Ducati Unleashes New Monster

The following is a press release from Ducati North America...

Ducati Expands the Monster Family with the new 796

Ducati’s newest Monster arrives with 10 additional color selections

Ducati North America is excited to announce the newest member of its internationally acclaimed Monster range- the Monster 796. Launched as an early entry model for 2011, the Monster 796 opens a new road to the world of Ducati Monster and becomes the ‘urban icon’ of hand-built Italian naked motorcycles.

The 2011 Monster 796 combines the top-level components and style of the Monster 1100 with the user-friendliness of the Monster 696. Priced at $9995, it will be invading streets nationwide this June in white, black and Ducati Red. All three colors share the lightweight Ducati trellis frame in red, along with red wheel striping.

With the brand-new Desmodue 796 engine at the heart of the machine, the Monster 796’s air-cooled engine produces a potent 87 hp and 56 ft.-lbs. of torque, which is enough to propel the svelte 368-pound bike to any destination in a rapid fashion. In the interest of rider comfort, the Monster 796 has adapted a comfortable new seat, higher handlebars and optional passenger grab handles to enable an optimum riding experience. Borrowing from its 1100cc sibling, the Monster 796 features a single-sided swingarm and four piston Brembo brakes. These features combine with an APTC slipper clutch, blackened footrests, and new five-spoke wheels to make the ultimate middleweight Monster.

Monster spec
Ducati have continued to listen to its passionate Monster owners and used their valuable feedback in the design of the new Monster 796. The riding position has been revised by reducing the 1100’s seat height by a full 10mm (0.4in) to 800mm (31.5in) and the combination of redesigning the seat shape and raising the handlebars by 20mm (0.8in) has improved posture and increased comfort. It has the option of being equipped with ABS, the new naked inspires confidence to make life simpler in the city.

Suspension up front is handled by user-friendly 43mm Showa forks, while the sporty Ducati single-sided rear swingarm is controlled by a single rear Sachs unit, with adjustable spring preload and return damping for passenger-load optimization.

Twin 320mm semi-floating discs are gripped by radially mounted 4-piston Brembo calipers to provide powerful and progressive front-end braking with rider-friendly ‘feeling’, while the rear is equipped with a 245mm disc and 2-piston caliper, also by Brembo. The Monster 796 offers the added option of ABS to further underline the model’s focus on ease of use and everyday security.

The 17-inch wheels are in the five ‘Y-shape’-spoked style and produced in lightweight aluminium to keep the unsprung weight low and handling, braking and acceleration performances high. To differentiate the 796, the wheels sport a stylish pinstripe for 60° of the circumference of the rim, which creates a full circle of red when in motion. They roll on the same 180/55 rear and 120/70 Pirelli Diablo Rosso tyres enjoyed on the 1100.

Desmodue engine
The brand-new 796 Desmodue power unit uses fully redesigned crankcases to save an incredible 1.2kg (2.64 lbs.) over the 696 castings, and are responsible for the major part of the impressive 1.9kg (4.2 lbs) total saving over the 696 power unit. The clutch and alternator outer casings of the new engine are finished in carbon grey.

The crankshaft is designed with a lightweight 848-type flywheel and uses a 66mm stroke instead of the 696’s 57.2mm, helping to maximize power to an impressive 87hp (64kW) @ 8250rpm and torque to 58lb-ft (78Nm) @ 6250rpm while maintaining the smooth and enjoyable character, famous of all Desmodromic L-Twins. An oil cooler is fitted to protect power delivery by maintaining optimum efficiency.

The 803cc swept volume is compressed to a ratio of 11:1 – compared to the 696’s 10.7:1 – then injected and ignited by Siemens controlled electronics. The 2-1-2 catalytic exhaust system uses twin Lambda probes and regulating valve to provide finer fuel mapping and Euro 3 conformity. The system’s lightweight and compact design is achieved by using 1mm thick tubing and terminates in the Monster’s signature twin lateral mufflers, stylishly updated with the latest style of heat guards.

