New Monster

[jerry]

I told u all its a Chinese 125 gone rogue ,, the tank flow line is hideous , the bike could be anything , im sure it performs well but its not a Monster ,, the design team must be blind and talentless idiots or a VW commitee took control ,, horrible like a lot of recent bikes ,, from several manufactures ..

[Stinger101]

I've been waiting to decide what I think. I certainly don't 'feel' anything for it. Just an incipid mass of parts to me. I've loved my 'new' Monsters since I bought one in 2014. Some of the best money I've ever spent bar racing is what I'll tell you. I mean it! Love them and the 1100 Evo's, the older models too.
This bothers me because I really wanted to like it.
On the official Ducati FB posts, the comments are largely scathing towards it.

My only saving thought toward it will be whether they bring in a 1200 with the new gizmo's & electrickery with loadsa mega powa & how much faster around a track can I get it? That's what I'm looking forward to.
Oh, and how comfortable for my pillion! (I don't like the V4 Streetfighter's looks either and that's ****e for pillion)
Otherwise I'll have to keep my current bike forever...... I don't want to leave this club!

[utopia]

I thought the following was quite a telling indictment of my feelings about it.
I was fine for a moment when I woke up this morning.
.... but then I remembered the new monster and I was struck by a gut feeling of sadness and loss, like things would never be quite the same again.

I have spent some time wondering what it means for the club to have a new model that many of us are so disappointed with.
But I guess that the monster story will retain its previous chapters regardless of what happens in the ones to come.
And I was already keeping my current bike forever anyway.

Having had 24hrs to come to terms with it, I think my biggest disappointment with the new model is that it seems to have no Italian DNA whatsoever.

[Mr Gazza]

I gave up on contemporary motorcycles when Kawasaki or some such brought out a 1300 behemoth with a square headlight, finding it quite horrid and unnecessary! This was during the dying throes of the British motorcycle industry. I simply wobbled around on countless obsolete British bikes for years, ignoring several generations of pocket rockets. (and giving them a spanking occasionally!)

Then 1993 came and an almighty epiphany. Ducati's M900 stole my heart. It was something very new at the time. I still really like the original shape and the gentle evolution through the years, with numerous improvements. I can even appreciate the 1100 and 1200 Monsters.

The 2021 Monster should be something really special being pretty much a greenfield project.

I couldn't help noticing the rear wheel adjusters. The "bolt in compression" is very old fashioned and prone to bending and thread stripping in unsympathetic hands. The bolt going into the ally swinging arm will be prone to corrosion over time and this setup is unlikely to put in a high mileage.. It's a backward step and a poor design.
Above it the skimpy "chain guard" is too far away from the chain and too short. It neither guards limbs from being potentially ingested by the chain, nor protects the bike from lube fling and certainly does nothing to protect the chain from road filth. A design fail! (I know full enclosures went out of fashion a while ago, but why?)
The indicators should just have a simple and clear flash. The sequential thing is just gimmick.
The position of the front indicators leave a considerable blind spot forward and to the bike side, as they are masked by the bike itself.. Fine if they are repeaters, but these are the main forward indicators.. This is potentially dangerous. Another design fail!.
Thankfully the number plate assy is not mounted on the swinging arm, but is too long and too thin, looks horrible and won't give much mud protection.
The front mudguard actually turns the word mudguard into an oxymoron... Fail!
The seat is not a Monster seat, just a UJM. The line of the bottom of the tank is awful and defies any sympathy for the lines of the bike. The rest of the tank is just ridiculously angular and contorted.
Below the tank looks like a frame from an MRI scan of some unidentifiable organs!

This should be much much better for 2021, but the biggest fail of all is that they used a petrol engine to propel it....EPIC FAIL!!
It's 2021 remember.. Come on!!

[Tim88]

Is the glass fibre filled polymer of the rear frame on the new Monster the same material that my passenger grab rails are made of on my evo? If so it has been quite strong and hard wearing. But will it be ok in the hot highly stressed area of the rear frame? Interested to hear opinions.

