Ducati’s middle-weight street naked motorcycle has made a comeback in an upgraded avatar. The motorcycle is now called just the ‘Monster’ and the Italian motorcycle maker has dropped the alphanumerical nomenclature.
The 2021 Ducati Monster has been launched in India. The middle-weight street naked motorcycle costs Rs 10.99 lakh (ex-showroom) in its standard variant. The 2021 Ducati Monster+ in the Aviator Grey or Dark Stealth colour scheme is marginally expensive at Rs 11.34 lakh (ex-showroom). The Monster has re-entered the market with an all-new platform and a newer 937cc L-twin engine that is also on offer in the Ducati Supersport 950 and the Ducati Multistrada 950.
The new Monster is positioned in a segment that already sees a few street naked motorcycles and in terms of pricing, there are a few fully-faired sports tourers, modern classics and some adventure tourers in the same ballpark.
Triumph has the Street Triple RS and the Street Triple R on sale in India. While the Triumph Street Triple R (Rs 9.15 lakh ex-showroom) is the more affordable model, the Street Triple RS is the one that is priced the same as the Monster+ (Rs 11.35 lakh ex-showroom). For the same price, the Street Triple RS offers one more cylinder – inline-three engine layout – and 10 more horsepower. However, the displacement of the Street Triple RS is lower than the Ducati Monster’s engine capacity. That being said, the overall package offered by both the motorcycles is very similar.
The Kawasaki Z900 is a direct rival to the new Ducati Monster in terms of displacement and body type; However, the Z900 is priced substantially lower than the Italian street naked. The Kawasaki Z900 costs Rs 8.42 lakh (ex-showroom). The Japanese street naked offers marginally more displacement of 948cc in an in-line four layout. The power (123bhp) on offer with the Z900 is higher than the Monster, as well as, the Triumph Street Triple RS.
Despite the higher power output, the Z900 loses its advantage in kerb weight comparison. The Z900 tips the scale at 212kg (kerb), whereas, the Monster weighs only 188kg (kerb).
The second Kawasaki on our list is the full-faired litre-class Ninja 1000SX. The motorcycle is priced at Rs 11.40 lakh (ex-showroom) which is only Rs 5,000 more than the Ducati Monster+. Between the two, the Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX is a more apt motorcycle for long-distance highway rides.
The engine is a 1,043cc in-line-four cylinder engine that pushes out 142bhp and 111Nm which is substantially more than the Ducati Monster’s 109.4bhp and 93Nm. The electronic package includes IMU-based multi-level traction control and cornering ABS. Kawasaki also offers its in-house Bluetooth connected tech as standard.
Just last month Triumph India launched its 2021 Speed Twin for Rs 10.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The price of the new modern-classic is exact as the price of the standard model of the 2021 Ducati Monster.
The Triumph Speed Twin offers the same 1,200cc parallel-twin engine as before, but the manufacturer has substantially worked upon the engine internals reducing its inertia up to 17 per cent. Despite the higher displacement, the Speed Twin is less powerful than the Monster. The Speed Twin gets multiple riding modes; however, the motorcycle misses out on IMU-based traction control and cornering ABS.
BMW offers its adventure tourer F900XR for Rs 10.95 lakh (ex-showroom). The motorcycle offers an upright rider’s triangle that is well suited for long hauls and mild off-road riding. The body of the F900XR includes a semi-fairing and an adjustable visor upfront.
The engine is an 895cc parallel-twin unit mated to a six-speed gearbox. The power output is 103.5bhp and 92Nm. The F900XR gets only ABS as standard. The optional electronic suite includes an adaptive curve light system, riding modes, electronic suspension adjustment, main stand, keyless ride, and lowered suspension kit.
The Tiger 850 Sport is the third Triumph on our list. The adventure touring motorcycle is priced at Rs 11.95 lakh (ex-showroom). The 850 Sport gets the 888cc in-line three-cylinder engine from the higher Tiger 900. However, the state of tune is very different in the two motorcycles. The Tiger 850 Sport puts out 84bhp and 82Nm. Mechanicals includes non-adjustable Marzocchi 45mm upside-down forks in the front, and Marzocchi mono-shock with manual preload adjust in the rear. The Triumph Tiger 850 Sport is a good option for riders who want to upgrade from a middle-weight street naked motorcycle.
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