Ducati Monster 797 [2018-2019]

Unleashing red demons on road is a forte of this company, with a dominant history in the art of bike making, ducati has always been one of the top companies when it comes to big bikes. Ducati launched its latest model, the all-new ducati monster 797 in india in july last year. It is the entry level bike to the world of ducati. I got my hands on the newest monster from ducati and here’s our experience of taming it on delhi roads. Read on to know we fared. Hey good looking’ The monster 797 is a mass of sheer, raw muscle. It oozes masculinity out of every nut and bolt. And that translates into solid road presence. The rugged naked look of the bike, the elevated tank hump and the trellis frame add to the monster appeal of the bike. Additionally, the fat tyres at front 120/70 zr17 and rear 180/55 zr17 along with the upside down fat forks only further the butch, mean look. For buyers who are trying to own their first big bike, the 797 definitely drops jaws and grabs eyeballs, be it on the go or at a standstill.How about the features?When it comes to the features, my personal favourite is the detachable seat cowl, one can use it according to preference from time to time. Monster comes equipped with pirelli diablo rosso ii tyres. Suspensions include kayaba forks 43mm upfront and set sachs monoshock at the rear. When it comes to brakes, the bike comes with brembo monobloc m4.32 callipers with four pistons upfront on 320mm twin discs and a 245mm disc at the rear. Icing on the cake would be the led positioned lamp on the headlamp, led tail lamp and a usb pocket under the seat. One can attach phones and devices to the dms (ducati multimedia system) to stay connected, receive messages, notifications and play music too. The fly screen on the headlamp adds a sporty look to the bike. Now, about the slight hiccup that the bike suffers from, for the price it commands, the 797 misses out on ride-by-wire, riding modes and traction control, which we feel is a bummer. The fuel gauge and gear position indicator is missing as well. Keeping in mind that the bike was an entry level one, these features are expected so as to make the rider more comfortable. Engine and performanceThe 803 cc air cooled l-twin engine makes a total of 73 bhp at 8,250rpm and churns out max torque of 67 nm at 5,750rpm, now since the bike is air cooled, that is a major throwback to how old bikes were built and even the old ducati monsters. The engine comes mated to a six-speed gearbox. The monster has solid punching power with the 797 showing off its grunt in the mid-range. Since power is at your disposal on even low rpms, overtaking won't be a problem and acceleration is an arsenal ready for deployment at all times. The engine does heat up though, it being air-cooled and the hot weather conditions only adds to it. This could deter you from having the bike as your daily ride. At 193 kgs, the bike is not the lightest, but it sure is not a pain either. Ride quality and handlingWith a 1435mm wheelbase, and pirelli diablo rosso tyres, one thing the monster specialises is handling. It is very much capable of filtering through traffic swiftly. The suspension could have been tuned a bit softer. One will feel the hard bumps on the 797. When it comes to corner carving, the ergonomics of the bike only boosts the confidence of the rider, keeping you at peace and the stiff frame only helps the bike be neutral going through one. VerdictThe monster is priced at 8.03 lakh(ex-showroom, india), with ample amount of power at the throttle, red naked sport look and sexy handling, ducati monster is ticking all the check marks of a naked sport lover, it is available in 3 different colour schemes, the classic ducati red, dark stealth and star white silk. Although the absence of ride-by-wire, ride modes, traction control and other standard features is a bad miss, also to consider the rivals such as triumph street triple s, kawasaki z900 and the suzuki gsx-s750 one might ponder over the options at disposal. But, if your craving is for that red devious naked sportster look with nothing but power oozing out of the engine and has little more than 8 lakhs to spare then the ducati monster 797 is your best bet.

About the Reviewer

Bike is amazing.Has a beast in her.Not given much problems.Regular maintenance is required to keep it in shape.Buying the buy was a great experience. At high speed the bike is very stable. In traffic the bike gets hot.Pros the bike doesn't give much of problems. It's very smooth at high speed. Has an amazing pick up. Cons. Maintenance is expensive, bike heats up in traffic. Not so great in traffic and city roads.

About the Reviewer

Well, i got my monster 797 for about 8.2 on road, ahmedabad. The bike looks really good and feels good as well, the riding and braking is smooth and comfortable. Long rides are fun and yes chicks do dig the motorcycle. As a rider, i previously owned a harley so this was quite a huge leap from cruiser to sports. Now let's get straight to pros and cons

Pros:- great looking, extra stylish, red color looks amazing, excellent braking and eye catching dash

Cons:- not much aftermarkets available, not great exhaust sound, 2 cylinder and air cooled ( not recommended in india), offers 75bhp

The biggest rival which is kawasaki is offering z900 at almost the same price of 8.5-8.6 on road, with liquid cooled, inline 4 cylinder, 950 cc and 125bhp with great exhaust sound.

Conclusion:- you want to look stylish and pose and have little fun rides, then go for ducati

You want speed, thrill and power ;- kawasaki

P.S: - i hear alot of people saying japanese bikes are expensive to maintain, let me tell you, they all are expensive, yes the ducati is also expensive to maintain.

Salvation value of ducati is slightly higher than kawasaki due to higher brand name and more customers looking for it

About the Reviewer