Ducati Monster 1200 S

The iconic Ducati Monster range has been going since 1992 but there’s never been a model like this.

2014 is the Monster’s 21st birthday and the 1200 S is not just the largest capacity Monster ever created, it’s also the most technologically advanced as electronics take on an ever bigger role. It’s a short, stubby, mean motorcycle, graced with massive Öhlins forks and Brembo brakes straight off the Panigale S. Inside its Panigale-inspired semi-monocoque chassis sits the same 11° Testastretta engine from the Multistrada, capable of producing an arm-wrenching 145hp in Sport mode. In a bike weighing just 182kg (dry, claimed weight), you know you’re on something serious. The first thing anybody talks about when they see the bike in the metal is the massive, hulking power plant. The exhaust is a standout piece; those huge headers wrapping and snaking their way around the clutch before exiting neatly up the right hand side, and they produce a healthy bark on acceleration. The oil cooler sitting low and lazy looks like a bit of an afterthought. Under full compression of the forks there’s not much space between the road and the bottom of the cooler, but it is very well protected from the stones that will surely fly up from the front wheel. Sitting on the Monster the first thing you notice is how wide the seat is.

It’s easily the best seat I’ve ever sampled on a naked Ducati and the red stitching also gives it a classy look. This bike is probably better suited to a rider of around 176cm or below, as I did feel slightly cramped after an hour or so on board. Ducatis have this great mechanical racket and the Monster 1200 S is no different. You can hear all the bits of the engine opening and closing, pumping and sucking, from the Desmo-operated valves to the pistons and the clutch – although being a wet clutch now it’s nowhere near as loud as the old dry clutch was. Once you’ve snicked first gear and eased out the hydraulically actuated clutch, you’ll notice the massive abundance of torque low in the rev range. The crew at Ducati Australia tells me this engine, activated by a ride-by-wire throttle, produces 90 percent of its torque below 4000rpm – an amazing figure. The torque is so potent that I preferred to keep in Urban mode when doing anything other than riding properly hard. Sport mode is – I won’t say violent – more abrupt than anything. It turns this bike into something that really wants to be ridden hard but if you engage Touring or Urban mode, the Monster becomes more manageable, almost civil to ride. On the open road and with room to play, Sport mode makes perfect sense, dramatically cutting down the reaction time between throttle opening and forward motion and increasing the power exponentially. The power feels like it begins to run out once you’ve cleared the mid-range and reemphasises the fact this bike is more about torque than outright power. Hands-down one of the best features about the 1200 S is the suspension, particularly the front-end. Those massive 48mm Öhlins forks work as good as they look, and give this bike a sure-footedness many other bikes can only dream of. The rear suspension, again from Öhlins, is similarly brilliant in its operation. It’s not set as firm from the factory as the front, and it helps the Monster hold a line beautifully when dialling in the power. Likewise the front brakes are absolutely top-grade material. Threestage ABS-equipped, I highly doubt you’ll ever need any more power to haul things up than these have. There’s no doubt the Ducati engineers have done their utmost to retain the character of Monsters past, that ease and simplicity of the riding experience which has made this such a longstanding model.

It’s a perfect companion for a weekend scratch with your mates, and almost better as a daily commuter, as its svelte size, comfortable riding position, excellent electronics and instant low-down torque make this the ideal traffic destroyer. Best of all, this is a bike that knows where it came from. It’s every Monster that came before it, just enhanced with more of everything that makes Monsters so good. And that makes it a winner in my book.