- 12 hours ago
The 2026 Ducati Monster marks a major evolution for one of the most iconic naked bikes ever built. In this first ride review from Málaga, Spain, we test Ducati’s new V2-powered Monster to see how it performs on real roads. The new 890cc V-twin replaces the old Testastretta engine and drops Ducati’s famous desmodromic valves in favor of longer service intervals and improved refinement. With 111 horsepower, a lighter chassis, updated electronics, and a focus on approachability, Ducati says the Monster is designed to welcome more riders into the brand than ever before. But does simplifying the formula change what makes a Monster special? We ride the 2026 Ducati Monster to find out.
Check out the story at https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/ducati-monster-first-ride-review/
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Check out the story at https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/ducati-monster-first-ride-review/
Become a Channel Partner: https://octanemedia.co/home/become-an-advertiser/
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6CLI74xvMBFLDOC1tQaCOQ
Read more from Cycle World: https://www.cycleworld.com/
Buy Cycle World Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/cycleworld
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SportsTranscript
00:00Seth Richards here with Cycle World and look who I ran into, the legend himself, our UK contributor.
00:07We were promised a sunny ride in Spain and that is not what we got.
00:11No, no, no. I mean ironically the sun is out now when we're talking about the bike.
00:15But personally I would prefer to be stood here in the rain and be riding in the dry.
00:19Just wait for Justin's jet.
00:21Yeah, exactly.
00:22He's just coming in from Costa Rica.
00:24Yeah, so sadly the conditions are being horrendous today.
00:28Because I know these roads really well because we do a lot of product launches down here.
00:32And when they're dry they're really good.
00:34But what's weird around here also is like in town it's really slippery on the white lines.
00:39And then in the hills you get a bit of grip.
00:40So it's always changing with the grip which has been interesting to play with the modes.
00:46Yeah, yeah, exactly.
00:47So do you?
00:48Yeah, I mean Ducati does such a good job with the modes and this particular bike has four ride modes.
00:52And you can really tell the difference between the modes.
00:54If you're in sport you just have a lot more leeway.
00:57And when it kicks in that intervention is really smooth and easy.
01:01But it just ticks it down when you're in wet.
01:03Which at times it's like it's absolutely down pouring.
01:06Let's throw it in wet and see what it does.
01:07And it just gives you that buffer.
01:09To me wet and urban felt pretty similar.
01:11They restricted to 95 horsepower and then you get the full 111 in the sport and road.
01:16Right.
01:17But also what was quite interesting was it changed the engine brake strategies.
01:20So there was quite a lot of engine braking in some modes.
01:23And then you kind of went two stroke in.
01:25Right.
01:25You know it's not just because like a lot of bikes in this category have got power modes.
01:31Yeah.
01:31But this has got wheelie control, engine brake strategies, cornering ABS.
01:35You know there's a lot going on there for this type of bike.
01:38Exactly.
01:38And I love that you can change them in each mode.
01:39They're not locked.
01:40So it's essentially every mode which is totally a typical Ducati style.
01:45Every mode is a custom mode.
01:46Yeah.
01:46So you can go in and change engine brake, wheelie control, traction control, all of that.
01:51And if you switch it off like the ignition stays off.
01:54Yeah.
01:54It stays.
01:54Because that is one of my little pet hates is that you go okay right I've set everything.
01:59And then you know you switch it off you come back to it.
02:01Yeah.
02:01Yeah.
02:02Exactly.
02:02But this stays off.
02:03Because I turned the traction off and the wheelie control off.
02:06Of course you did.
02:06I was feeling brave and then when it spun up I was like I want to go back I want
02:10to go back.
02:11So it was nice to have that kind of safety net.
02:14When it does kick in the re-intervention is really nice as well.
02:18Because some bikes you know you hit the traction and it's like ha and then it like slowly picks up.
02:24Yeah.
02:25This feels more like performance rider aids than the basic rider aids.
02:30Exactly.
02:31Exactly.
02:32The other thing is you know throttle response has changed in ride modes too.
02:36Yeah.
02:36So even if you're in sport mode it's still it's not super aggressive to the point where you feel like
02:42oh I could never use this.
02:43And that's part of the this bikes deal right like a big reason they've made the decisions to change what
02:48they've changed is for ease of use.
02:50Yeah yeah yeah.
02:50It's weird because like I'm really old.
02:53So I remember like 600s and then there were 620s.
02:56Yeah yeah.
02:56It was like entry monsters and then you had like middle monsters.
02:59Yeah.
02:59And then you had 1200s.
03:00Yeah then you had big monsters.
03:02Yeah.
03:02And now you've got I got this one that does all.
03:05Exactly.
03:05It fits the whole parameters.
