EICMA: Ducati Monster 797/1200 and Scrambler DS/CR

Two new Monsters and two new Scramblers take Ducati’s EICMA unveils to six

Two new versions of the ever-increasing Monster and Scrambler platforms were unveiled at the EICMA show in Milan overnight. In fact, the firm has even began blurring the lines between two of its strong-selling platforms with the Scrambler’s air-cooled 803cc engine now powering the smaller of new Monsters, the Monster 797.

Set to be the new entry-level offering, the 797 offers 75hp of power and 69Nm of torque and is suspended on a non-adjustable upside-down 43mm fork and matched to a rear shock adjustable for preload and rebound damping. It gets a Brembo brake package actuated by a Bosch ABS system and it has a seat height of 805mm, under which is a USB port.

Joining the 797 on the Milan stage was an updated version of the range-topping 1200, complete with 15 more horses prised from its 1198cc Testastretta engine for a new peak output of 150hp. Complementing the increased output is a swathe of new electronics not dissimilar to what’s available on the firm’s 1299 Panigale superbike, adding the IMU-controlled cornering ABS and wheelie control to the bike’s already significant suite of electronic rider aids.

The 1200’s S variant gets daytime running lights, fully adjustable 48mm Öhlins fork and matching rear shock, and its front brakes package has also been updated to Brembo’s M50 calipers biting larger 330mm discs.

Over in the growing Scrambler stable are two new models: a retro-styled cafe racer version called the Scrambler CR as well as the line-up’s most capable off-road version yet dubbed the Scrambler DS, or Desert Sled.

Both versions are powered by the platform’s original 803cc engine, the black, brown and gold cafe racer cops a bikini fairing, a seat cool Termignoni exhaust and gold cast 17-inch wheels shod with Pirelli Diablo Rosso tyres.

The DS variant separates itself from other Scramblers by dual exhaust, spoked rims (19-inch front and a 17-inch rear), high-mounted front guard, a tapered handlebar and the highest seat height of any Scrambler at 860mm.

It rolls on Pirelli Scorpion Rally tyres, its adjustable Kayaba suspension package offers a convincing 200mm of wheel travel at each end and its chassis and swingarm have been reinforced to cope with the rigours of off-road use.