Motor
2023 Ducati Monster SP First Ride Review
The reduction in overall weight is a claimed 4.4 pounds running order. (Jamie Morris/)
A lot has happened in the 30 years since Ducati launched its iconic Monster naked bike. In a time when we weren’t super-glued to our cellphones, struggling Italian manufacturer Ducati came up with the idea of producing a simple air-cooled L-twin featuring a trellis frame and beautifully designed fuel tank—and not much else.
Now just 366 pounds dry, means the SP feels a little livelier than the standard Monster. (Jamie Morris/)
Editor’s note: Get up to speed on the major technical improvements of the Monster in the 2021 Ducati Monster First Look Preview article. Also read and watch the 2021 Ducati Monster MC Commute Review and 2021 Ducati Monster Review for in-depth reviews of this streetbike.
Despite the addition of the Termignoni silencer, power and torque remain the same as the standard Monster. (Jamie Morris/)
This agile and minimalist Ducati was in many ways a parts-bin special, produced from Ducati stock cluttering up the storeroom shelves—but it worked. Thankfully for Ducati its sales success helped sustain the company through some difficult financial times. When Carl Fogarty won the World Superbike Championship on the exciting new 916, it was Monster sales that funded his campaign. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Quoted power is 111 hp at 9,250 rpm, 69 lb.-ft. of torque at 6,500 rpm from the 937cc Testastretta liquid-cooled V-twin. (Jamie Morris/)
Over the decades, Monsters were churned out in many shapes and sizes, packing out the Ducati range and gaining a global following. Currently, though, the Bologna factory produces just one Monster, an entry-level naked that was launched in 2021 and uses the 111 hp, 937cc Testastretta L-twin. Correction: Make that two Monsters now, because Ducati has just released the much-anticipated Monster SP.
Öhlins fork, which is 1.3 pounds lighter, and new aluminum flanges for the 320mm brake discs (1.1 pounds lighter) as well as the lighter lithium-ion battery all help reduce weight. (Jamie Morris/)
The base-model Monster seems made for the SP treatment, and you won’t be surprised to learn that that comprises of Öhlins suspension at both ends, higher-spec Brembo Stylema brakes, a weight reduction (due mainly to a lighter lithium-ion battery and road-legal Termignoni silencer), plus a few sporty tweaks such as new steering damper and a move from Pirelli Diablo Rosso III rubber to Rosso IV. There’s also exclusive styling, including a small fly screen and an attractive SP-only livery. Unlike many Ducati SPs, the Monster doesn’t get lighter wheels.
New nonadjustable steering damper, which doesn’t feature on the standard Monster. (Jamie Morris/)
Power and torque figures are unchanged from the standard Monster, meaning the SP’s 111 hp peak is nearly 20 hp down on its Triumph Street Triple RS
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By: Adam Child
Title: 2023 Ducati Monster SP First Ride Review
Sourced From: www.motorcyclistonline.com/reviews/ducati-monster-sp-first-ride-review-2023/
Published Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2023 10:00:01 +0000