Ducati Monster 796

The Monster 796 has it all: outstanding style, performance and comfort. A joy-to-ride gem bursting with iconic Italian design.

Monster instinct
Twenty-one years on from the Monster’s first unveiling, Ducati now introduce the iconic model’s latest generation with the 2014 Monster 1200 and 1200 S powered by the formidable, Superbike-derived 1198 Testastretta 11° DS engine. The brand new flagship of the family presents an entirely new chassis and muscular styling designed with premium components fully integrated with Ducati’s latest technologies.

Evoking the exciting memories of past models such as the powerhouse S4R and S4RS, the 2014 Monster 1200 also boasts an exclusive S model with 145hp and a ride-enhancing 92ft-lb of high-accelerating torque, wrapped beautifully in a spec-impressive chassis that tips the scales at 182kg (401lb) dry weight.

High-spec brakes, suspension, single-sided swingarm and lightweight wheels combine with Ducati’s best-yet ergonomics to offer the Italian manufacturer’s most attractive Monster ever. Super comfortable and introducing an innovative adjustable seat height, the model also combines 8-level traction control, 3-level ABS and 3-level Ride-by-Wire into Ducati’s user-friendly, press-button Riding Modes.

The 2014 Monster 1200 and Monster 1200 S use next generation technologies to create an enhanced rider/motorcycle relationship, delivering a high-adrenaline experience while constantly reassuring with the feeling of complete control and ergonomic integration.

Standing alongside the new flagship models, the entry-level 696 and premium mid-range 796 Monsters continue to provide a desirable way to enter the world of Ducati, with stylish Trellis frames, excellent chassis components and torque-laden, Desmodromic engines giving that unmistakable sound and character.

While the Monster 1200 is presented in Ducati red with red frame and black wheels, the Monster 1200 S offers Ducati red with red frame and glossy black wheels in addition to the striking scheme of white with bronze-coloured frame and glossy black wheels.

Both the 696 and 796 continue in traditional Ducati red with red frames and black wheels, while the 696 also offers dark stealth or stone white with matte black frames and black wheels. The 796 presents diamond black silk with contrasting red frame and black wheels as its additional colour choice.
 

MONSTER 696 & 796 FAMILY FEATURES
Monster frames
An immensely strong but light tubular steel Trellis frame with aluminium rear sub-frame is the visual and structural backbone of the 696 and 796 Monsters. Delivering rigidity with minimal mass, the frame design is pure Ducati in its ingenuity and simplicity and enables a useful 64 degrees of lock-to-lock steering travel. The lightweight aluminium sub-frame maintains visual continuity with the footrest hangers and swingarm, and is designed to accept a passenger-friendly grab-rail kit available as an accessory from Ducati Performance. The kit further enhances passenger ride comfort without compromising the Monster’s stylish lines.

Monster instrumentation
Looking clean and minimalist in true Monster style, the brightly illuminated display provides all essential data by default, and even more by scrolling with the left-hand switchgear. Data includes speed, revs, time, scheduled maintenance, oil temperature, ABS status and battery voltage, while warning lights illuminate for oil pressure, fuel reserve, turn indicators, high beam and neutral selection. In addition, the instrumentation presents a reserve fuel trip, immobiliser 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.

Urban icon
The Monster 796 is the ‘urban icon’ of the range, combining user-friendliness with sports character. Delivering 87hp (64kW) and a dry weight of just 167kg (368lb), the stylish Monster 796 injects the magic of mid-range into the Monster family.
With the smooth and capable Desmodue 796 engine at the heart of the machine, a single-sided swingarm and user-friendly ergonomics, the Monster 796 perfectly balances lifestyle performance with everyday functionality to enhance the original Monster spirit.

Monster spec
With a seat height of 800mm (31.5in) and the combination of seat shape and raised handlebars, posture is optimized and comfort enhanced. The low weight and ABS as standard equipment inspire confidence and make life simpler in the city for the mid-range Monster.

Suspension up front is handled by user-friendly 43mm Kayaba 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 optimisation.
Twin 320mm semi-floating discs are gripped by radially mounted 4-piston Brembo callipers to provide powerful and progressive front-end braking with rider-friendly ‘feeling’, while the rear is equipped with a 245mm disc and 2-piston calliper, also by Brembo.
The 17” 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 pin-stripe for 60° of the circumference of the rim which creates a full circle of red when in motion. They sport 180/55 rear and 120/70 front Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tyres.

Desmodue engine
Maintaining the smooth and enjoyable character, famous of all Desmodromic L-Twins, the 796 Desmodue power unit has a 66mm stroke crankshaft, instead of the 696’s 57.2mm, and a lightweight flywheel that helps to maximise power to an impressive 87hp (64kW) @ 8250rpm and torque to 58lb-ft (78Nm) @ 6250rpm. 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 twin lateral mufflers.

An APTC “wet“ clutch gives a “slipper“ type action that prevents destabilising of the rear-end under aggressive down-shifting and also gives the extra benefit of a super-light feel at the lever, an advantage in stop-start city traffic.

Controls
The Monster 796 has enhanced comfort and control with bar-risers gripping sturdy tapered section aluminium 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.

796 colours and style
The Monster 796 comes in traditional Ducati red or diamond black silk with both colours against a red Trellis frame and black wheels, which feature a red flash around 60° of the rim side, creating a red stripe at speed. Additional features include footrest hangers finished in matte black to match the rear sub-frame and single-sided swingarm, the Ducati logo on the front mudguard and the Tricolore displayed proudly on the single-seat cover and fuel tank.

The Monster 796 is fitted with the micro-bikini fairing and single seat cover as standard and features a comfort-enhancing seat shape, further accentuated with stylish red stitching.

