zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Beyond Cars
/
2016 Ducati Monster 1200 R - More Power, Less Weight, Way More Badass
2016 Ducati Monster 1200 R - More Power, Less Weight, Way More Badass-November 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:14:19

Ducati pulled the wraps off their new Ducati Monster 1200 R, which they’re calling the most powerful naked they’ve ever made. More power, better components, and less weight? Yeah, thats sounds like the sorta thing we could be into.

The Ducati Monster 1200 R uses a motor based on the same 1200 cc Teststastretta 11 degree twin engine found in the Monster 1200 S, but Ducati claim it makes 10 percent more horsepower and 5 percent more torque. For those of you keeping track at home, that’s 160 hp and 97 foot-pounds of torque. Ducati achieved this through new pistons, throttle bodies, a new inlet manifold, a larger diameter exhaust, and higher compression ratio.

The 1200 R also gets new Ohlins suspension, bigger brakes, more ground clearance, a new steel frame, and an adjustable steering damper. Oh, and they have one more thing - they’ve done away those shitty passenger pegs that push your heels out. Yes, you were supposed to read that like an Apple announcement.

As with all of Ducati’s top level bikes as of late, the Monster 1200 R also gets the Ducati Safety Pack, which pairs an eight-level traction control system to their three-level ABS.

The 2016 Ducati Monster 1200 R was unveiled yesterday morning at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. During the announcement, Ducati also provided a little more insight into their roadmap.

Here’s a report from following the announcement:

Effectively this bike replaces the old and pretty universally unloved 1098 Streetfighter, which, except for a few markets around the world, was a sales disaster.

Ducati bosses were also at great pains to explain this was going to be the pinnacle of performance for the Monster range and any rumors of a naked Panigale had no foundation in truth and no such bike is being planned. Various Ducati department heads officially confirmed no such bike is being worked on currently.

I’m heading to Spain in a few weeks to ride the thing, so look for a detailed report at the end of the month where I’ll dive more into the specs, why/if they matter, and how the new Monster 1200 R rides. Until then, check out the full pictures and specs below.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Beyond Cars
Richard Branson's Spaceport Is Actually Being Built
Richard Branson's Spaceport Is Actually Being Built
Later today, flamboyant British multi-millionaire Richard Branson will commemorate the completion of the main runway of , near the town of Las Cruces, New Mexico, where the project is based. Here's a look before Branson's big bash. , which could carry paying customers into suborbital space by early 2012, had...
Nov 3, 2026
"Sorry About Your Field, Comrade"
A photo from 2007 showing a cosmonaut enjoying a "relaxing afternoon" in a field next to his Soyuz capsule after missing his planned landing spot by 43 miles. Think you can come up with a better caption? [via ] ...
Nov 3, 2026
Ridin' That Train, High On Refined Petroleum
Ridin' That Train, High On Refined Petroleum
I've always been told not to worry because it's not the size of a rocket that matters. Then I saw this and realized that yes, yes it is what matters. More on my own inadequacy below. This is the TMA-01M spacecraft rolled out by train to the launch pad at...
Nov 3, 2026
"As A Kid This Was The Only Van We Wanted To Ride In"
Commenter explaining how the (pictured) 1983 Excella "Astrovan" is the transportation he coveted when he was younger. We'll take the shuttle too. Photo Credit: Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images ...
Nov 3, 2026
These Are The Blueprints For The Millennium Falcon
These Are The Blueprints For The Millennium Falcon
Not a single Bothan died to get us . Take that Leia. Also, please note that Han lied. Those hidden smuggler compartments? They are totally on the blueprints. OK, sorry, back to the car geekery. ...
Nov 3, 2026
NASA Wants A “100-Year Starship”
NASA Wants A “100-Year Starship”
It may sound like science fiction, but after a loose-lipped scientist revealed a /DARPA program to colonize other planets, NASA has confirmed. Some day, your great grandchildren might be driving cars on Mars. "The human space program is now really aimed at settling other worlds," the director of 's Ames...
Nov 3, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved