Ducati 848

The Ducati 848 is white as mint and awakens the senses just like chocolate. Sweet as it may be, the Ducati 848 is as sharp as they get. Slicing through the technical corners on the Almeria circuit in Spain with the confidence inspiring chassis the 749 was known for; -But now 20 kilos lighter and with a hell of a lot more horsepower!

A bright November morning greets us in Almeria when the world press enters the bus just after eight. It’s going to be a great day onboard Ducati’s new downscaled superbike. Since I last tested a Ducati the Bologna firm have won MotoGP, added Marco Melandri to the 2008 MotoGP dream team and launched next years world superbike contender, the 1098R.

But still, it’s the Ducati 848 I have been most interested in. Every detail about it has promised a new superbike for the people. The 848 truly fills a big gap in the Ducati line-up now that the 749 is gone. There has been nothing but Monsters for customers interested in a mid-sized motorcycle.

Ducati Monster 696

Whether you’re new to motorcycling or to the Ducati brand, there is no better way to get into either than with its Monster 696. From the look, feel, and sound of its air-cooled 696cc L-Twin engine cradled in the company’s legendary steel-trellis frame to its bold, curvaceous shape bathed in Ferrari Red paint, there’s no mistaking this bike for anything else other than a Ducati.

Although the Ducati Monster lacks some of the top-shelf technology as used on the Shiver, the basics are all here. A fixed 43mm Showa inverted fork along with Sachs hydraulic shock absorber cushioning the load out back. Equivalent-sized radial-mount front brakes, a friendly hydraulically-actuated clutch and a sharp looking Digitek digital display.

Climbing aboard the Monster 696 isn’t much of a climb at all, as it features a short 30.3-inch seat height. Its low seating position combined with its narrow width make it feel like you’re riding a minibike—that is if you’re six-foot-plus inches tall. Yet even for a tall rider the cockpit isn’t as crowed as you’d expect. The reach to the steel handlebars is equally as diminutive, which in turn creates a sportier riding position than the Shiver’s.

Reach out and grab both the brake and clutch lever and you’ll notice just how ridiculously light clutch lever pull is. Conversely the reach to the brake lever is slightly stretched and it cannot be adjusted like the Shiver’s. Thumb the starter button and the Monster’s air-cooled engine fires right up settling into a lumpy idle. However, sometimes when cold, the engine would stall and require a bit of warm-up before it could idle on its own. Pump the throttle a couple times and the engine roars with that unmistakable Ducati “vroom”. Press down on the gear shift lever, and slip the clutch and you’re off and running.

Whereas the Aprilia’s liquid-cooled engine makes power literally everywhere, the Ducati’s air-cooled mill puts out a subdued spread of power. For a novice rider this translates into absolute confidence, but for an experienced rider it feels downright slow. As rpms slowly increase a decently snappy mid-range is exposed, but it’s cut-short almost as soon as it starts, necessitating an upshift.

Ducati Monster Black Gold

Ducati Monster Black Gold – I’ve actually been scared to write this article, and every time I think about what I want to say about the Ducati Monster, I end up giving up, afraid that I can’t match my emotions with the words…….the Ducati Monster is a love affair I’ve had since my friend introduced me to one in Florence Italy in 2008. I must admit, it wasn’t love at first site, I was intrigued, confused by what I saw.

Needless to say, my fascination became obsession and it gives me great happiness to know that in the end I have found something perfect. To me, the Ducati Monster is more than just another QN bike, it’s the physical representation of my view on life and what I want to get out of it, the Ducati Monster is not a bike for everybody, but to me, it’s THE dream, THE ideal, THE penultimate bike which I swear was carved especially for me by the Ducati team. I could not make it any more perfect if I wanted to and somehow, that scares the sh*t out of me.

To be so sure about what I want, somehow, gives me great confidence in my actions and THAT is what is so attractive about Ducati, they have never followed the herd, they just did what they wanted to do, and somehow, without trying to appease anybody they became insanely successful.

Let’s face it, Ducati is a brand, which goes above and beyond design in terms of “performance”. In fact, although they are so passionate about their technology and their racing, I think most of us would agree that the true beauty of Ducati is the way their bikes become alive with emotion and character, Ducati motorcycles aren’t machines, they are great big Fire-Breathing-Dragons that you want to tame and control…even though you know you never will.

Ducati Monster Black

Riding a motorcycle is a pleasure that I really miss since I sold my Kawasaki Z750 two years ago for economic reasons. Now, I really dream to buy a new bike but I take my time to choose the right one. With a a budget limited to 8000 euros max, the choice is restricted but you can find nice machines like the Triumph Street triple or the Ducati Monster 696. I just took a look at the last one today and it really got my attention. The choice will be hard between this two bikes… No matter.