Monster Tamed: Ducati Monster 821 and 695

Words: Dipayan Dutta

Photography: Gaurav S Thombre

I own a 2008 695 Monster. And, I’m alive to tell the tale. It’s not particularly sociable or friendly. It’s aggressive, tail-happy and ponderous around corners.And if you happen to hit a bump at anything above 60kmph, the front gets away from you and you’re very likely to end up with a pair of very soiled trousers. Worse still, sans ABS and any form of traction control (that only found their way on to the 696), the front is quite prone to giving way in sticky situations. In fact, most people think that the 695cc 90-degree L-twin motor sounds like a tractor trying to get out of a rut. In my biased opinion, I quite like the way it sounds and for that matter, behaves. After all, it is what it says on the box – a Monster. What it isn’t, is a very good motorcycle.

To plug the gap, the 796 was improved upon a fair bit but after having ridden it quite extensively I can still maintain it wasn’t a brilliant motorcycle. Now we have the 821 Monster; India deliveries of which have just kicked off and this changes the game. It is suave, it is composed and it is as forgiving as a catholic priest at confessional. This makes the 821 the antithesis of every Monster that has left the Bolognese workshop. Take a closer look and you’ll begin to see why.

First thing you’ll notice is the smaller trellis frame that bolts itself directly to the cylinder head of the Testastretta motor. Ducati claim that the chassis is 99 per cent stiffer than the frame on the older 796, while somehow managing to be 1.3 kilos lighter. They also claim that the subframe is 1.2 kilos lighter than the 796’s subframe. Despite all of that, the 821’s wet weight is still 19 kilos above the 796. We’re assuming that the additional weight comes from the larger engine, cooling components, radiator (yes, this is water-cooled – the biggest update over the air-cooled predecessors) and 2.5 extra litres of petrol that go in to the tank. Now if you’ve swung a leg over the 695, you’ll know that the ride was as nimble as a flat-footed corpse. The 821 despite being physically larger, is actually a breeze to ride, despite Indian traffic conditions. The 821 breezes through traffic as if it has skates for shoes, with an ease that would put many smaller, less intimidating bikes to shame.

As opposed to the outgoing model, the non-adjustable 43mm Kayaba front fork and Sachs cantilever rear shock are set up for softer damping and rebound. Now that may not seem like a lot but as an existing Monsterista, the 695’s stiff dampers on bad roads can remould your wrist bones in the most painful way possible. Even in comparison to rivals with sportier intent, the Monster is a league apart in the way it soaks up the bumps and thus, carves its way through the noodly bits.

The Testastretta 11 engine replaces the Desmodronic and is quite the masterpiece.Testastretta literally means narrow-head in Italian, the naming system originating 15 years ago on the liquid-cooled 998cc motor on the 996R superbike. The motor has a narrow 25-degree angle between the inlet and exhaust valves which makes for a more efficient combustion chamber while the ‘1 in the engine naming refers to the degrees the crankshaft rotates by when all the valves remain open (the valve overlap). Not very straightforward but sounds cool, doesn’t it? What you will be more interested to note is that despite making 112bhp, the motor wraps its knuckles in wool so that the punch doesn’t scar you.

In Sport mode – which is where the Monster was mostly kept in the time that it spent at evo India –the nose makes a break for the moon when the throttle is cracked open, even in second gear. What’s even better is that it doesn’t rise as aggressively as a unitary displacement bike, it goes up smoothly and holds and that makes even the most ham-handed rider (read me) look like a pro. If I could wish for anything it would be the linearity of the old L-Twin. Touring mode just about takes the edge off with slightly less aggressive throttle maps. The Ducati Safety Pack’s traction control is also raised to level 4 from the Sport setting of 2. ABS is also increased from Level 1 (which will allow the rear wheel to lift if you want to do a stoppie) to Level 2, which prevents the rear wheel from lifting too high. In Urban (read boring) mode, the power is cut to a pliable 75bhp and traction mode to Level 6 and Level 3 ABS. Although this mode was firmly rejected by everyone at the office, it’s a nice way to get used to the motorcycle before you, erm, drop the proverbial bass.

The Monster does carry forward the traditional upright seating position, but the shorter handlebars do make for a nice comfortable lean over. Also since the tank has been redesigned and no longer looks like a dining table between you and the ’bars, the 821’s riding position manages to be comfortable without displacing the old traditional Monster seating. As far as the brakes go, they do deliver a little bit of a mushy initial feel and take a little getting used to. Once you find your rhythm, however, braking late into corners just to let the tail fish about is just one of those Monster-esque things that puts a ear-to-ear smile on your face.

Add all of these together and what you get is the best Monster to date. It costs a (relatively) reasonable Rs 9.81 lakh ex-Mumbai and makes a really strong case for itself as a (gorgeous) sub-litre naked. Ducati say their primary target audience are those old Monster owners (like yours truly) but I think they will also attract a far, far wider audience (like our dear editor). Because, ironic as it might sound, the Monster does not behave like a monster any more.