Ducati Monster 821 unveiled

Once the new generation Monster in the form of the Ducati Monster 1200 was unveiled at the 2013 EICMA Motor Show in Milan, Italy it was evident that a mid-size offering based on it will follow suit. And it has, as Ducati unveiled the new Monster 821 that will eventually replace the Monster 796. The Monster 821 shares its powerplant with other offerings under the Ducati family that include the Hyperstrada and Hypermotard.

Powering the new Monster is an 821cc, Testastretta, liquid-cooled motor churning out 113PS of power and torque rating of 90Nm. Power is transmitted to the rear-wheels via a six speed transmission. The engine is a fully-stressed member of the chassis and is mounted - in Panigale-style - on the iconic tubular steel trellis frame. Ducati has been generous with features on the Monster 821 as it sports an eight-level traction control, ride-by-wire throttle with three riding modes that can be selected by user-friendly pushbuttons.

In terms of design, the new bike is visually similar to the Monster 1200, the major difference being that it employs an all-new double-sided swing arm and a restyled tail tidy. Apart from similar styling the frame and chassis of the Monster 821 is similar to its elder sibling. Braking is done via Brembo sourced disc brakes at front and rear with three-step ABS as standard. While an upside down front fork and a monoshock setup at rear take care of suspension duties and the Monster 821 tips the scale at 179.5kg (dry weight). The bike runs on cast aluminium wheels shod with Pirelli Diablo Rosso tyres.

The Monster 821 will be offered in two shades of Red and White with red frame and has been priced at Rs 6.77 lakh(excluding taxes) . The Monster 821 “Dark” version with matte black paint finish and black frame will retail for Rs 6.47 lakh (excluding taxes) with sales commencing from July 2014 onwards.