[Kato]

Originally Posted by Tim88

Is the glass fibre filled polymer of the rear frame on the new Monster the same material that my passenger grab rails are made of on my evo? If so it has been quite strong and hard wearing. But will it be ok in the hot highly stressed area of the rear frame? Interested to hear opinions.

Doubt you will need to worry as I suspect most will replace with Carbon or Billet

Although given all the negative press I think Ducati should pull it from sale and start again

[Darkness]

Originally Posted by Kato

Doubt you will need to worry as I suspect most will replace with Carbon or Billet

Although given all the negative press I think Ducati should pull it from sale and start again

Anyone know what the opinion are in China and Indonesia? There may be a bigger market for compact petrol bikes with premium badges there.

https://www.news18.com/news/auto/duc...r-2457999.html

[Pedro]

I actually think its not that bad, if Ducati were still knocking out basic aircooled trellis bikes as new tech they'd soon get left behind by the competition and market share would dwindle. This is fairly and squarely aimed at competition like the KTM 890, the Street Triple, the MT09 Yamaha and possibly the new Triumph Trident (now that is fugly) and reading the specs should compete well. The target market is not (perhaps regrettably to some) dyed in the wool Monster enthusiasts, they want new buyers from other brands and a significant number of those won't worry if there's no trellis frame, they'll look at performance, specs, ease of use and the brand name, not what started the whole Monster thing 27 years ago. The Monster is Ducati's bread and butter bike, it brings revenue and supports the smaller build quantity exotica like the Pani's & V4's.

Ducati have brought the latest technology to the party and shed a considerable amount of weight in doing so, it should be right there with the KTM if not better - KTM build quality and quality of materials used is pretty poor in my view so again based on my recent experience, Ducati should be a winner there too. The 821, whilst a decent bike, was never on a par with the KTM 790, the MT or the Street Triple etc., so this is Ducati levelling the playing field. The engine is well proven in the Hypers (big fun to ride imo) and I'm certain that the chassis will be a step forward too. The weight reduction is huge - 18kg is not to be sniffed at in terms of performance and feel. 30,000km Desmo intervals is pretty impressive too.

I'm lucky to own an original 1993 M900 and a 1200R. The 900 is a historical gem in my mind, if it came on sale today, would I buy one? Probably no, it's antiquated technology now. Did I buy my 12R because it had a trellis frame? No, I bought it because its a Ducati with a bonkers engine and epically good chassis and a naked bike (too old for sportsbikes). I still kinda think the 12R is not exactly the prettiest bike in the world but it is probably the best real roads bike I've ridden in 35 years - I can't see the frame when I'm riding it and after all motorcycles are meant to be ridden.

As with most things these days, cars, bikes, you name it, designs converge. This is by no means ugly when you look at some of the offerings from Japan - the MT range from Yamaha, the new Kawasaki models, all butt ugly and mostly overweight too.

If I was in the market for a mid size naked bike, I'd have bought a KTM all day long over the 821 until now based on specs and performance (KTM build quality aside...), this gives other options. Buyers have never had so much choice!!

I'll keep an open mind and go test ride one when the opportunity arises.

Ped

[Pedro]

Oh, and just to add....

Having been on here for about 17 years, I seem to recall everyone was up in arms when the 696 was launched... and when the 821/1200 range was launched... they both seem pretty popular now

Actually I didn't like the 1200 when it came out...

[Christy]

Looks ok to me. It will appeal to the new generation of riders. It will be lively with that 937 motor. The same as the Hyper, Multi 950 and Super sport.

I love my old 900 so wouldn't buy one, at the end of a day its a motorcycle and a Ducati and not electric!

[Luddite]

Hmmm, quite a bit of negativity here. Let's review a selection of opinions...

Originally Posted by jerry

Hideous, ugly thing urrggh

Originally Posted by barbican

The lines from tank to seat don't flow like the old bike, it's lost some elegance and simplicity of line - now looks brash (cheap?)

