The affable Monster

Ducati’s iconic Monster range of sport-nakeds are well known for being ferocious beasts but the baby Monster 821 proves to possess quite the opposite characteristics

Headlining the Monster line of super-nakeds is the mighty Monster 1200. Brash, feisty and a weapon for hooning around in skilled hands, it’s also what might keep away many riders from being a part of this bit of Ducati history. Enter the Monster 821, all the muscle in the flesh, toned and athleticised with a 109bhp, 86Nm Testastretta 11° engine that won’t scare the living daylights out of you. Further aiding the friendlier nature of the engine are three riding modes that are customisable through the extensive menu that’ll take the better part of your riding time but help you fine tune the electronic intervention as per individual riding preferences. The 2018 edition is more of an update to the motorcycle where some of the annoying bits have been addressed to. For instance, my size 9 boots would previously get wedged between the rider and pillion footpegs. Not anymore as the passenger pegs now hang independently from the rear subframe rather than being a part of the rider’s footpeg assembly as before. The right shin however, gets a healthy dose of exhaust heat along with an awkward positioning due to the 2-1-2 exhaust pipes exiting on the same side. The fuel tank is a tad narrower towards the seat but not much of it is available to grab for rider’s with a shorter inseam. The ergonomics seem more suited to taller, bigger riders with my average heighted frame finding the high

and rear-set pegs to the wide handlebars a bit too open and spread out. Nevertheless, the wide bars offer enough leverage to turn the motorcycle. Speaking of which, cornering is something the Monster 821 does ever so intuitively and quickly. Thanks to its sharp steering geometry and forward-biased weight distribution, a good amount of feedback can be experienced from the front. It also feels planted but the stiff suspension lets you feel every undulation on the road. Urban mode restricts enough power to make city slicking easy while Sport unleashes front-wheel lifting torque in the mid-range. The power delivery is still every bit predictable and that trait hits the sweet spot in retaining the essence of retaining the V-twin’s character. Lower in the rev-range, the fuelling is a bit rough while smoothening out as you feed in the throttle. Vibrations do set in towards 6,000rpm but by that time, you’d be concentrating on the fluid rush of speed that the motor churns out. Brembo brakes offer tremendous stopping power to reign in some sanity post the madness. The Monster 821 holds its own, positioned below the bigger and scarier 1200 with a likeable overall package that gets your ticket into the club of Ducatistis at Rs 9.51 lakh ex-showroom, pan-India price.