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Bikes > Motor

Ducati’s new Monster SP is its meanest yet

The ‘entry-level’ motorcycle, but in a high-end trim

The Monster SP gets the livery colors of Ducati's MotoGP team. PHOTO FROM DUCATI

The Monster is a bit of an odd duck within the Ducati family. It used to be the cheapest way into the Italian bike maker’s stable before the Scrambler came along. And while the latter found its niche and is universally loved by many across the globe, the Monster is regarded by some (at least in the Philippines) as the bike people purchase just to be able to say they own a Ducati.

Some stand by the entry-level bike and consider it as a name synonymous with the brand, while others scoff and refuse to call it a real Ducati. With 2023 being the Monster moniker’s 30th anniversary, Ducati finally puts the debate to bed by introducing the Monster SP.

Dragging elbow never looked so easy. PHOTO FROM DUCATI

SP is short for Sport Production, and to live up to this the brand has added a few special goodies to the Monster. Power comes from the same 937cc Testatretta 11° V2 making 111hp and 93Nm found in the Monster and the Monster+, though exhaust gases are now pumped through a trumpeting Termignoni homologated exhaust system right out of the box.

Four-piston Brembo Stylema front calipers, which were first seen on the Panigale a few years back, make their way onto this bike and are mated to twin 320mm rotors. The SP also gets an Öhlins fully adjustable fork as well as a fully adjustable monoshock from the same manufacturer. The 17-inch alloys front and back are shod in Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires instead of the IIIs seen on the other variants.

Front rake is 1° steeper as compared to the standard models, and a steering damper has been added, too. The bike also comes with a lithium-ion battery as standard, which surely contributes to the bike shedding 2kg.

We wonder what the twin Termi exhaust sounds like at full whack. PHOTO FROM DUCATI

With these upgrades, the Monster SP is looking like a competent sport-naked that bridges the gap between the Monster and its bigger brother, the Streetfighter. According to Ducati Philippines, local sales of the Monster SP will start next year.



Simonn Ang

Simonn is just a regular guy who happens to love cars and motorcycles. He also loves writing about them, too.



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