I like the naked ones. The fully clothed ones, although gorgeous, don’t really excite me. And, well, Ducati has a lot of these naked beauties – and each one looks like a million bucks.

The Italians sure know how to make a style statement, and that applies to their motorcycles as well. And when one says Italian motorcycles, the image that forms in the minds’ eye is a Ducati bike – preferably in red.

Ducati’s Monster series has been a highly successful one, and over the years they’ve just gotten better. The black 2009 Monster 1100 waiting for us at the Ducati showroom in Gurgaon looked like it was doing 100mph even at a standstill. On its side stand, the Monster 1100 sure looks mean and scary. The big headlight, wide handlebars, massive tank, exposed trellis frame, twin cans on either side and fat tyres all add up to give it a mean, scary look. Ducati has kept the instrumentation at a minimum. The small dash houses an electronic RPM meter, a speedo, turn and natural lights. At 810mm, it is not a very high bike, and most riders can safely park their feet firmly on the ground.



At 169 kilos dry weight, the Monster is not a heavy bike at all. It’s surprisingly easy to pick up from a side stand and also to maneuver in tight corners and while parking. Pull in the clutch, thumb the starter button, and the engine kicks to life with a low rumble, which settles down to a jerky idle that disappears altogether if the rpm increases even a little. The Monster 1100 is powered by the tried and trusted L-Twin, 2-valve per cylinder Desmodromic, air cooled engine that also does duty on the Hypermotard and Multistrada. The fuel injected engine transfers 95bhp to the rear wheel at 7500rpm and develops a torque of 10.5kgm at 6000rpm.

As I dropped it in gear, the rumble changed a fraction, and when I hit an open stretch, it become nothing short of an angry roar. The shriek from the twin cans, which is a result of a 2-1-2 exhaust system, just kept getting better and more addictive. The sitting position and the wide handlebar puts you in an aggressive posture, and since the wide 15 litre tank has a nice contour for your knees, it makes you comfortable too.

The Monster is a perfect roadster. You can throw it around pretty much the way you want, and it obeys your bidding without the slightest bit of protest. Shifting through the six speed gearbox is easy and precise, and you don’t have to keep the engine at a high rpm all the time like in some other superbikes. The torque starts coming in from about 3000rpm, and if you’re not careful, you can find yourself doing an unplanned wheelie. If you’re a little liberal with the throttle in any of the first three gears, the front wheel readily pops up into the air. However, the Monster shows its true colours when taking on corners. The chassis and suspension really hold their own during high speed entry and exit from corners. Lean it down as far as you can and there isn’t the slightest hint that the tyres or the suspension will give way. The 43mm upside down fully adjustable Showa forks work amazingly well, and I can say that because I hit a pothole bang in the middle of a high speed turn, and the bike didn’t lose its composure at all. Confidence in the turns is also inspired by the single side aluminum swingarm at the end of which is a massive 180/55-17” tyre. The front is shod with a 120/70-17” rubber – both tyres are mounted on very attractive Y-shaped cast aluminium wheels.



In India, no matter which road you use, you always have to keep a lookout for the holy cow that might just decide to cross the road at the precise moment the needle touches a hundred. And that’s just what happened on this occasion as well. Although I was below the magical ton, the Brembo brakes stopped the bike within a very impressive distance. Retardation in front is done by a 320mm dual front disc, and the rear is taken care of by a 245mm disc with a two piston caliper. A little energetic effort on the front brake lever will find you doing an unwanted and dangerous stoppie.

The Monster is one of the best naked bikes around. For a litre bike, it’s surprisingly easy to ride and feels much smaller and lighter than it actually is (it is one of the lightest bikes in its category). Even in the chaotic bumper-to-bumper traffic of the city, it wasn’t too difficult to use. But, I must say that the dry clutch felt a little heavy, and, in city traffic, it can take a toll on your forearm.

The Monster 1100 costs Rs 14 lakhs (ex-showroom), while the Monster 1100S is a little costlier at Rs 16.5 lakhs – but, at 130bhp, it is a lot more powerful. The Monster is available in a few different configurations – red body and frame with silver wheels; silver body with a red frame and silver wheels; and black with a black frame and silver wheels.

In India, Ducati doesn’t have quite the same following as Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki, but with both dealerships in Delhi/NCR and Mumbai getting off to good starts, Ducati is confident that sales will pick up in the foreseeable future.

The Monster is a head-turner alright. Park it any place, and a crowd gathers around in no time. As I was riding home that day after the photo shoot, I saw a rider with a t-shirt that proclaimed ‘Italians Do It Better’ – they sure do!

As for me, I prefer the red.