Ducati Monster 797 2018 — Specifications

Ducati had left a void. Since the disappearance of the Monster 696 and 796 in 2014, the Bologna range no longer existed below 821 cc, abandoning the accessible roadster segment to the Japanese. Four years later, the Ducati Monster 797 fills this gap with a significant argument: the air-cooled Desmodue V-twin, a finned engine that the Scrambler brought back into the spotlight with undeniable success.

75 horsepower at 8,250 rpm, 67 Nm available from 5,750 rpm. On paper, this 803 cc L-twin engine is down on the 87 horsepower that the 796 developed in its time. Euro 4 standards have their share of responsibility in this power erosion, and it would be dishonest to deny it. But comparing raw figures without talking about character is confusing top speed with driving pleasure. This engine has a soul. It pulses, it vibrates, it communicates. The torque arrives early in the rev range, the six-speed gearbox handles well, and the announced fuel consumption of 5.3 liters per hundred remains reasonable for this type of engine. Above all, this V2 passes the A2 restriction without invasive surgery, which opens the Ducati Monster 797 A2 to a much wider audience than its sisters.

The chassis, for its part, says a lot about Ducati's priorities. The steel trellis frame returns, faithful to the brand's DNA, but the 796’s single-sided swingarm gives way to an aluminum triangular arm. The 43 mm Kayaba inverted fork handles the front, the Sachs rear shock accepts preload and rebound adjustments. The wheelbase of 1,480 mm, combined with a wet weight of 193 kg, places the 797 noticeably below the Monster 821. This 15 kg difference is felt in the chain of turns; the bike pivots with a frankness that heavy trails and roadsters do not know. The seat height at 785 mm remains accessible for most builds, and that's not a detail for drivers learning or perfecting their skills.

On the braking side, Ducati has not cut back: two semi-floating 320 mm discs bitten by four-piston Brembo Monobloc M4-32 radial calipers. This is serious equipment, the kind found on much more expensive machines. ABS is standard, 120/70 and 180/55 tires in 17 inches close a consistent technical file. The 16.5-liter tank allows for escapades without obsession for the pumps, and the small USB port under the seat indicates that Ducati has thought about daily use.

At €9,090, the Ducati Monster 797 price is in the direct line of sight of the Yamaha MT-07, whose parallel-twin 689 cc engine develops identical 75 horsepower but with a different temperament, more linear, less visceral. The choice between the two is more a matter of emotions than of accounting logic. The Monster carries a heritage, a recognizable silhouette, an engine that smells of hot oil and Italian passion. Available in red, white Ducati Monster 797 or matte black Ducati Monster 797, it appeals as much to the young A2 license holder who has dreamed of Bologna since he was 16 as to the confirmed biker looking for a second light and pleasant bike for Sunday outings. Those considering a used Ducati Monster 797 should try it out: this kind of bike creates lasting attachments.