Ever since they started winning consistently in the ’70s, Ducati have leaned heavily on racing to boost sales.
They have a long, storied racing history with some of the most incredible high performance motorcycles dotted throughout their history. Bikes that have not necessarily been all that accessible for most, but that is where the genius of the Monster comes in. Made by the same people, but at half the price, it is significantly more accessible.
The new SP version takes a step away from that accessible price point, but it takes two steps closer to those coveted track focused machines we all see winning races every weekend.
10 Mad For Fun
Credit to the Ducati marketing team for this little pun (which is even more fun to say if you add an Italian accent). The Monster has always been a fun bike.
It pretty much saved the company from bankruptcy back when the range got launched in the early ’90s and has always highlighted that attribute. It is an attribute that gets further emphasized with their latest SP version.
9 MotoGP Livery
In the same week Ducati claimed their third consecutive constructors title in the MotoGP, this got launched. The timing couldn’t have been better.
Nobody can afford one of those spaceships, but most of us can actually go out and put a deposit on a Monster, and now for a little extra you can have this version with a full on MotoGP livery.
8th Same Testastretta Engine
The latest evolution of the V-twin Testastretta engine is already class leading, putting down a solid 111 horsepower.
There is no bump in power, but in truth, it isn’t exactly lacking in that department, so they chose to rather retain the long service intervals. And by long, we mean long, with 9,000 mile service intervals and valve clearances only done at 18,000 miles, the Monster is on a mission to banish the old stereotype that Italian bikes are maintenance heavy.
7 Gorgeous Termignoni Exhaust
Although this is just a homologated slip-on and does not contribute anything to the overall horsepower, it will be at least a touch lighter than the stock system.
Beyond that it is just a beautiful accessory that accentuates the track oriented design theme and adds a high quality component to the package. It is something that most buyers would be looking at purchasing themselves anyway.
6 Updated Ohlins Suspension
Easily the biggest upgrade on the monster is the fully adjustable Öhlins suspension. It is fully adjustable both at the front and the back.
This will make a world of difference as you will be able to more easily dial the bike into your specific height and weight. It also increases the ride height ever so slightly and with that the lean angle is improved.
5 Brembo brakes
If you want to go faster you need to stop faster too, and the Brembo Stylema units will take care of that.
The Monster also gets cornering ABS, which will save you from a slide if you ever apply too much pressure to those upgraded front brakes.
4 reduced weight
Overall the weight reduction of around 4 pounds might not seem like much, but the unsprung weight they shaved off with the new suspension and brakes does make a discernible difference.
The bike will feel lighter in the corners and more willing to turn in. As much as their marketing team just love the word “dynamic,” it doesn’t necessarily make it all that much more “dynamic,” but it should be more composed .
3 Quickshifter As Default
Up until just a couple of years ago this was a big ticket item that you only found on range topping bikes, but more and more middleweights have adopted the technology.
The Monster wants you to believe it is a middleweight, but it is a bigger than average middleweight. So it does make a degree of sense that they include this, especially for those who want to do the odd track day.
2 Simplified Ride Modes
No matter what bike you are riding, 3 ride modes will always be enough. Admittedly, people like being able to customize things, but unfortunately most of us are not suspension experts and will do more harm than good to the bikes’ setup.
With the Monster you get sport, touring and wet riding modes. If you are having fun on track or a nice twisty road, that would be sport mode. If you are bombing down a highway, well, touring mode and naturally if the heavens open…
1 Not Just A Track Day Special
What we love about the Monster SP is that it doesn’t get too track focused like most Ducati special editions, this is still a usable motorcycle.
At its core, it is still the fun, comfortable yet powerful commuter. It is a fantastic package and Ducati have done very well to keep the pricing so competitive, at $15,595 you will be hard-pressed to find anything like it.