Price: £16,095 | Power: 111bhp | Weight: 184kg | Overall BikeSocial Rating: TBA
From the perspective of 2023 it’s hard to emphasise quite how significant the Ducati Monster was when it first hit the market 30 years ago. That forward-biased shape, minimalist tail and bulbous fuel tank have been aped by so many that it’s essentially become the conventional shape for naked bikes. Along with the 916 that set the template for the modern superbike in 1994 the Monster put Ducati onto the path for the success it enjoys to this day so celebrating its 30th birthday is the least the company can do with the launch of the new Monster 30° Anniversario.
Pros & Cons
- Still has the Monster stance and style
- Ducati has stuck with the V-twin for the Monster even as the rest of the range moves towards V4s
- Upgraded suspension, improved equipment and reduced weight mark out the 30° Anniversario version
- A price north of £16,000 pushes the 111hp Monster’s price higher than the 153hp Streetfighter V2
- Monster SP offers much the same performance and suspension for £2k less
Review – In Detail
Price & PCP
Engine & Performance
Handling & Suspension (inc. weight & brakes)
Comfort & Economy
Equipment
Rivals
Verdict
Specification
The £16,095 price tag of the Monster 30° Anniversario feels like an awful lot when compared with the £11,295 for the base Monster given the two machines share the same engine, styling and frame. The £13,995 Monster SP comes even closer, offering similar suspension and brakes as the 30° Anniversario.
But if the price puts you off there’s sure to be someone else ready to step into the breach as the Monster 30° Anniversario’s limited-edition status – just 500 will be made – means buyers are likely to be queuing up for a place on the waiting list. Other recent Ducati limited editions, even at far higher prices, have sold out within hours of orderbooks opening.
There’s only one paint option, the Anniversary ‘Tricolour’ graphics that are a modern interpretation of a scheme that’s been seen on a variety of limited-run Ducatis over the years.
There’s no online ordering but the Ducati website will put customers in touch with their local dealer.
The engine here is Ducati’s familiar Testastretta 11° V-twin in 111hp guise, as seen in the rest of the current Monster range as well as the Supersport and Hypermotard. It’s apt that the Monster 30° Anniversario retains a V-twin and Desmo valve gear, both elements that have been part of the Monster recipe since the very start. While a Monster V4 has surely already been discussed as a possible future direction for the range, the twin is still here for a while yet.
The original 1993 Ducati Monster had the firm’s 903cc, air-cooled V-twin, with 80hp. The goalposts have moved since then (in 1993 the Monster seemed big and powerful, earning its name), but the latest version’s 937cc Testastretta, with 111hp at 9,250rpm and 93Nm/69 lb-ft of torque at 6.500rpm, offers substantially more performance than the 1993 bike.
The 30° Anniversario’s engine exhales through a road-legal, type-approved Termignoni exhaust, similar to the one used on the Monster SP.
Like most modern Ducatis, the current Monster has a renewed focus on reliability, with 15,000km oil change intervals and 30,000km valve clearance checks.
The current Monster range’s chassis is one area that departs substantially from its forebears, ditching the traditional steel trellis for a cast aluminium front frame that uses the engine as a load-bearing component to hold the swingarm and rear suspension. For 30° Anniversario, Ducati has added the fully-adjustable Ohlins NIX30 forks from the Monster SP, 0.6kg lighter than the part used on the standard Monster and Monster+ and offering improved damping and more adjustability. The rear suspension features a matching Ohlins monoshock, again fully-adjustable, and Ohlins also supplies an adjustable steering damper – something that even the Monster SP doesn’t have as standard.
Another new element is the wheel design. Where the other Monster models have cast alloy rims, the 30° Anniversario gets lightweight forged wheels claimed to save another 1.86kg. Importantly, that weight is taken from unsprung, rotating parts, and should improve both the acceleration and handling as a result. Ducati says the inertial of the front wheel is 21.8% less than the standard bike’s wheel, and the rear is reduced by 26.9%.
Brembo supplies the brakes, of course, and the 30° Anniversario gets the Stylema calipers used by the Monster SP rather than the M4.32 Monoblocs of the standard Monster/Monster+.
