2018 Ducati Monster 821 Review - The Bike That Saved Ducati 25 Years Ago

Ducati Monster, a name synonymous with Naked Bikes, completed 25 years of production. To mark the Silver jubilee of the most renowned naked bike brand from Ducati, Ducati India brought the updated version of the Monster 821. We got an opportunity to ride the Ducati Monster 821 for a couple of days in the cold wintery month of December and here is our report.

Ducati has built its reputation by designing elegant, sophisticated motorcycles that win races and steal hearts. One of its most endearing and enduring models is the Monster, first shown at the Cologne show in 1992 and produced continuously since 1993. The 821 looks just like muscle bike, The Monsters beefy looking Tank and wide handlebar looks just like a bodybuilder’s broad shoulders and pectoral muscles. The exposed Trellis frame with the tightly packed L-Twin engine and the exhausts pipes running down on the side give it that veiny look of a bodybuilder who is just ready to go on stage for a competition. Whether you work out or not, have muscles or not, The Ducati Monster surely has a muscular macho appeal, it does give you that powerful feeling. 

Now Ducati is almost always associated with the Color RED, But This exclusive yellow color is new and the Monster 821 looks equally good in the banana color. Now we have ridden the Monster 1200 and the 821 takes a lot from it. The headlights with the LED DRLs and exhausts pipes design are borrowed from 1200.  The Fuel tank is much beefier in design compared to the previous bike an ode in fact to legendary Monster 900, Then there is a new Color TFT LCD display packing a lot of information, more on this later.

Riding Position 

The Riding position on the 821 is similar to its Monster cousins, you are slightly crouched on the bike, very slightly though. Its sporty and yet manages to be comfortable. We rode the 821 for 100kms at a stretch and apart from the big smile plastered on our faces, we came out fresh without any aches and pains. The 821 offers an adjustable seat height of 785 to 810 mm, making it easy to ride for riders with short height. I’m 6’ feet tall and the seats were comfortable to ride for long distances. Ducati offers a rear seat cowl as well which adds to the look of the bike especially in the banana yellow color, our Media Bike did not have it. Pillion riders do not sit in a overly crouched position and the pillion seat offers reasonable amount of comfort. 

The Heart of the Monster – The Powertrain and Mechanicals

Power and The Monster go hand in glove as this 821cc, L-Twin fuel injected engine is good for 109 PS at 9250 rpm and 86 Nm at 7750 rpm. These values are a bit lower than the last generation Monster 821 sold in India but still, the engine only needs to push a bike that weighs 180.5 kg (dry). Few minutes on the 821 riding from AMP motors in Gurgaon to Delhi, confirmed the fact that the performance offered by the engine is exciting enough. The Six speed gearbox with a slipper clutch handles the power from the motor. There is a Bi-directional quick-shifter as an OEM accessory from Ducati. 

The 43mm USD forks up front and the adjustable monoshock at the rear provide good quality ride over bad city roads. 320mm and 245mm brembos with bosch ABS, handle the braking at the front and rear respectively. The Ducati Monster 821 comes equipped with the very grippy Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tires. The front tire is a 120/70 ZR17 and the rear is a 180/55 ZR17

The Ride – Good bad and ugly. 

The Good 

The Monster 821 with 109ps and 86nm figures offers a lot, in terms of meaty power delivery, Buff looks, great riding position and superb exhaust note from the L-Twin motor. We rode the bike over Bad city roads, Good city roads, Traffic and open expressways. The Monster doesn’t disappoint, turn your wrist in any gear and ride the wave of torque. Triple digit speeds are easy. If Cruising above speed limits or making a quick getaway from the traffic light is your thing the 821 will keep you happy. The ride quality although a teeny bit soft is excellent for bad city roads, while the handling is on point making riding in traffic invested Delhi roads easier. Accessible performance and the wide handlebars makes the Monster a hoot to ride in traffic, just Point and Shoot. You can only go as fast as your brakes allow, And the braking prowess is excellent thanks to the high-end equipment on the Monster 821. It comes equipped with twin 320mm, semi-floating discs upfront along with radially mounted monobloc Brembo M4-32 calipers. Helping Monster 821 slowdown from speeds quickly in a progressive manner and overall stability when braking hard from high speeds is very good too. Something has to be said about the exhaust note here as well, Its throaty and loud, also the stock exhaust pops occasionally, we love it. While the 821 may not have the high-end whack and excitement levels that some of its Japanese rivals showcase, but it generates power right where most new riders would use it. It also manages to deliver the fun factor rather well without being too intimidating.

The Bad

In December of 2018 the temperature in Delhi was hovering under 10 Degree Celsius but that would not help you from the heat from the Monster’s engine, if you are caught in bumper to bumper Traffic. The Engine temp quickly reaches 104-105 degrees in traffic making your inner thighs a bit toasty. Get an small open stretch and open the throttle the temperature comes down quickly though. Also in a typical Ducati fashion, the motor gets a bit jerky under 3000rpms, so in slow moving bumper to bumper traffic you find yourself in 1st gear most of the times. Keep the motor above 3000rpms and the Monster will deliver, thanks to the strong mid-range and accurate fueling. At Higher revs the exhaust note becomes really gruffy. An Aftermarket slip-on exhaust could easily solve this. 

The Ugly

There is nothing Ugly about the Italian Muscle – Ducati Monster 821, except maybe the price. At 9.51 Lakh ex-showroom, the Monster is priced higher than other similar capacity bikes. But going by the Superstar good looks and the high equipment levels Ducati is providing and the legacy the Monster brings with it, we think it’s fair. 

The Technology

The Ducati Monster 821 is equipped with a Color TFT Screen from the Monster 1100, the Screen is of high quality and visibility in Sun light and at night is top notch. The Screen displays a lot of information apart from the standard Tacho, Odo, Speed and Gear indicator. There are riding modes on the 821 – Sport, Touring and Urban. All these modes can be further customized for ABS, Traction and engine power levels. For City riding and new bike owners we recommend riding in Urban mode in the city, as the engine output is cut down in the mode. Dual channel Bosch ABS and Ducati Traction Control (DTC) is also available as a part of the Ducati Safety Pack. An anti-theft system is also standard, also one can opt for a bi-directional quick shifter (DQS) for added comfort.

Ducati is offering 24months, unlimited mileage warranty on the Monster 821 with maintenance intervals at 15,000kms or 12months.

Verdict 

With the different modes available, the 821 would be a good contender for a newer rider getting into their second bike or for a experienced rider that just wants to go out and have fun. It is a powerful motorcycle; however, it is very smooth and predictable as one would expect from a twin cylinder engine. The relatively flat torque curve and the 109 horsepower combined with the weight of this motorcycle gives it a finely tuned feeling that Ducati is known for. Apart from the heat in bumper to bumper traffic, It is a comfortable bike that will fit a number of riders with the adjustable seat and the adjustable rear mono-shock.

The Monster 821 is priced higher than its rivals but the flamboyance of this Italian muscle bike and the high equipment levels and 25 years of legacy that it brings along, we think it’s definitely worth the extra cash.