An APTC ‘wet’ clutch gives a ‘slipper’ type action that prevents destabilizing of the rear-end under aggressive down-shifting and also gives the extra benefit of a super-light feel at the lever, a great benefit in stop-start city traffic. The oil-bath clutch represents a power-enhancing weight reduction over the ‘dry’ system as well as having a quieter operation and requiring less maintenance.

The new easy-to-own Monster 796 offers competitive service intervals of 12,000 kilometers (7500 miles).

Controls
The Monster 796 has enhanced comfort and control with 20mm higher bar-risers gripping sturdy tapered section aluminum handlebars.

Integral type Brembo master cylinders are used for both the clutch and brake systems and maintain a clean handlebar arrangement for the rider. They are fitted with user-friendly 4-point adjustable levers that provide easy-to-reach control for all hand sizes and the APTC clutch offers a super-light lever action ideal for use in the city.

Looking clean and minimalist in true Monster style, the bright white illuminated display provides all essential data by default, and far more by scrolling with the left-hand switchgear. Data includes speed, revs, time, scheduled maintenance, oil temperature and battery voltage, while warning lights illuminate for oil pressure, fuel reserve, turn indicators, high beam and neutral selection. In addition, the instruments present a reserve fuel trip, immobilzer status and automatic light-off function after 60 seconds with the key on as well as a memory to store lap times recorded by using the high-beam flash button as a stopwatch.

The display also doubles as a control panel for the activation of the Ducati Data Analyser (DDA) system, which is available as an accessory from Ducati Performance. The Monster 796 has been built ‘system-ready’ for the data acquisition kit, which consists of a special DDA software and memory key that slots into a USB style plug under the seat. The same plug also doubles as the connection for a handy new ‘battery maintainer’ available as an accessory from Ducati Performance.

New Monster, new features
While the Monster 796 is fitted with the micro-bikini fairing and single seat cover as standard, it also features a new seat designed with a comfort-enhancing shape, further accentuated with stylish red stitching. Furthermore, the rear sub-frame has been constructed ready to accept new accessory grab-handles designed to provide a confidence-inspiring grip for the passenger, while blending into the natural line of the rear-end.

Monster 796 in 13 colors
The new Monster 796 comes in traditional Ducati red, new arctic white silk or diamond black silk with all three colors against a red Trellis frame and black wheels, which feature a new red flash around 60° of the rim side, creating a red stripe at speed. Monster Art extends the 3 standard colors to 13 with the new collection, ‘Logomania’. Further aesthetic enhancements come from the footrest hangers finished in matte black to match the rear sub-frame and single-sided swingarm, new Ducati logo on the front mudguard and the Tricolore displayed proudly on the single-seat cover and fuel tank.  

Monster Art’ body kits
Arriving alongside the latest Monster are the new ‘Monster Art’ body kits for all three members of the Monster family; giving riders the chance to accessorize and customize the look of their bikes with 10 all-new color choices.

The new Monster Art body kits allow Monster 696, 796, 1100 and 1100S owners to extend their personal style by changing up panels to suit any mood or event. Monster lovers can ‘dress’ their bikes in as little as 10 minutes, giving a new look to their two-wheeled beauty each day. The Monster Art kit includes tank covers, a mudguard, a micro-bikini fairing and seat cover- everything needed to change the color of a Monster in rapid fashion.

The 10 new color options include three vibrant solid colors, and seven historical Ducati liveries as follows:

• “Giallo Ducati” Ducati Yellow

• “Lilla Glamour” Lilac

• “Arancione Scrambler” Ducati Scrambler Orange

• “Ducati Corse” Inspired by the new Ducati Corse logo

• “Imola 72” In honor of the Imola 200 winning 750SS

• “Darmah” Modelled after the legendary black and gold striping of the late seventies.

• “Isle of Mann 79” A tribute to Ducati’s 1978 Senior TT Win

• “Pantah” Ducati’s iconic logo from the eighties

• “Mach 1” A vibrant red in the spirit of the 1960’s

• “Sport 100” A historic blue from Ducati’s of the past

The Monster Art panel accessories can be purchased at local Ducati dealerships from $599.99. For details on the Monster 796, Monster Art kits and the “Second Skin” promotion, please visit www.ducatiusa.com