Ducati Monster 1200 R 2017 — Specifications

When Ducati decides to truly bare its claws, it gives birth to the Monster 1200 R. Not a cosmetic evolution, not a sporty pack sprinkled onto an already known base: a machine built around a single objective, to bully anyone who dares to think they are safe on a competing hypernaked.

The Testastretta 11° of 1198 cc is at the heart of the project. Ducati has honed it to achieve 160 horsepower at 9250 rpm and 126.2 Nm of torque at 7750 rpm, figures that place the Ducati Monster 1200 R well above the standards of the high-displacement naked segment. The 56 mm injection bodies, the compression ratio increased to 13.0:1 and a worked exhaust pipe in 58 mm tubes explain this appetite. Facing a KTM 1290 Super Duke R or an Aprilia Tuono V4, the Bolognese twin plays a different score, more organic, more brutal in the delivery of horsepower, but with that inimitable sound that owners of a Ducati Monster 1200 R black or a version equipped with a Termignoni exhaust know very well.

The tubular steel trellis frame has been raised by 15 mm at the front and rear, the saddle sits 830 mm from the ground. The riding position is engaged, the center of gravity is lowered, the wheelbase is contained at 1508 mm. The result lives up to its promises in corners. The fully adjustable 43 mm Kayaba inverted fork and the single Sachs rear shock form a serious, consistent base with the machine's sporty program. The 190/55-ZR17 rear tire, mounted on a forged Marchesini rim, absorbs the 213 kg of fully fueled weight without flinching. The braking system uses four-piston Brembo radial calipers clamping on 330 mm discs, with the three-level Bosch 9MP Sport ABS in the background.

The onboard electronics complete the picture without weighing it down. Three riding modes, eight levels of traction control sensitivity, a TFT dashboard: everything a demanding rider expects today on an 18,840 euro motorcycle. Because that's where the shoe pinches a little. This price, justified on paper by the quality of the components and the rarity of the positioning, reserves the Ducati Monster 1200 R for a very specific audience, that of experienced riders who want a high-character naked without going through the full-fairing superbike box. It is pointless to offer this machine to a beginner or an urban rider looking for everyday practicality.

Buying a new or used Ducati Monster 1200 R is entering into an exclusive relationship. The high saddle, the volcanic V2 from low revs and the purchase price close the door to novices. But for the touring rider who elbows on the track on weekends, or the enthusiast who considers the Ducati Monster 1200 R as an absolute reference in the Italian-soul hypernaked genre, the Ducati Monster 1200 R technical specifications speak for themselves. The Monster has always known how to embody a certain idea of the naked bike, direct and without superfluous artifice. This R version pushes the logic to its limit, risking to discourage the least seasoned. It is precisely for this that it deserves respect.