03:07Because you've got urban and wet you've got your entry monster.
03:10Yeah yeah exactly.
03:11Seat height is reasonably low like we're not the tallest people in the world.
03:14And we're fine.
03:15So you've got your entry monster.
03:16Yeah.
03:17And then you've got the middle monster and then in theory we didn't really get the chance to send it.
03:22Yeah.
03:23But that kind of power with 175 kilograms or whatever that is in pounds.
03:27It's 386 pounds no fuel.
03:30No fuel.
03:30Wet no fuel.
03:31Wet no fuel.
03:32What is that?
03:33What is wet no fuel?
03:33Yeah exactly.
03:34Yeah.
03:34Yeah.
03:36But I think it's like nine pounds lighter than the previous one which itself was like 40 pounds lighter than
03:42the 821.
03:43Right.
03:43So it's the lightest bike in this class it should be.
03:46Yeah.
03:47Even when you've got 14 liters of fuel and you've got that 111 horsepower which might not be as much
03:51as some of the competition but you've got less weight.
03:55So it should be it should have that appeal of the big monster of the old one but it'd be
04:00nice to send it when it is dry.
04:03It's interesting because it is sort of Ducati's entry bike now but it's done in a really Ducati way right.
04:09This is our entry level model so to speak it still makes 111 horsepower claimed.
04:14As you said like if you're a new to Ducati rider and you want to take it easy you can
04:19downgrade the power you can soften up the throttle response.
04:22But then for more experienced riders there's still a lot there to enjoy.
04:26Yeah it's not a 1200 it gives you different sensations.
04:28Yeah yeah yeah.
04:29But I don't think any of us were having any problems.
04:31I've always said 110 to 120 horsepower on the road.
04:34Perfect for a street bike.
04:35Feels about right.
04:36Yeah.
04:37The only time I think it's going to feel lacking is if you took it on a track you know
04:41and you sent it.
04:43But then if you're doing that then you should have bought a Street Fighter or maybe the Panigale.
04:47Right.
04:48That's the type of bike you need.
04:49Right.
04:49It's interesting because I don't think there's a lot of overlap between this and the Street Fighter even though they
04:54technically share the same engine, same frame.
04:56What's interesting about the frame they start their life is the same casting across all the models but then they're
05:02sort of made bespoke for each model so they have different steering head angles across all the models.
05:09And of course the engine tunes completely change everything.
05:12Right.
05:13Yeah mechanically it's the same.
05:13I think it's the same swinging arm.
05:15Yeah.
05:15The brakes are Brembo.
05:16Different final drive.
05:17Yeah.
05:18They're not like M50s the M4.
05:194.32.
05:20Yeah.
05:20Yeah.
05:21So it's like scaled down a bit.
05:23It's interesting because as a journalist you go why don't you just give us 120 horsepower monster.
05:28Right.
05:28But then you'd be too close to the Street Fighter.
05:30Yeah.
05:31And I think this monster has gone a little bit softer than the previous monster.
05:35A little bit more plush, a little bit more comfortable.
05:37Yep.
05:37And I think that's deliberate because the Street Fighter has got easier to ride so that's kind of come down.
05:42Yeah, yeah.
05:42So now the monster needs to come down.
05:43They've had to do the same thing.
05:44Otherwise they get a bit closer.
05:46Yeah.
05:46The only kind of question or interesting point that you might hit on is there is room because it'll be
05:54easy to go to one.
05:54So historically they've made an S, an R, a foggy rep.
05:59Right.
05:59Yeah, exactly.
06:00Every rep imaginable.
06:01There's a carbon one, a bespoke one.
06:03Yep.
06:04So maybe, I mean I'm clutching at straws, but it could be an S version, an R version.
06:08We could go to 120.
06:10Yeah.
06:10But then you're getting close to the Street Fighter.
06:12Right.
06:13Tell me what you think about engine character and the character of this bike because that's always been a big
06:19talking point with Ducatis, with monsters.
06:21Yeah.
06:22It's still got character and it's still got S, it's still a Ducatis.
06:25For me, like the original air-cooled ones just were so special.
06:29Yeah, yeah.
06:29And if you could find one of the dry clutch ones with a tk-tk-tk, they were just like
06:33something unique.
06:34I had a 900 air-cooled monster and I absolutely loved it.
06:37Yeah.
06:38But as much as you remember how much character and S, and how they sounded with that air box, that
06:43bop.
06:43Oh, yeah.
06:43Yeah.
06:44They weren't actually that quick.
06:45No.
06:46No.
06:46And they rev slow, right?
06:48You were just waiting for it.
06:50Yeah, yeah, yeah.
06:50Grand clearance was absolutely shocking.
06:51Right, right.
