Ducati Monster Forum

just back from the NYC moto show, and i was unimpressed with most of the new bikes i saw, including the new super duke 1290 (feels like a low rider, how's that super?), the bmw RnineT (another failed spawn of an awesome concept), and the yamaha fz-09 (looks much cheaper in real life than in mags). though i would rather have the yamaha than all the rest.

the new monster seems to me the worst of the whole lot, and i typically like new things better than old things. including bikes, but i also prefer new cars, new movies, new games, new girls... but the first generation monster still looks the best of the bunch, in my opinion. the second looks cool too, but i don't dig on plastic panels and i miss the whole trellis frame. i had high hopes for the third gen because of the new tank, but the frame is chopped even further, the ass thins out even more, and the rear wheel looks dragged out to impress the diavel crowd, or worse... the new york motorcycle show crowd.

i think most of the people at the show were the same people that crowded out that asian family in the range rover and then beat the shit out of the dad. ghetto thugs, or ghetto-thug wanabes, cheered on by the barrio-beats the ducati soho stand was blasting out at the show. ducati even put some chromed wheels on the 1200 s on display, in an attempt to appeal to the leather-vest crowd? awful experience and really discouraging group of people that come together to see things i thought i wanted to see.

at least i was able to grab a fresh pair of todd's heroic sp-r pro race gloves at a $50 discount...

Well, the show was in NYC.  :P

were those chromed wheels on the 1200?   They looked like polished aluminum to me.  Regardless I didn't quite understand what they were going for with that choice either.

As far as the crowd,  I suggest that if you go again go on the friday.  [thumbsup] It's always the best time to go, I didn't see any crowds as you've described, and everyone is fresh and eager to engage and talk to you.  Not like the last day when there's a mob to fight through to anything, the bikes are on the floor and everyone is too tired with a glazed look.

The wheels were polished aluminum/black two tone.  Not my style and wrong for that bike.  No idea if they will be on the production bike.

If there was a Puerto Rican moto show, I would put a Jesus sticker on the headlight. Just sayin.

Got to say I stopped going to that show years ago. The big US/City moto show tours just aren't really about motorcycling, more about marketing. The last year I went (2009?) there was one cool both, cant remember the guys name, custom builder of mostly Italian bikes from Upstate NY. Had a bevel head duc and some other nice bikes. Generally all the "show" bikes they put on display for the public vote are garbage and out of a fast n the furious movie set.

Even the vendor section is total shit, mostly garbage mail order back of the magazine gear for harley riders and squids.

I snapped some pics of it at the Long Beach show a few weeks ago.  Not a fan of the polished wheels or the left side of the bike... and why is the rear wheel only polished on one side?  It looks like it has two completely different wheels on it from the left side.  Front=shiny, rear=matte black?  ???

(http://s13.postimg.org/ycikixu87/Monster1200_Sb.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/4xcw9xpoj/full/)

(http://s30.postimg.org/gk6eujxox/Monster1200_Sa.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/hmgld3gi5/full/)

(http://s29.postimg.org/796vaxn47/Monster1200_S.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/bibld3qdf/full/)

Plus, they wouldn't let anyone sit on it.  [thumbsdown]

I want to like this bike but the more I look at it the less I like it.

It could have been done to show off different rim options.  I don't like how the frame looks kind of like it was just tacked on.

Ducati's web sight shows the bike without the blingy  [puke] wheels, 10 spoke on the 1200 and 3 poke Y on the S.  The frame just holds the suspension to the engine like on the Penagali.

is that the Roe v Wade edition?

 ???  Well, that went over my head  :P

It's an abortion...

DOH  [bang]

Im glad I still have mine with its steel gas tank and trellis frame.

1200 is a steel tank and a trellis...ummm...almost frame.

I'd ride it! [popcorn]

Oh yeah... all night baby  [bacon]

It looks like the pegs are a bit forward, but I need to see someone on it.  Yeah, the trellis frame seems..... like it should be covered.  Just an opinion from a 695 owner.

Does anybody else get fatigued :'( looking at the engine on the chain side?  Not that the pipe side is all that easy on the eyes ... 

Not a good side is it. I thought I didnt like the street fighter, but now it's starting to look pretty good.

The whole thing is not very artful. Now all that being said. Its probably a great bike and a blast to ride as long as you dont have to look at it.

For years Monster owners have been fortunate to enjoy both riding and later on looking at their bikes with a beer in their hand after the ride. [drink]  That's a skinned Multi.  Prolly stare in awe post ride.   

Just saw the '14 up close and have to admit it is much nicer in the flesh than pics indicate.  It has too much plumbing and odd bits to ever be as pure in design as an aircooled Monster but the '14 is by no means ugly, and IMHO, quite striking - in a mostly good way.

And you just know any current Monster owner who actually rides one is going to be at least tempted, if not tormented.   