Less is Monster
The 'less-is-more' philosophy behind all Monsters underlines Ducati's never-ending pursuit of genuinely compact, high performance motorcycles, but these new models have succeeded in being even more 'pared down' than their predecessors. Every single component has been redesigned and redeveloped so now more than ever, form follows function. With any details detracting from the Monster concept being eliminated, 'less-is-more' also means 'less-is-Monster'. Less weight plus more torque equals fun-filled riding.
Monster Story

In 1992 Ducati unveiled a new prototype that was to become an icon. Ducati’s creation awed the crowds and the world’s media of that year’s Cologne International Motorcycle show. The 900 Monster was a motorcycle that created a truly new niche – dramatically styled, minimalist in stature yet bristling with innovative engineering solutions. The Monster’s radical styling has also provided the inspiration for an entire after-market sector specialising in hot-rod parts for this legendary machine. For this reason, rarely do you see two Monsters the same. This radical and refreshing design departure also influenced other manufacturers but, as the old adage states: imitation is the highest form of flattery… The Monster is characterised by a long and successful history, by its introduction during the years of numerous cylinders and uncountable colour options, but above all by a constant technological evolution that this year brings us to the birth of the last version: the Monster 1100EVO, "The Ultimate Monster".

796 Desmodue
The 796 engine is a completely brand new, lightweight Desmodue power unit designed to provide the torquey, smooth and enjoyable character famous of all Desmodromic L-Twins.

APTC clutch
The 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 or during longer journeys. The 21-plate oil-bath clutch (11 friction and 10 steel) represents a power-enhancing weight reduction over the ‘dry’ system as well as having a quieter operation and requiring less maintenance.

Lightweight crankcases
The new crankcases hug the gearbox internals much closer to create a smaller and more compact outer profile and achieve considerable weight savings over previous cases.

Power & torque curves
The Monster 796 produces 84hp (64kW)@ 8250rpm of power and a torque to 58lb-ft (78Nm) @ 6250rpm.

Crankshaft
The crankshaft assembly uses a lightweight 848-type flywheel and has a 66mm stroke instead of the 696’s 57.2mm.

Exhaust system
Providing a deep and rich exhaust tone within current noise and emissions regulations is no mean feat, but the Monster definitely provides the L-Twin sound famous of Ducati. Its bold, high-level twin mufflers also make a striking style statement.

The exhaust system on Monster 796 has one Lambda probe dedicated to each cylinder, enabling precise fuelling for a smoother power delivery as well as complying with current emission regulations.

Monster Trellis
An immensely strong but light tubular steel Trellis frame with aluminium rear sub-frame is the visual and structural backbone of the Monster. Delivering unparalleled rigidity with minimal mass, the chassis design is pure Ducati in its ingenuity and simplicity. A separate, all aluminium sub-frame saves weight and adds a pleasing continuity with the aluminium footrest hangers and matte finished swingarm.

Lightweight construction
Every carefully selected component of the Monster 696 has a net benefit to the overall light weight of the machine. The dry weight of 161kgs (355lb) has dramatic effects on not just manoeuvrability and ease of use, but also by contributing directly to increased performance, braking and acceleration.

Lightweight 5-spoke wheels
The extremely lightweight aluminium alloy Y-shaped, 5-spoke wheels reduce unsprung weight and improve agility. The 3.50x17 front wheel is fitted with a 120/70ZR tyre while the rear 5.50x17 wheel has a 180/55ZR. The result is lightweight, precise steering that is extremely responsive at all speeds while giving the vehicle exceptional stability.

Single-sided swingarm
The beautifully shaped single-sided swingarm gives the Monster a ‘tough' look while ensuring higher rigidity, reduced weight and enhanced road holding.

The swingarm is chill-cast using aluminium in its most noble form. Gravity cast and heat treated, the component achieves the best mechanical characteristics as well as reduced final weight for improved handling.

Headlight
The triple-parabola headlight on the Monster utilises the latest optical technology and advanced construction techniques to provide an incredibly compact lighting package. In spite of its compact size, the headlight throws a broad and deep beam to provide excellent visibility and make night riding safer. Viewed from the side, its discrete silhouette mimics the radical shape of the fuel tank.

LED taillight
An LED rear light unit satisfies the minimalist, weight-saving design ethos found throughout the Monster 696. The specially designed strip of LED are enhanced by a special diffuser lens to deliver outstanding light clarity and incredible longevity.

For the Monster 1100EVO, even the license plate light uses LED technology.

DDA ready
The instrument 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 bike has been built ‘system-ready’ for the data acquisition kit, which consists of special DDA software and a memory key that slots into a plug under the seat. The same plug also doubles as the connection for a handy new battery charger available as an accessory from Ducati Performance.

Monster Style
Refined and sophisticated, the Monster 796 is proud to show its unmistakable style as the ‘Italian ambassador' in the world of motorcycling.

The large diameter tube construction flows into the cast aluminium rear sub-frame which matches the matte black rear swingarm and footrest hangers.

The 17" wheels in the five ‘Y-shape' mount a stylish pin-stripe for 60° of the circumference of the rim which creates a full circle of red when in motion.

The bright white illuminated display, the stylish red stitching of the new seat, the italian flag and the new Ducati logo on the front mudguard complete the clean and minimalist style of this new urban icon.

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

M796 ABS
The Ducati Monster 796 is available with ABS (anti-lock braking system).
Unlike the majority of motorcycle ABS set-ups, this system has the advantage of ensuring a more natural braking ‘feel' for the rider.

The Monster 796 ABS is equipped with ABS, the single seat cover and the neat micro-bikini fairing.