History of the Ducati Monster | GTAMotorcycle.com

History of the Ducati Monster

bigpoppa

Well-known member
I'm guessing Ducati will quickly put Desmo into the rear view mirror. The 'heritage' tech stuff doesn't sit well with automakers, now that Audi calls the shots I think you'll see conventional valvetrains within a few years.
 
Wonder Woman on a Monster:


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my older 620 Monster was one of the best bikes I've owned. And I agree the Monster lineup saved Ducati
 
Seems to me this article is a VERY romanticized version of history, probably written by Ducati's ad department.
 
The Monster is a bit like a dual sport. Doesn't do anything particularly well. Ergos are better on most naked bikes. And they drag everything in the Twistys.
 
I'm sure the Monster line doesn't get the premium suspension parts (they're built to a price). I'm sure good bits can be fitted. Most naked bikes have that issue, they're not called upon to be race-winners. I doubt if the suspension is as bad on pavement as some (all?) of the BMW GS bikes are ... (my rental experience: F800GS = rubbish on pavement, really bad cornering clearance)

Average rider won't know the difference, and the Monster line has certainly been paying Ducati's bills.
 
The Monster line started as a low budget line of Ducatis. They, like most Ducatis, were parts bin specials, only using existing parts, to save design money.
The original Monsters were stripped down SS's. Same frame, swingarm, wheels, motor (at first. The first 900 Monsters got the good big valve V2 heads, till they ran out of the good heads, then they got 900 ported heads with 750 valves. BLEECH!!).
The 80's were a hard time for everyone. Recession, unemployment and inflation caused by raising energy prices, everyone was broke... except the coke dealers.
So Ducati made a line of bikes as cheaply as they could, and still call it a Ducati, to try to take market away from Honda and they called them Monsters.
But the Monsters did in fact save Ducati. They've sold several boat loads of 'em.

... then Ducati and Harley traded shares, Harley got tech, Ducati got marketing, The harley marketing did their job, Ducati sold tons of bikes... then started raising the price of "Cheap" bikes, then got rid of the lowest priced bikes and taught Ducati an age old marketing lesson: Don't sell the steak, sell the sizzle. Ducati changed from a motorcycle producing company to a "life style" selling company.
At that point I decided I was out.

And Honda defined the "Naked" with the 1988 RC31 "Bros"
Hawk_1_large.jpg

All years of hawks look the same, couldn't find a '88
Can you see a Monster 620 in there?
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I suspect the 1200 probably gets the premium bits, the 1200s I rode had everything
 
Yeah, my buddy has the green 998 Matrix Edition. He's never ever going to sell it.

Here's Thanos racing against a Desmosedici:


OG streetfighter in the same movie, methinks ducati paid for the placement (or maybe the director is a fan)

 
I think the first manufacturer to come out with Pneumatic valves, in a street version of the GP valve train will break sales records.
But to produce it in an affordable way and keeping service intervals longer will be a major challenge,
 
OG streetfighter in the same movie, methinks ducati paid for the placement (or maybe the director is a fan)

Oliver Stone stated that he needed money to make the film, so he sold out to companies likes Borders, Moet, Heineken, Ducati, Bulgari, and Apple, even going as far as to shoot special segments highlighting each sponsor.

The film is about greed and capitalism, so the explicit product placements aren't jarring at all and kinda fits the theme.
 
And Honda defined the "Naked" with the 1988 RC31 "Bros"
Hawk_1_large.jpg

All years of hawks look the same, couldn't find a '88
Can you see a Monster 620 in there?
022502side2.jpg
Blend those two together and you end up with the SV650, the best seller of them all...

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As an aside, the Hawk GT/Bros was a sales disaster because they were way too expensive. Honda wanted almost the same money as a CBR600F for half the power. Ducati and Suzuki didn't make the same mistake...
 
Hawk GTs in good shape sell for more than they did new. The CBR that was just a few dollars more didn't age as well.

When I stopped riding 2-strokes and was looking for something new, I almost put money down on the then new Monster at a (now gone Ducati dealer -- maybe Rev Cycles?). Then I found out about the Hawk GT. I have owned 6 since and still have 4.
 

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