Originally Posted by eonan

Personally I think it looks hideous.

Originally Posted by neilbaldry

its totally lost its contempory look. it was a classic design. now it looks like Ducati have 'sold out' and made it look very Japanese.

Originally Posted by DevilBoy

Minging minging minging!

Why ducati why!!!

Originally Posted by Will

It's not really a Monster is it? No originality, not at all sexy and F.Ugly.

Ducati seem to have fallen into the trap of following the current naked bike styling trends.

Originally Posted by Will

The whole thing is just a mess of different styles - it looks like it was designed by a committee! (I bet it was).

By any stretch of the imagination it ain't sexy.

Originally Posted by jerry

Er the people who like this bike probably need eye tests urgently as well as mental health checks .

Oh, wait, my mistake, these were all about the 696 when it was first revealed!

http://www.ukmonster.co.uk/monster/s...ad.php?t=25205

Plus ça change...!

[Albie]

Originally Posted by Pedro

I actually think its not that bad, if Ducati were still knocking out basic aircooled trellis bikes as new tech they'd soon get left behind by the competition and market share would dwindle. This is fairly and squarely aimed at competition like the KTM 890, the Street Triple, the MT09 Yamaha and possibly the new Triumph Trident (now that is fugly) and reading the specs should compete well. The target market is not (perhaps regrettably to some) dyed in the wool Monster enthusiasts, they want new buyers from other brands and a significant number of those won't worry if there's no trellis frame, they'll look at performance, specs, ease of use and the brand name, not what started the whole Monster thing 27 years ago. The Monster is Ducati's bread and butter bike, it brings revenue and supports the smaller build quantity exotica like the Pani's & V4's.

Ducati have brought the latest technology to the party and shed a considerable amount of weight in doing so, it should be right there with the KTM if not better - KTM build quality and quality of materials used is pretty poor in my view so again based on my recent experience, Ducati should be a winner there too. The 821, whilst a decent bike, was never on a par with the KTM 790, the MT or the Street Triple etc., so this is Ducati levelling the playing field. The engine is well proven in the Hypers (big fun to ride imo) and I'm certain that the chassis will be a step forward too. The weight reduction is huge - 18kg is not to be sniffed at in terms of performance and feel. 30,000km Desmo intervals is pretty impressive too.

I'm lucky to own an original 1993 M900 and a 1200R. The 900 is a historical gem in my mind, if it came on sale today, would I buy one? Probably no, it's antiquated technology now. Did I buy my 12R because it had a trellis frame? No, I bought it because its a Ducati with a bonkers engine and epically good chassis and a naked bike (too old for sportsbikes). I still kinda think the 12R is not exactly the prettiest bike in the world but it is probably the best real roads bike I've ridden in 35 years - I can't see the frame when I'm riding it and after all motorcycles are meant to be ridden.

As with most things these days, cars, bikes, you name it, designs converge. This is by no means ugly when you look at some of the offerings from Japan - the MT range from Yamaha, the new Kawasaki models, all butt ugly and mostly overweight too.

If I was in the market for a mid size naked bike, I'd have bought a KTM all day long over the 821 until now based on specs and performance (KTM build quality aside...), this gives other options. Buyers have never had so much choice!!

I'll keep an open mind and go test ride one when the opportunity arises.

Ped

I have to agree.

[Kato]

PED / Albie

Trust you to come along and add reasonable & rational argument

[dacs]

Agreed the newbie doesn't have a lot of the original Monster's visual DNA, but DNA constantly mutates, otherwise you don't get evolution - looking at the images and the specs, if I was in the market for a new naked class bike in 2021 it would be in the (fairly short) list of test rides.


And, other trellis frames are available, on bikes that make me smile as much as my Monsters do -

[Kato]

Luddite

I agree with all of those comments

however, matters not to me how popular the bike is personally I quite like how the 696 rides, the fact remains though that it is not a Monster and the name should have been retired.

Put this new thing next to an M900/S2r..... and if you didn't know already you'd have no clue they were supposed to be the same model