Ducati Reveals Monster 821 in Two Flavors

9 years, 8 months ago - 16 July 2014, Autoblog
Ducati Reveals Monster 821 in Two Flavors
We found the third-generation Ducati Monster 1200S to be a comfortable but quite capable sport bike during our First Ride. But what if you love the new bike's brawny looks but don't think you'll need the full 1200cc V-twin?

At first blush, we'd say you might be crazy, but Ducati is looking out for you with the latest addition to its lineup – the Monster 821.

The Monster 821 sits a rung down the ladder from the 1200 and 1200S with similar looks but a water-cooled, 821-cubic-centimeter Testastretta 11° V-twin engine providing the power. Still, it's a potent enough mill with 112 horsepower and 65.9 pound-feet of torque, compared to 145 hp and 92 lb-ft from its big brother.

The Monster 821 gets a lot of the tech upgrades from the 1200S as well, including an adjustable seat height, eight-level traction control, three-level ABS and three-level Ride-by-Wire throttle control. With a dry weight of 395.7 pounds, it tips the scales at a little less than its 401-pound sibling. One difference between them is that the bigger Monster uses a single-sided swingarm rear suspension, while the 821 has a simpler and less-costly double-sided design.

The latest Monster is slated to go on sale in July for $10,995 for the 821 Dark and $11,495 for the standard version. The Dark (pictured above) gets a Dark Stealth body, black frame and black wheels, and The regular 821 comes in red with a red trellis frame and black wheels or white with a red frame and red wheels.