The updates contribute to an overall weight that’s 4kg less than the standard Monster and 2kg lighter than the Monster SP – 184kg including fuel, or 164kg completely dry. That’s despite the 30° Anniversario gaining that steering damper and a screen that are missing from the cheaper models in the range.
The 30° Anniversario’s 840mm seat height is identical to the Monster SP’s but 20mm higher than the standard Monster/Monster+ models. A lower, 810mm version is available as an accessory.
The usual Monster attributes of wide bars and relatively low pegs remain, so there’s no reason to think the 30° Anniversario will be any less usable or comfortable than its cheaper siblings.
With no engine changes, the economy is also identical to the other models in the range. Ducati quotes fuel consumption of 5.2 litres/100km. That’s 54mpg. The 14-litre tank is also unchanged so the overall range will remain around 167 miles between fill-ups.
Even the standard Monster isn’t short of equipment, and all its kit is carried over to the 30° Anniversario including cornering ABS, traction control and wheelie control, each with adjustable levels of intervention, three stages for the ABS, eight for the TC and four for the wheelie control. For the 30° Anniversario there’s also Launch Control, and the model gets a lithium battery to help slice a little more weight from its total.
There are a trio of riding modes – Sport, Road and Wet – and the same 4.3-inch colour TFT dashboard seen on the rest of the range. The 30° Anniversario does get its own splash screen when you start it up though.
Other unique elements include the inevitable limited-edition plaque bearing the bike’s individual number in the run of 500 examples, plus embroidered logos on the seat.
Elsewhere, there’s full LED lighting, an up/down quickshifter, a front cowl, pillion seat cover and a purpose-made bike cover to keep the dust off. Oh, and a certificate of authenticity – don’t lose that.
The 30° Anniversario’s closest rival is surely its closest sibling the Ducati Monster SP, and both the base Monster and Monster+ also offer much of the same appeal for even less. But of course none of them have the Monster 30° Anniversario’s exclusivity.
2023 Ducati Monster SP | Price: £13,995
Power/Torque: 111bhp/69lb-ft | Weight: 186kg
2023 Ducati Monster | Price: £11,295
Power/Torque: 111bhp/69lb-ft | Weight: 188kg
2023 Ducati Monster+ | Price: £11,595
Power/Torque: 111bhp/69lb-ft | Weight: 188kg
We’ll let you know when we’ve ridden it
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New price
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£16,095
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Capacity
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937cc
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Bore x Stroke
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94 mm x 67.5 mm
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Engine layout
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V-twin, 90-degrees
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Engine details
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4-valves per cylinder, desmodromic valvetrain, liquid cooled
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Power
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111bhp (82Kw) @ 9,250pm
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Torque
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69lb-ft (93Nm) @ 6,500rpm
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Transmission
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6 speed, chain final drive, up/down quickshifter
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Average fuel consumption
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54mpg claimed
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Tank size
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14 litres
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Max range to empty
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167 miles
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Rider aids
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Three riding modes, launch control, traction control, wheelie control
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Frame
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Aluminium front frame, structural engine
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Front suspension
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Ohlins NIX30 43mm USD forks, TIN treated
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Front suspension adjustment
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Fully adjustable
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Rear suspension
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Ohlins monoshock, single sided swingarm
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Rear suspension adjustment
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Fully adjustable
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Front brake
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2 x 320mm discs, Brembo Stylema Monobloc calipers, cornering ABS
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Rear brake
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245mm disc, Brembo 2-piston caliper, cornering ABS
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Front wheel / tyre
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Forged aluminium wheel, 120/70-17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV
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Rear wheel / tyre
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Forged aluminium wheel, 180/55-17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV
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Wheelbase
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1472mm
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Seat height
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840mm
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Weight
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184kg (kerb)
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Warranty
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24 months, unlimited mileage
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Servicing
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15,000km (9000 miles)/24 months
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MCIA Secured Rating
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Not yet rated
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Website
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www.ducati.com
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What is MCIA Secured?
MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.
As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.
MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:
- A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard
- An ignition immobiliser system
- A vehicle marking system
- An alarm system
- A vehicle tracking system with subscription
The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.