Steve,

As smooth as they are, you need the complexity of a 4-valve like a hole in the head!  8) And an EVO has more poise than yours because it has more weight on the front wheel..., but you'd just want to mod the blazes out of that too! Your blueprinted S2RK too slow?  ;D

 I just looked at the new bike at Moto Corsa here today, and it is a nice looking bike! If you hate the S4 monsters you will probably feel the same about this one, butt I love the fuel tank and the whole package screams monster to me! Too much electrickery for myself, and too many valves, butt that is just my Luddite self talking. Go look at it with an open mind and sit on it before you condemn it.

me too  [beer]

I like it.  Lots of haters in here. 

I also still love my '03 620.

I spoke to my nephew, who owns a 2012 SF 1098.
He went at a presentation event in Rimini, and tried the 1200.
He said that it feels more powerful than his SF, though it is a bit more of a nervous character.
He also confirmed that it looks better for real, WRT the pictures.

I like it and now that I've had a chance to be up close with it at the Dealer it is on my list. At first I thought the pegs were too high and then we discovered the seat was set in the low position, takes seconds to move it to the higher position. Very cool and the seat is desgined in such a way that you cannot tell it is in a different position from the side. The footpegs will be an issue when riding on the balls of your foot. I like the look of the exhaust. I don't like the gap in the tail section but there are bags on the way. I don't mind the license plate hugger thing, I know from expereince that thing works to keep the rain off of your back, having followed a friend on his MTS 1200. All in all I like it a lot, but my dealer has a leftover blue/white Diavel that I can get a very good deal on, spec wise it is almost the same bike the Divael has a little more Horsepower, and I know the bike handles pretty well as I put 500+ miles on one being a sweep rider for a Ducati Expereince tour. I've aready got a great M900 in the garage that I want to keep but quit riding so much, so I'm leaning towards the Diavel. But I think this new Monster is great evolution of the species and we are lucky it is still in the lineup. - Gene

It's silly that you are complaining about the rider crowd that came to see the bikes same as you.  It's ridiculous you are judging others simply because.  No wonder ppl I ride with think Ducati riders are pricks :-(.

As for monster, I simply can't get used to the newer monster and plastics. I simply can't get used to the headlight.  But the street fighter is proly my next bike if the stars align right.

I saw it at the Toronto motorcycle show last weekend.

 Like a few others here, I do think it looks much better in person, although I prefer the look of the older monster. It seemed very comfortable when sitting on it and a little less aggressive position than the monsters of the last few years. As much as I prefer the older monster, I have a feeling one ride and I would want one desperately.

After some time sitting on the bike at the dealer and then the Diavel, I ended up getting the Diavel, the significant discount on the Diavel helped. I put 180 miles on it last Saturday - Awesome. I still have my M900 so for me the Diavel make sense. I'm Headed to Daytona end of the week hope to have some fun with it down there, might pick on a few V-rods. - Gene

This new 1200/1200S (Water Buffalo) is a Ducaudi Monster, not a Ducati Monster.  The original Monster success story followed on Ducati (unwittingly?) crafting a naked bike with lean and clean lines which looked, sounded and felt faster (and meaner) than it actually was – like a bike idyllically should be (and like they were when James Dean, Steve McQueen and Robert Redford rode them).  These sales-generating Monsters would put a grin on your face whether you rode it, just turned it over or even just looked at it.  The different Motor Sizes facilitated a motorcycle that almost anyone who bought one could ride flat out (or nearly flat out) without scaring the living sh!t out of them.  Very few things make you feel better.  It represented what most people attributed to a ‘great’ bike and it rewarded Ducati by selling them straight back into the black.

Ducati has proven that they can do two things well; 1) build great (unfinished) bikes and 2) make poor business decisions (albeit generally not twice in short succession).  They burnt their fingers with the S4R.  It was a really fine motorcycle, but it strayed from the already established well-selling Monster recipe.  Its reincarnation (the 1200/1200S) can therefore conceivably only be attributed to the heavy hand of Audi Bean Counters; particularly in terms of ignorantly aiming to boost dipped Monster Sales by also appealing to Streetfighter and Diavel competition (and in-house converts) – while abandoning the circa 100,000 original Monster Faithful.  The latter will simply flock across to the R NineT, Grizzo and a slew of new/face-lifted Retro Bikes silently entering the Market.  Bikes that Joe Soap can ride flat out (or almost flat out), that look the business and that privately make him feel like Dean, Steve or Robert.

The 1200S looks to be another really fine bike, just like the S4R was (except that it promises to handle better).  But Ducati should not have hijacked the Monster Brand to bring it to Market.  And, unlike the S4R, it looks like my @ss.

Hopefully we will see some common sense creeping back into the 2015 Models.

Ouch that was cruel, it is no where near as ugly as the Water Buffalo was IMHO, http://www.suzukicycles.org/GT-series/GT750.shtml (http://www.suzukicycles.org/GT-series/GT750.shtml). It was not that fast either, my buddy bought one and he could not keep up with my moded CB500 Four. But I do agree that the M900/M1000 are the best of the breed and even the smaller versions had the same look. As for performance out in the twisty stuff on VA/WV/TN/NC and SE Ohio that I like to ride a 2V air cooled monster is all you need for many smiles with miles. - Gene

The monster frame reminds me men's hair. In its young it was full and wonderful. Now its completely resceded and should just be shaved clean.

You sir must have a seriously nice @ss or an extremely strong opinion!

