Ducati India unveiled the Monster 821 for the Indian customers on Friday, 8 June, in Gurugram. Ducati also launched the Monster 797+, which is an upgraded version of the 797 at the same price of Rs 8.03 lakh (ex-showroom India).
The Ducati Monster 821 takes the styling of the larger Monster 1200, with the power of a more compact 821cc L-Twin Testastretta engine, which makes for a decent naked sports bike. The pricing, as far as premium motorcycles go, is appropriate at Rs 9.51 lakh.
The Monster was first unveiled at the 1992 Cologne motor show. Designed by Miguel Galluzzi, the Monster was his idea of a bike where all you need is a seat, an engine, two wheels and a handlebar.
With the Monster 821, the Trellis frame stays an integral part of the design, although it has been shrunk a little. Ducati has also kept the round headlight, giving it a modern touch this time around, with an LED panel spitting the headlamps into two parts.
The 821cc, twin-cylinder liquid-cooled engine puts out 108 bhp of power at 9,250 rpm and 86 Nm or torque at 7,750 rpm with a six-speed transmission.
The gear shift features a DQS (Ducati Quick Shift) option, available as an accessory, which allows the rider to quickly shift up or down without using the clutch. It also has an eight-level traction control system.
It gets a coloured TFT instrument panel display that includes the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge and tell-tale lights.
It comes with three-level ABS and three different ride modes – urban, sport and touring, which alter engine behaviour for different riding conditions.
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