06:51The exhaust would hit before the pegs, which would lift the back wheel.
06:54And if you wheelied them for any of them for time, they would just smoke like a steam engine.
06:58So there was, but you don't remember those bits.
07:01You remember like that.
07:01Right.
07:02You remember how great it looks about the character.
07:04Yeah.
07:04But I think this monster is appealing to an age group that, what was the first monster?
07:09Early 90s?
07:11Yeah, yeah.
07:11So it was unveiled at the Cologne show in 92.
07:14See how good you are at this.
07:15Yeah.
07:15And I think production was 94.
07:16And I was probably there.
07:17You probably were.
07:19But I think it's appealing to those who were born, you know, late 90s, 2000s.
07:22Yeah.
07:23So they can't remember that kind of.
07:24Yeah.
07:25And when you compare it to all the bikes in this class, not comparing it to its dinosaur
07:30historic brothers and sisters.
07:32You know, when you look at across the board, like, Yellow House MT-09, for example.
07:36Yeah.
07:36Great bike.
07:37Right.
07:37Really good bike.
07:38Has it got soul and character?
07:39Kawasaki Z900.
07:41Great bike, inline four, kind of futuristic, Star Trek-y kind of transformer bodywork.
07:46Right.
07:46Good bike.
07:47Yeah.
07:48Soul and character.
07:49Yeah, exactly.
07:50Did you have a Ducati as a poster bike?
07:52Is it a Ducati winning in World Superbike?
07:54Is it a Ducati winning in MotoGP?
07:55Yeah.
07:56I think it's lost a little bit over the years.
07:58But I think as a Ducati, comparing it to other modern bikes, it still sounds good.
08:02Yeah.
08:02It does.
08:03There's a lot of good intake noise, right?
08:05Yeah.
08:05Like, you get on it and it just has that home.
08:07Yeah.
08:07Which is great.
08:08I would love to hear what it sounds like with an aftermarket exhaust.
08:10Yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:10Because that's where you're like, it doesn't sound big.
08:13Yeah.
08:13You know what I mean?
08:13Like, you want to...
08:15It's a little burble when you close it.
08:16There is.
08:16Yeah.
08:17Like, in sport mode rather than the other one.
08:19Yeah.
08:20I think it was only in sport mode.
08:20Yep, yep.
08:21I've worth mentioning the quickshifter.
08:23Oh.
08:23Super smooth.
08:24Yeah.
08:25I thought the gearbox was maybe one of my favorite aspects of this bike.
08:28Yeah, yeah.
08:28Just super, super precise.
08:30And even though we talked about spinning, the only time I was spinning it really was
08:33in town on the white lines.
08:35Yeah, yeah.
08:35These tires worked well.
08:36They did.
08:37In the hills.
08:37Yeah, yeah.
08:38I was quite surprised.
08:39Because I've ridden these in the dry, but not in those kind of absolute biblical rivers
08:43running across the road.
08:44Yeah, rivers, mud, you name it.
08:46Yeah, transmission and quickshifter were fantastic.
08:48I also really like the clutch feel.
08:50I thought it was, you know, one of the things that's nice about a bike that is this sort
08:54of low to the ground, narrow and light, is it's so easy at low speeds to maneuver around.
09:00Yeah.
09:00And you can feather the clutch super easily with this.
09:02Yeah.
09:03All those sort of touch points of control, especially for beginning riders, they're so
09:06crucial to get right.
09:08I think they really did.
09:09To sum up, verdict in three words?
09:11That's difficult.
09:12Verdict in three words.
09:14That was both three.
09:14You know, Ducati wants you to say style, sophistication, performance, but I'm not going to say that.
09:18Oh, you are really good.
09:20Oh, thank you.
09:21You paid attention briefly.
09:22Yeah.
09:26I'm going to say light.
09:27Yeah.
09:28Refined.
09:29Yeah.
09:31I'd say usable.
09:33Usable.
09:33It's good.
09:34Yeah, that's good.
09:35Usable.
09:36Yeah.
09:36It's a real all round usable, good looking, everyday bike.
09:41Yeah.
09:42That will make your next door neighbor slightly envious.
09:44Yeah, absolutely.
09:45Looks like a monster.
09:46Goes like a monster.
09:48Want to ride it in the dry.
09:49Yeah.
09:50That was horrible.
09:52Well, thank you, Chad.
09:53I appreciate it.
09:53No worries, mate.
09:54Enjoyed it.
09:54Yeah, yeah.
09:54Looking forward to the group test in California.
09:56Yeah, yeah, exactly.
09:57That's where we're doing it.
09:58That's what we want.
09:59Cool, man.
10:00All right.
10:01All right.
10:01Thank you, sir.
10:02Cool, man.
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