Either way I'm glad it is just your opinion as I'm sure there are plenty of people out there (including me) that love the look of the new 1200/s and the previous gen monster and the s*r and the...........the list goes on!

With this type of opinion you must really dislike the new camaro, challenger, mustang, corvette, mini and beetle!

There is such hype about the loss or reduction of the trellis frame but as someone here mentioned previously Ducati didn't always have a trellis frame! And sure it will disappear in favor of something else for better or worse but that is progression.

Emissions, build costs and sales will be the driving force for at least the immediate future. But there will always be people who prefer the original and people who like the new tech that's what makes us all unique........a difference of opinion!

The Monster did. Isn't that what we are talking about? Monsters?

I'm not a big fan of the 1200 looks either and wish Ducati kept the "less is more" philosophy which made Monsters unique. I'm sure it is a great bike, but they've over complicated their original simple design concept. I was going to trade up to a bigger Monster, but after seeing the 1200, I'm seriously considering the new Diavel instead.

I used to have a 1972 Water Buffalo. It rode like a hyperactive fat kid. Still fun and classy with big ol blue flake paint.

I wonder what would happen if Ducati brought back the original trellis style frame but maintained current technology otherwise. Keep a similar look and intent from the early models, only adapted for modern times. I bet sales would shoot up.

THIS

Somehow this doesn't quite compute, and even if possible, would only add weight. The newer 2-valve Monsters put more weight on the front end and definitely handle differently and are quite nimble and neutral.

Maybe it "could" be done, but not sure how many want to PAY for titanium just to get tubes which some here would just chop!  [roll]

Agreed with comments above about the 1200 being far too potent and complex for a sport "cruiser". I'm not their target market though, whatever that is...

I think with Domenicalli at the top seat now, we're going to see a lot more engineer/efficiency driven decisions being made for future models. With him being the former head of R&D it's part of who he is and how he thinks.

Pretty sure that's why we're seeing a lot more design choices that are driven by efficiency vs style... e.g. the DSS on the 899 and the half trellis/comfort mods for the m1200.

Granted, but it nevertheless sounded better than Monstrosity.


Point taken and no disrespect intended towards future 1200S owners, but I still reckon that my butt looks better even though it is not a pretty sight  ;).

That hose-smitten left end resembles the underbelly of an Industrial Floor Cleaner – not many pictures taken from that side, small wonder.  The Testastretta Motor, as impressive as it is, never had installation in a Naked Bike factored into its conception.  Too many plastic covers otherwise, humungous Radiator, Coolant Tank, Fan.  The Oil Cooler (Stone Magnet more appropriately) hangs off the bottom of the Horizontal Cylinder like an afterthought.  And that Mud Catcher on the Rear Wheel? – aka MTS1200 / R1200GS.  I know that the Diavel also sports one, but there is no reason to copy Diavel errors onto the Monster.

Saw a post in another forum suggesting that the 1200/1200S should rather have been called a Miavel.  Spot on.  Naked Bikes need to be naked – covers or fairing-ends are not on, cannot be on.  You need to be able to see through them, looking from the side.  Naked equals Air-cooled.  The 1200S is cool, even though the 1200 is pointless, and they have a place on the Lineup.  But they should have had a new name, not Monster.

Anyway, we are where we are.  Another unfinished Ducati (yes!), albeit a ‘friendly’ high-tech one.  More will follow, I am sure, and after a while the disgruntled, like myself, might (or might not) be pacified as it rubs off onto them. Rizoma, Evo-tech, et al are conceivably hard at work coming up with aftermarket improvements.  Keeps them in work and keeps us indebted – everybody’s smiling, some grimacing perhaps.  I’ll hold thumbs for 2015 irrespectively.


Ignore them (or feel sorry for them), they are living in denial.  There are only two kinds of Bike Owners; those who own Ducatis (Monsters in particular) and those who wish they did.

Loving my Diavel and still love my award winning M900. That ugly mud catcher does work in the rain on pavement, not so good in wet grass/mud, don't ask me how I know. - Gene

Ducati will probably come out with some retro bikes, for you who want an old retro bike.

You mean like a M1000S, that only lasted 2 years so it would be a good candidate, metal tank too. - Gene

My SF disagrees with this comment :P

Your Streetfighter does not speak the whole truth and only the truth ;).  Truth be told; it is not even a totally Naked Bike even if it thinks it might be.  Fairings and Cowlings, no matter how inconspicuous yours' side-whiskers and belly-pan might seem, do not rhyme with Naked  ;D.  Nothing straight off a showroom floor in recent years is more naked than the 1100S and the 1100 EVO.  And I can pull my hair out for not waking up early enough to have bought an 1100S.  C'est la vie.

Well I finally got to see one in person and had a little time sitting on the bike and I gotta say it is very different from all previous monster models. I'm 5'6 and the position is more upright from my 1100 which is more upright from my brothers s4r. Very nice in person except for some horrid reason they fitted it with a full length hugger from pivot to mud cutter not unlike a prime mover rear guard.  [puke]

Going to be roughly the same ride away price as a 899 for the base model here in OZ and quite alot more for the S.

Overall I love it!  [thumbsup]