they finally sorted the rear brake...lines aren't near the exhaust or engine....also went to hydraulic clutch....looks like the radiator is flat now...I can't find the horn...the styling is growing on me..but not in any way that makes me want one...I just won't hate on it

 

[Dvy3178]

Finally back to a hydraulic clutch is good. I can't find the horn either. But then again I can't really find anything shrouded amidst all that "Engineering". Not going by photos alone anyway. Naked bikes don't seem too naked these days. Scantily clad is even a stretch perhaps.

 

[philb]

The Monster doesn't look like all those Japanese bikes. All those Japanese bikes look like the Monster.

What we forget is that the Monster created the segment. I remember very clearly in 1993, because I was looking to get a decent vehicle or two at the time. I'd gotten a good job -- my first job with a career path -- and saved up some money, about $10K. I wanted a decent used car and a decent used bike. For the bike, what I wanted was a light sporty naked bike, sort of a modern reliable version of a Norton Commando, preferably with 2 cylinders, and there was no such thing on the market. Not anywhere, not made by anybody. I was trying to figure out whether I was going to (a) give up on 2-cyl, get a Japanese sportbike and streetfighter it, (b) give up on modern and reliable, buy 2 Commandos and rebuild them in alternate years, or compromise on performance, and get a 1987 Honda Hawk 650GT, which was perfect except for having a measly 37hp.

Then I saw the article in Cycle World on the 1993 Cologne bike show, with one small picture of the Monster prototype. They said they were going to make 5000, allocate 2 per dealer and see if anyone bought it. If not, that would be all there would be. It was exactly what I wanted. So I said "who needs a car, anyway?", looked up the local Duc dealer in the phone book, went and gave him all my money, without having even seen the bike in person, just that one small picture, and waited for them to be produced and shipped.

3 months later, I had my Monster. A few years after that, there were half a dozen copies of it on the market -- everyone was making a naked 2-cyl sporty bike. The Monster was the original, and has continued to be one of the best. It's hard to stand out from the crowd when the crowd is following you around.

PhilB

 

[LeFraussie]

Compared to the latest Yamaha MT-09 (best seller in its class) this Monster is sexy af!
But yeah next to the previous generations it's an eye sore.

When it comes to the spec sheet not sure why everyone is so impressed:

2009 Monster 1100 - 95 horsepower at 7500 rpm - 76 ft-lbs of torque at 6000 rpm - dry weight 169 kg - Suspension fully adjustable - Euro 3 compliant
2021 Monster - 111 horsepower at 9250 rpm - 69 ft-lbs of torque at 6500 rpm - dry weight 166 kg - Suspension non adjustable - Euro 5 compliant

In ten years the only progress made is in the electronics and the emissions department.

If I were in the market for a new Monster I would get a FTR1200

 

[QLDs4]

The power number for the new monster is pretty average compared to 2001 S4 at 101 hp in stock form but I would be quite happy if I could work out a way to drop to the weight of the new one.
The fibre glass rear subframe suggests you don't want to chuck it down the road or even have it fall while parked.
Only time will tell on that BUT it suggests there's more weight to be dropped with some carbon fibre.
Im still not going to bag its looks until I see one IRL.