Ducati Monster 797
Ducati Monster 797 £7895 + 803cc V-twin + 75bhp + 193kg + 16.5L tank + 805mm seat height Tester: Caroline Barrett, editorial assistant
I’VE SPENT YEARS hearing about and being intrigued by the prestigious motorcycle marque Ducati. When the opportunity arose to create my own story with something from the Italian firm’s range, I jumped at the chance. In their own words, the Monster 797, “provides a gateway to the Ducati world”. I’m heading through the portal.
Since the release of the first Monster 900 in 1993, I’ve always admired its trellis frame and aggressive hunched-over stance and always had a hankering to ride one. The 797 isn’t quite the same as the original, though it’s still a decent size, but weighing only 193kg fully fuelled it should be a breeze to handle. I finally feel like one of the cool kids with this ‘on trend’ stylish, sporty naked bike.
The bike arrived with 19 miles on the clock. The initial 600 miles are recommended to be ridden without exceeding 5500-6000rpm without holding continuous revs for too long. A trip down to see the family in Portsmouth seemed like a good start, so a twisty route was planned. The limit on revs means a pretty slow cruise but those first miles felt good.
By the time I arrived home I’d had more than a few giggles – but also found a few niggles, so I’m going to be working on solving those over the next few months. The brakes are really good – twin radial Brembo four-piston calipers up front, with huge 320mm discs. The niggle is that they’re almost too good on this ‘entry-level’ bike, with huge initial bite at low speed that demands mindful control all the time. Softer pads may help reduce the bite but hopefully retain the outright stopping power. My main cause for concern is how hard it is to find neutral. Hopefully the clutch and gearbox will bed-in a bit over time, but I really can’t get it into neutral if the engine is running. It’s a good excuse to leave it in gear and keep riding, though. So all that remains is to make the most of these long summer days and get the miles racked up.